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PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

FORT  WAYNE  &  ALLEN  CO.,  IND. 


WE. 


ALLEN  COUNTY  PUBLIC  LIBRARY. 


3  1833  02140  1499 
Gc    977.2    In5    v. 14    No. 1-3 

Indiana   Historical    Society, 
Publications 


INDIANA 

HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

PUBLICATIONS 


^ 


VOLUME  14 


^ 


DISTRIBUTED  BY 

THE  BOBBS-MERRILL  COMPANY 

INDIANAPOLIS 

1944 


OFFICERS,  1944 

Eli  Lilly,  President 

William  O.  Lynch,  First  Viee-Prcsident 

Mrs.  Harvey  Morris,  Second  Vice-President 

Harry  O.  Carman,  Third  Vice-President 

John  G.  Rauch,  Treasurer 

Christopher  B.  Coleman,  Secretary'^ 

Executive  Committee:  The  above  officers  and  Lee  Burns, 
Chairman ;  Mrs.  W.  W.  Caar,*  O.  F.  Hall,  Albert  L.  Kohl- 
meier,  Cornelius  O'Brien. 

'''Deceased. 


7  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

.   No.  1.  The  Trail  of  Death.     Letters  of  Benjamin 

Marie  Petit,  by  Irving  McKee 1 

♦ 

;    No.  2.  The  Diaries  of  Donald  Macdonald,  1824-1826, 

v-J  with  an  introduction  by  Caroline  Dale  Snedeker  143 

■     No.  3.  Portraits  and  Painters  of  the  Governors  of 
R^  Indiana,  1800-1943,  by  Wilbur  D.  Peat 381 


Index 433 


CO 

cn 


INDIANA 
HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

PUBLICATIONS 

VOLUME  14 
NUMBER  1 


THE  TRAIL  OF  DEATH 

Letters  of 
Benjamin  Marie  Petit 


By 
IRVING  McKEE 


INDIANAPOLIS 

INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

1941 


PREFACE 

THE  removal  of  the  Indians  from  the  Middle  West  a  hun- 
dred years  ago  was  an  event  of  prime  importance  in  the 
growth  of  the  United  States.  One  of  the  most  striking  epi- 
sodes in  this  process  was  the  Potawatomi  emigration  from 
Indiana  in  1838.  More  contemporary  records  and  a  greater 
volume  of  published  material  about  it  are  extant  than  are  to 
be  found  in  connection  with  the  removal  of  the  Miami  and 
other  Indians  from  this  part  of  the  country.  The  journal  of 
the  emigration,  a  large  part  of  which  is  attributed  to  William 
Polke,  the  conductor  of  the  party,  was  printed  in  Volume  XXI 
of  the  Indiana  Magamie  of  History.  Contemporary  news- 
papers and  documents  in  the  National  Archives  contain  details. 
The  late  state  representative,  Daniel  McDonald,  of  Plymouth, 
realizing  the  injustice  and  harshness  of  the  treatment  of  the 
Potawatomi,  brought  together  some  of  the  information  in  the 
little  volume.  Removal  of  the  Pottawattomies  from  Northern 
Indiana,  most  of  which  is  included  in  his  A  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury History  of  Marshall  County,  Indiana.  Facts  about  the 
emigration  were  given  publicity  in  the  movement  which  re- 
sulted in  the  erection  by  the  State  of  Indiana  of  the  imposing 
monument  to  Chief  Menominee  and  his  band  at  Twin  Lakes, 
Marshall  County.  But  much  remains  to  be  told  of  the  struggle 
— on  one  side,  to  adjust  these  natives  to  an  imported  standard 
of  civilization,  and,  on  the  other,  to  cast  them  out  of  the  only 
land  they  knew. 

The  Petit  letters,  for  the  most  part  translated  and  published 
for  the  first  time,  illuminate  this  phase  of  pioneer  times  with 
almost  brutal  clarity.  The  devoted  young  priest,  seeking  with 
all  his  waning  strength  to  defend  an  immense,  but  moribund, 
cause;  the  hapless  Potawatomi,  caught  between  an  advancing 
tide  and  a  menacing  wilderness;  the  untiring  and  unscrupu- 
lous government  agents,  harried  by  the  incoming  white  men- 
all  these  meet  here  in  brief  but  photographed  conflict.     The 


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6  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

inevitable  defeat,  a  tragedy  in  the  classic  sense,  more  than 
justifies  the  title  given  it — The  Trail  of  Death/ 

To  H.  Vernon  Davis,  of  Culver  Military  Academy,  without 
whose  scholarship  and  perseverance  the  translation  of  the 
letters  would  not  have  been  complete  or  accurate,  special 
acknowledgment  must  be  made.  The  Reverend  Thomas  T. 
McAvoy,  C.  S.  C,  Archivist  of  the  University  of  Notre  Dame, 
made  available  much  of  the  material  and  provided  invaluable 
help  at  every  turn. 

Since  first  prepared,  the  manuscript  has  been  admirably 
corrected  and  clarified  by  the  staff  of  the  Indiana  Historical 
Society. 

Irving  McKee 

Culver  Military  Academy 
June,  1941 

^Jacob  P.  Dunn,  True  Iiidian  Stories  .  .  .  (Indianapolis,  1908),  pp. 
234-52. 


CONTENTS 

Page 

Introduction    1 1 

Letters  of  Benjamin  Marie  Petit  : 

To  Bishop  Brute,  April  17,  1836 29 

To  Mme.  Chauvin  Petit,  October  15,  1837 30 

To  His  Family,  November  24  (  ?),  1837 33 

To  Bishop  Brute,  November  27,  1837 35 

To  Bishop  Brute,  December  9,  1837 40 

To  Bishop  Brute,  December  26,  1837 47 

To  His  Family,  January  5  (  ?),  1838 51 

To  De  la  Hailandiere,  February  11,  1838 53 

To  De  la  Hailandiere,  March  25,  1838 58 

To  Bishop  Brute,  April  i,  1838 63 

To  His  Family,  April  4.  1838 65 

To  Bishop  Brute,  May  26,  1838 ()-] 

To  His  Family,  May  31,  1838 72 

To  Bishop  Brute,  June  20  and  23,  1838 73 

To  His  Family,  July  9,  1838 80 

To  Bishop  Brute,  July  26,  1838 81 

To  Abel  C.  Pepper,  July  31,  1838 87 

To  John  Tipton,  September  3,  1838 88 

To  WilHam  Polke,  September  8,  1838 90 

To  His  Family,  September  14,  1838 90 

To  John  Tipton,  September  17,  1838 93 

To  Bishop  Rosati,  September  19,  1838 93 

To  Father  Francois,  September  23,  1838 95 

To  Bishop  Brute,  November  13,  1838 97 

To  John  Tipton,  November  26,  1838 106 

To  Bishop  Brute,  November  26,  1838 108 

To  Bishop  Brute,  January  18,  1838 no 

Conclusion i  M 

Appendix 

Father  Petit's  Journal i  ^9 

Father  Petit's  Entries  in  the  Baptismal  Register 135 


(7) 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 
Replica  of  Father  Badin's  Chapel  on  the  Univer- 
sity OF  Notre  Dame  Campus 14 

First  Page  of  Father  Petit's  Journal 34 

Symbols 

10 Indian  Office 

ISL Indiana  State  Library 

UNDA.  .  .  .University  of  Notre  Dame  Archives 

ALS Autograph  Letter  Signed 

C Copy 


(9) 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  Potawatomi,  or  "People  of  the  Small  Prairie,"  were 
probably  the  most  numerous  of  the  Indian  tribes  living  in 
Indiana  before  the  incoming  white  man  drove  them  to  other 
lands.  Having  moved  southward  from  northern  Wisconsin 
and  Michigan,  the  tribe  in  1800  occupied  the  region  at  the 
southern  end  of  Lake  Michigan  from  the  Milwaukee  to  the 
Grand  River,  including  a  large  part  of  northern  Illinois,  a 
strip  across  Michigan  to  Lake  Erie,  and  all  of  Indiana  above 
the  Wabash  and  Pine  Creek.  Although  the  total  population 
of  their  fifty  widely  separated  villages  was  only  twenty-five 
hundred,  the  Potawatomi,  a  hunting  and  fishing  people,  re- 
quired this  large  region  for  existence. 

The  French  traders  and  Jesuit  missionaries  who  met  the 
Potawatomi  between  1640  and  1670  at  Green  Bay,  at  Sault 
Ste.  Marie,  and  near  Lake  Huron  described  them  as  "the  most 
docile  and  affectionate  toward  the  French  of  all  the  savages 
of  the  west."^  In  the  French  and  Indian  War,  concluding 
with  the  sanguinary  Pontiac  Conspiracy  of  1763,  the  Pota- 
watomi were  active  in  behalf  of  their  traditional  allies.  When 
the  defeated  French  abandoned  their  American  possessions  to 
Great  Britain  by  the  Treaty  of  Paris,  the  isolated  Indians 
faced  the  choice  of  supporting  established  British  traders  on 
the  one  hand  or  newly  arrived  settlers  from  the  East  on  the 
other.  Again  they  made  the  expedient  but  ultimately  disastrous 
decision,  fighting  against  the  Americans  from  1775  to  1795 
and  from  18 12  to  18 15.  A  comparative  peace  and  quiet  then 
settled  upon  them,  which  was  interrupted  only  by  their  forced 
migration  westward  to  make  way  for  the  incoming  whites. 

The  first  white  men  to  befriend  the  Potawatomi  were  Je- 
suit missionaries,  and  it  was  in  these  "black  robes"  that  they 
placed  their  greatest  trust.  From  1690  to  1761  the  Jesuits 
maintained  the  St.  Joseph  Mission  near  the  northern  border 

'Frederick  Webb  Hodge  (ed.),  Handbook  of  American  Indians  North 
of  Mexico  (U.  S.  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology,  Bidletin  30,  2  volumes. 
Washington,  D.  C,  1907,  1910),  II,  290. 

(11) 


12  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

of  Indiana  and  present  site  of  Niles,  Michigan.^  Here  the 
Potawatomi  of  northern  Indiana  as  well  as  Michigan  received 
ministrations  which  deeply  impressed  them  and  which  they  re- 
membered long  after  the  last  black  robe  had  departed. 

Their  tendency  to  cling  to  the  ceremonies  and  teaching  of 
the  Jesuit  fathers  was  evident  in  182 1  when  Isaac  McCoy,  a 
Baptist  missionary  to  the  Miami  at  Fort  Wayne,  visited  the 
Potawatomi  of  the  Yellow  River,  near  Plymouth,  Indiana. 
A  trader  had  described  their  chief,  Menominee,  as  a  native 
preacher  who  exhorted  his  followers  to  abstain  from  vice, 
especially  liquor,  and  to  adhere  to  good  morals.^  Upon  Me- 
nominee's earnest  solicitation  McCoy,  accompanied  by  a  young 
half-breed  interpreter,  Abraham  Burnett,*  came  to  his  Yellow 
River  village,  consisting  of  four  little  bark  huts,  just  north 
of  Twin  Lakes,  in  1821  and  again  the  following  year  to  hold 
religious  meetings  for  the  tribe.  As  Menominee  was  only 
about  thirty  years  old  at  this  time,'  he  could  not  have  known 
the  Jesuits,  who  had  been  absent  for  almost  sixty  years,  but 
McCoy  observed  that  this  chief  and  his  band  practiced  morn- 
ing and  evening  prayers  together  in  the  Catholic  fashion,  with 
sermons  by  the  leader. 

"See  George  Pare,  "The  St.  Joseph  Mission,"  Mississippi  Valley  Histori- 
cal Review,  XVII  (1930),  24-54. 

^Isaac  McCoy,  History  of  Baptist  Indian  Missions  .  .  .  (Washington, 
D.  C.  1840),  pp.  95-96. 

'Burnett  was  a  Potawatomi,  born  in  Michigan  about  181 1.  He  was  a 
student  at  McCoy's  mission  school  at  Fort  Wayne  and  accompanied  McCoy 
on  several  trips  as  an  interpreter  and  traveling  companion.  McCoy,  History 
of  Baptist  Indian  Missions,  pp.  100  ff.,  113,  138,  139;  "Abram  B.  Burnett, 
Pottawatomi  Chief,"  Kansas  State  Historical  Society,  Collections,  1913-1914 
(1915),  XIII,  371-73.    He  is  mentioned  post,  p.  113. 

"Letter  of  Henry  Willmering,  S.  J.,  of  St.  Mary's  College,  Kansas,  to 
Irving  McKee,  June  9,  1938.  The  letter  states :  "Chief  Menominee  is  prob- 
ably the  same  individual  as  Alexis  Menominee,  listed  in  the  parish  register 
of  St.  Mary's  Church  at  Sugar  Creek  [Kansas]  for  the  year  1841  on  page  75. 
He  was  born  about  the  year  1791,  was  married  to  Angelique  Sagike,  had  one 
daughter,  Mary  Ann,  aged  six  years.  The  loi  entry  in  the  Burial  Register 
tells  us  that  he  died  on  April  15,  1841,  aged  about  fifty,  and  was  buried  in  the 
Sugar  Creek  cemetery."  Menominee  was  baptized  Alexis  on  the  Yellow 
River  in  Indiana.  See  post,  p.  15.  A  sketch  of  Menominee  is  given  in  Daniel 
McDonald,  A  Twentieth  Century  History  of  Marshall  County,  Indiana  (2 
volumes.    Chicago,  1908),  I,  12-16. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  13 

During  McCoy's  visits  the  Indians  attempted  to  persuade 
him  to  come  and  live  among  them.  He  declined,  but  in  1822 
he  left  Fort  Wayne  to  estabHsh  among  the  Potawatomi  to 
the  north  a  new  post  which  he  called  Carey  Mission."  It  was 
located  near  the  present  Niles,  Michigan. 

This  institution  continued  for  a  decade,  providing  instruc- 
tion and  caring  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  Indians  in  the 
neighborhood.  From  his  experience  in  the  mission  field  Mc- 
Coy became  convinced  that  the  best  future  for  the  Indians  lay 
beyond  the  Mississippi.  Their  weakness  for  whisky  and  their 
gullibility  in  dealing  with  traders  made  him  eager  to  establish 
them  in  a  place  far  removed  from  the  white  man.  In  1828 
he  led  a  small  group  of  Ottawa  and  Potawatomi  on  an  ex- 
ploring expedition  to  the  West.  The  next  year  he  received  an 
appointment  as  general  agent  in  the  mission  work  of  his  de- 
nomination among  the  Indians  who  migrated  west  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  during  the  succeeding  years  he  also  held  com- 
missions from  the  government  for  exploring  and  treating  with 
the  Indians  in  the  West.     In  1830  Carey  Mission  was  closed.^ 

Apparently  the  Potawatomi  to  whom  McCoy  and  his  as- 
sistants ministered  were  friendly  but  not  wholly  receptive  of 
the  Baptist  teaching,  yearning  still  for  the  teaching  of  the 
black  robes.  "Supposing  it  would  please  us,"  McCoy  wrote, 
"they  frequently  told  us  that  they  still  recollected  portions  of 
prayers  which  they  had  been  taught,  and  two  or  three  old  per- 
sons told  us  that  'they  had  had  water  put  on  their  faces,'  as 
they  expressed  it."^ 

When  a  black  robe,  Father  Reze,°  finally  came  again  to 

*'Under  a  provision  of  the  Chicago  treaty  of  1821  Isaac  McCoy  was 
appointed  teacher  to  the  Potawatomi  and  by  arrangement  with  the  Baptist 
Board  of  Missions  founded  the  mission.  McCoy,  History  of  Baptist  Indian 
Missions,  pp.  102-6,  1 13-14,  139-40,  145-51;  Charles  J.  Kappler  (ed.),  Indian 
Affairs.  Laws  and  Treaties  (2  volumes.  Washington,  D.  C,  1904).  H,  200; 
Cecilia  Bain  Buechner,  The  Pokagons  (Indiana  Historical  Society,  Publica- 
tions, X,  No.  5,  Indianapolis,  1933),  p.  292. 

'McCoy,  History  of  Baptist  Indian  Missions,  pp.  260  f  f.,  321-27,  337.  402. 

^Ibid.,  p.  237. 

"Frederic  Reze,  a  native  of  Hanover,  was  ordained  in  Rome  in  1822  and 
emigrated  to  the  American  missions  in  1825.  On  February  25,  1833,  he  was 
consecrated  the  first  bishop  of  Detroit.  The  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  IV 
(1908),  759;  XII  (1911),  320;  Buechner,  The  Pokagons,  p.  298. 


14  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

the  St.  Joseph  in  1830 — the  first  in  almost  sixty  years — Chief 
Leopold  Pokagon^°  and  other  Potawatomi  in  the  vicinity 
sought  baptism,  and  when  Reze  left  soon  afterward,  Pokagon 
petitioned  Father  Gabriel  Richard,  vicar-general  of  the  Bishop 
of  Cincinnati  in  Detroit,  for  another  priest.  "An  American 
minister,"  said  the  chief,  "wished  to  draw  us  to  his  religion; 
but  neither  I  nor  any  of  my  village  wished  to  send  our  children 
to  his  school,  nor  go  to  his  meetings ;  we  have  preserved  the 
way  of  prayer  taught  our  ancestors  by  the  black  robe  who  used 
to  be  at  St.  Joseph."" 

Thus  it  was  that  Father  Badin^^  came  to  reside  near  Niles 
and  at  Notre  Dame  from  1830  to  1835.  He  labored  among 
the  Potawatomi  in  Indiana  and  Michigan,  aided  faithfully  by 
his  interpreter,  an  elderly  spinster  named  Angelique  ("Li- 
quette")  Campeau,^^  who  had  taught  the  Indians  near  Detroit 
for  thirty  years.  Badin  purchased  fifty  arpents  of  land  in 
Michigan  near  the  Indiana  border  on  which  he  built  a  chapel, 
and  also  a  tract  of  land  on  St.   Mary's  Lake  in  St.  Joseph 

'"Pokagon  was  a  civil  chief  of  the  first  rank  of  the  Potawatomi.  His 
village  lay  in  what  is  now  the  southeast  corner  of  Bertrand  Township, 
Berrien  County,  Michigan,  about  six  miles  from  the  site  of  Carey  Mission. 
By  the  treaty  of  Chicago  in  1833  this  land  was  ceded  to  the  government. 
From  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  a  section  of  land  granted  to  him  and  his  wife 
by  the  treaty  of  1832,  he  purchased  712.8  acres  in  Silver  Creek  Township, 
Cass  County,  Michigan,  and  he  and  his  band  moved  to  that  place  in  1837. 
Here  with  the  help  of  a  few  white  neighbors  they  built  a  Catholic  church. 
Buechner,  The  Pokagons,  pp.  294,  310-31 ;  Kappler  (ed.),  Laivs  and  Treaties, 
II,  274;  Hodge  (ed.).  Handbook  of  American  Indians,  II,  274. 

"Letter  of  Father  Stephen  Theodore  Badin,  September  i,  1830,  in 
Annales  de  I'Association  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi  (hereafter  cited  as 
Ammles),  IV  (1830-31),  No.  xxiii,  547. 

'^Stephen  Theodore  Badin  came  to  America  in  1792,  and  was  ordained  a 
priest  on  May  25,  1793.  After  serving  in  Kentucky  and  at  Monroe  on  the 
River  Raisin,  he  came  to  Pokagon  and  his  people  in  August,  1830.  Dictionary 
of  American  Biography,  I  (1938),  488-89;  Annales,  IV  (1830-31),  No. 
XXIII,  546-50. 

'Tather  Badin  wrote  of  her,  "She  is  68  years  old  and  she  has  spent  more 
than  thirty  years  at  the  school  of  my  venerable  friend.  Father  Richard  [in 
Detroit].  I  do  not  know  of  a  priest  more  industrious,  more  penitent,  more 
patient,  more  learned,  more  genuinely  pious  than  she  is  in  all  this  coun- 
try. .  .  .  Her  activity  is  equal  to  her  charity  and  zeal."  Quoted  in  Buechner, 
The  Pokagons,  p.  302. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  15 

County,  Indiana,  where  he  erected  a  cabin-chapel  in  which  he 
and  his  successors  Hved." 

Father  Badin  was  joined  in  1833  by  Father  Louis  De- 
seille,^^  a  Flemish  priest.  Deseille,  looking  for  new  souls  to 
save,  in  the  fall  of  1834  visited  Menominee's  Village  on  the 
Yellow  River,  set  up  a  cross,  and  proceeded  to  give  instruc- 
tion/*' He  baptized  the  chief  with  the  Christian  name  Alexis 
on  August  24,  1834,  "under  the  branches  of  an  old,  shady  oak 
tree.""  Several  other  Indians  were  inducted  into  the  faith  on 
the  same  occasion  and  on  the  next  day  at  Lake  Maxinkuckee, 
a  few  miles  to  the  southwest. 

The  following  spring  Deseille  and  Bishop  Brute^®  jour- 
neyed from  South  Bend  to  Chechaukkose's  Village  on  the 
Tippecanoe,  where  there  was  an  Indian  chapel.^^  These  Pota- 
watomi  were  greatly  impressed  by  the  unprecedented  visit; 
Deseille  wrote  to  the  Bishop  afterwards :  "  .  .  .at  the  first 
news  of  your  arrival,   which  spread   from  village  to  village 

"On  the  tract  at  St.  Mary's  Lake  Father  Badin  also  established  the  first 
orphans'  home  and  school  in  Indiana.  The  title  to  this  land  was  conveyed  to 
Bishop  Brute  in  1835.  The  home  and  school  were  abandoned,  but  on  this 
site  seven  years  later  the  University  of  Notre  Dame  was  founded.  Thomas 
T.  McAvoy,  The  Catholic  Church  in  Indiana,  1789-1834  (New  York,  1940), 
pp.  182  f  f. ;  James  E.  Deery,  "The  First  Catholic  Orphans  Home  of  Indiana," 
The  Catholic  Historical  Society  of  Indiana,  Bulletin  No.  2,  pp.  1-4  (De- 
cember, 1937). 

^^Father  Louis  Deseille  came  to  America  from  Holland  in  1832.  He 
joined  the  secular  clergy  soon  after  his  arrival  in  America,  spent  some  time 
in  Cincinnati,  then  joined  Father  Badin.  William  McNamara,  The  Catholic 
Church  on  the  Northern  Indiana  Frontier  1789-1844  (Washington,  D.  C, 
1931),  PP-  42,  63;  McAvoy,  "Father  Badin  Comes  to  Notre  Dame,"  Indiana 
Magazine  of  History,  XXIX  (1933),  12. 

'Tather  Deseille  to  Bishop  Brute,  June  10,  1835,  quoted  in  a  letter  from 
Brute  to  the  compiler  of  Annales,  November  26,  1835,  Annales,  VIII 
(1835-36),  No.  XLiv,  325-26. 

"Baptismal  Register,  University  of  Notre  Dame  Archives. 

"Simon  William  Gabriel  Brute  de  Remur,  first  Bishop  of  Vincennes. 
See  Sister  Maria  Silesia  Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remur,  First  Bishop  of 
Vincennes  (St.  Meinrad,  Indiana,  1931). 

''Hodge  (ed.).  Handbook  of  American  Indians,  I,  240;  Godecker,  Simon 
Brute  de  Remur,  pp.  247-48.  For  Brute's  account  of  the  trip  see  James 
Roosevelt  Bayley,  Memoirs  of  the  Right  Reverend  Simon  Wm.  Gabriel 
Brute,  D.  D.  .  .  .  (New  York,  1873),  PP.  85-90;  Annales,  VIII  (1835-36), 
No.  XLIV,  322-24. 


16  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

with  the  swiftness  of  the  wind,  everybody — men,  women,  and 
children — donned  his  best  spring  attire,  mounted  on  horseback, 
and,  through  quagmire  and  marshes,  came  to  see  the  chief  of 
the  Black-robes,  of  whom  their  fathers  had  spoken  so  much, 
whose  departure  several  had  regretted  until  their  last  breath 
and  died  bidding  their  children  to  listen  to  them,  if  the  great 
Lord  of  Life  sent  them  again. "^° 

Bishop  Brute  confirmed  sixteen  persons  at  Chechaukkose's 
Village  and  in  turn  was  offered  a  half  section  (320  acres)  of 
land  upon  which  to  build  a  church  and  a  school.  He  accepted 
the  gift  from  the  chief,  but  realized  that  it  might  not  be  pos- 
sible to  secure  from  the  government  the  approval  necessary  for 
a  legal  transfer. ^^ 

After  his  superior's  departure  Deseille  remained  ten  days 
at  the  Tippecanoe,  instructing,  baptizing,  and  admitting  to  first 
communion.  In  order  to  relieve  the  congestion  he  sent  away 
the  Yellow  River  Potawatomi,  promising  to  visit  them  next. 
When  he  did,  he  found  that  this  band  had  erected  a  little  chapel 
much  like  the  one  at  the  Tippecanoe,  close  to  the  cross  he  had 
set  up  the  previous  autumn.  Menominee  and  his  fellows,  not 
to  be  outdone  in  any  way  by  Chechaukkose,  gave  the  Church 
not  only  a  half  section  for  a  chapel  but  another  half  section  to 
be  used  for  a  school.  After  baptizing  thirty-seven  persons  in 
six  days,  Deseille  returned  to  Pokagon's  Village  near  Niles.^^ 

In  a  letter  to  the  compiler  of  the  Amiales,  Brute  expressed 
himself  as  ''much  touched  by  the  piety  and  self-communing" 
of  the  Indians  whom  he  met  on  his  journey,  and  as  sympathetic 
with  Deseille's  ambition  "to  train  them  to  pastoral  life."  Brute 
saw  more  clearly  than  the  missionaries,  however,  that  the  gov- 
ernment was  threatening  the  security  of  their  stations  and  their 
activities  might  soon  be  brought  to  an  end.  He  wrote  on  No- 
vember 26,  1835  :  "One  knows  that  the  policy  of  the  United 
States  is  to  shut  them    [the  Indians]    out  from  all  civilized 

^Father  Deseille  to  Bishop  Brute,  June  10,  1835,  quoted  in  a  letter  from 
Brute  to  the  compiler  of  Annales,  November  26,  1835,  Annales,  VIII,  324-25. 

^Bayley,  Memoirs,  pp.  86,  87-88;  Brute  to  the  compiler  of  Annales, 
in  Annales,  VIII,  324. 

"Tather  Deseille  to  Bishop  Brute,  June  10,  1835,  quoted  in  ibid.,  VIII, 
324-27. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  17 

States  and  to  drive  all  the  savages  back  to  the  other  side  of  the 
Mississippi."^^ 

By  treaties  made  in  1818,  1821,  1826,  and  1828,  the  Pota- 
watomi  had  ceded  such  a  large  part  of  their  possessions  in 
Indiana  that  their  holdings  could  not  be  further  reduced  and 
support  them  in  their  nonagricultural  way  of  life.^*  Mean- 
while the  westward  white  migration  was  increasing  steadily.^' 
New  settlers  pouring  into  the  Indiana  country  clamored  for 
more  and  more  lands,  and  prodded  the  government  to  purchase 
the  remaining  Indian  holdings.  The  inevitable  result  was  the 
proposition  to  move  the  Indians  beyond  the  Mississippi.  On 
May  28,  1830,  Congress  passed  a  bill  permitting  an  exchange 
of  lands  belonging  to  Indian  tribes  in  states  or  territories  east 
of  the  Mississippi  for  lands  west  of  the  Mississippi  and  mak- 
ing provisions  to  enable  the  Indians  to  remove  to  their  new 
lands  and  "to  give  them  such  aid  and  assistance  as  may  be 
necessary  for  their  support  and  subsistence  for  the  first  year 
after  their  removal."^'' 

The  next  negotiations  with  the  Potawatomi  reflected  this 
policy.  By  the  three  treaties  concluded  with  them  in  1832 
they  gave  up  their  title  to  and  interest  in  all  lands  in  Indiana 
with  the  exception  of  certain  well-defined  reserves,  and  one  of 
these  treaties,  concluded  on  October  26,  provided  that  if  at  any 
time  the  Potawatomi  wished  to  "change  their  residence,"  the 
amount  of  goods  necessary  for  their  migration  would  be  pro- 
vided by  the  government.^' 

The  efforts  of  the  government  agents^^  were  now  bent 

''Ibid.,  VIII,  323. 

"Kappler  (ed.),  Laivs  and  Treaties,  II,  168-69,  198-201,  273-76,  294-97. 

^The  white  population  in  Indiana  had  increased  from  an  estimated 
6,550  in  1800  to  344,508  in  1830.  Logan  Esarey,  A  History  of  Indiana  from 
Its  Exploration  to  1850  (2  volumes.    Fort  Wayne,  1924),  I.  ^75,  3^5- 

""U.  S.  Statutes  at  Large,  IV,  411-12. 

''Kappler  (ed.),  Laws  and  Treaties,  II,  353-56,  367-70,  372-74- 

^From  1789  to  1849  the  Office  of  Indian  Affairs  was  a  part  of  the  War 
Department  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War.  In  1832  the  posi- 
tion of  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  was  created,  and  in  1834  the  Office 
of  Indian  Affairs  was  set  up  under  the  Commissioner,  within  the  War  De- 
partment. To  it  fell  the  duties  of  overseeing  trade  and  commerce  and  treat- 
ing with  the  Indians.  From  1831  to  1836  the  removal  of  the  Indians  to  the 
West  was  under  the  direction  of  the  Commissary  General  of  Subsistence. 
In  the  latter  year  this  duty  was  transferred  to  the  Indian  Office. 


18  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

toward  enrolling  as  many  of  the  Indians  as  could  be  persuaded 
to  acquiesce  in  removal  to  new  lands  in  the  West.  In  1833 
Colonel  Abel  C.  Pepper,  subagent  for  Indiana,  was  appointed 
to  superintend  the  removal  of  the  Indiana  Indians.  In  that 
year  upwards  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  Potawatomi  were  gath- 
ered together  at  Logansport,  but  most  of  them  fled  from  the 
camp  before  the  removal  started  and  only  about  seventy  reached 
the  Mississippi.  During  the  next  year  several  more  parties 
made  the  journey,  but  the  process  was  slow. 

In  1834  William  Marshall,  Indian  agent  for  Indiana,  was 
instructed  by  Lewis  Cass,  Secretary  of  War,  to  make  further 
efforts  to  secure  the  reserves  still  remaining  in  Indian  posses- 
sion in  Indiana,  and  it  was  proposed  that  this  could  be  done 
most  successfully  by  treating  with  the  separate  bands  rather 
than  with  the  Potawatomi  nation.^®  During  December,  1834, 
Marshall  concluded  a  number  of  treaties  with  Potawatomi 
bands  by  which  he  purchased  52,800  acres  of  land  for  the  gov- 
ernment out  of  their  reserves.  He  secured  most  of  this  at  the 
rate  of  fifty  cents  an  acre,  but  in  a  few  instances  was  obliged 
to  pay  sixty-two  and  a  half  cents. ^^  When  these  treaties  were 
sent  to  President  Jackson,  he  submitted  only  four  of  them  to 
the  Senate  for  ratification  and  withheld  the  others.  Three 
of  the  four  which  were  approved  were  made  with  Comoza  and 
his  band.  Muck  Rose  and  his  band,  and  Mota  and  his  band. 
They  provided  for  the  complete  relinquishment  of  the  reserves 
granted  to  these  bands  in  1832  and  carried  the  promise  of  the 
Indians  to  yield  peaceable  possession  within  three  years.  In 
the  last-named  treaty  Mota  and  his  band  agreed  to  remove  to 
a  country  provided  for  them  west  of  the  Mississippi  River 
within  the  three-year  period.  By  the  fourth  treaty  which  was 
approved,  the  Potawatomi  tribe  ceded  two  sections  of  land  on 
the  Tippecanoe  River,  including  their  mills,  granted  them  in 

^Lewis  Cass  to  William  Marshall,  July  12,  1834,  Newton  D.  Mereness 
Calendar  of  papers  in  the  National  Archives,  Indiana  State  Library  (here- 
after cited  as  Mereness  Calendar),  Indian  Office,  Letters  Received,  Miami. 
Cass  was  secretary  of  war  from  183 1  to  1836. 

""William  Marshall  to  Lewis  Cass,  January  i,  1835,  enclosing  copies  of 
eleven  treaties  negotiated  by  him  with  bands  of  Potawatomi,  photostats  in 
Matthews  Collection,  Indiana  State  Library,  from  Indian  Office,  Letters 
Received,  Potawatomi. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  19 

1832;  the  services  of  a  miller  furnished  them  by  the  govern- 
ment were  to  be  discontinued.^^ 

The  treaties  which  Jackson  withheld  from  the  Senate  pro- 
vided for  the  purchase  of  parts  of  reserves,  the  remaining 
parts  to  be  divided  among  individual  members  of  the  bands. 
The  case  of  Menominee's  reserve  on  the  Yellow  River  serves 
as  a  good  example.  In  1832  twenty-two  sections  (14,080 
acres)  of  land  on  the  Yellow  River,  south  of  Plymouth,  were 
granted  to  Menominee,  Peepenawah,  Notawkah,  and  Makkah- 
tahmoway  and  their  bands.  William  Marshall  contracted  to 
purchase  eleven  sections  of  the  reserve  for  the  government,  the 
remaining  eleven  sections  to  become  the  property  of  individual 
Indians  including  Menominee,  Makkahtahmoway,  and  Notaw- 
kah.^^  To  this  arrangement  Jackson  objected,  on  the  grounds 
that  it  would  deprive  most  of  the  members  of  the  bands  of 
their  just  claim  to  an  interest  in  the  reserves.^'  The  arrange- 
ment was  unacceptable  to  Secretary  Cass,  also,  for  he  was 
adverse  to  any  partial  removal  of  the  Indians,  believing  firmly 
that  "they  ought  all  speedily  to  go."^* 

Marshall  resigned  as  agent  in  February,  1835,  and  Jackson 
sent  to  Pepper  the  unratified  treaties  with  the  request  that  he 
inform  the  Potawatomi  that,  when  they  signified  a  willingness 
to  sell  their  lands  and  remove  west,  the  President  would  auth- 
orize negotiations  for  that  object. ^^ 

Spurred  on  by  pressure  from  the  Indian  Office  and  from 
the  growing  white  population,  Colonel  Pepper  determined  to 
remove  all  obstacles  that  might  in  any  way  hinder  him  from 
accomplishing  his  task.  When  Father  Deseille  visited  the  Yel- 
low River  Potawatomi  in  1835,  it  was  recognized  that  his 
presence  might  prejudice  their  removal.    A  priest  who  wished 

"Kappler  (ed.),  Lazvs  and  Treaties,  II,  428-31. 

"Marshall  to  Cass,  January  i,  1835,  Matthews  Collection. 

''John  Tipton  to  Governor  David  Wallace,  September  18,  1838,  in 
Indiana  Senate  Journal,  1838-39,  p.  728. 

"George  Gibson  to  Abel  C.  Pepper,  February  27,  1835,  Mereness 
Calendar,  Indian  Office,  Letters  Received,  Miscellaneous. 

''John  Tipton  to  Lewis  Cass,  March  7,  183S,  photostat  in  Tipton  Papers, 
Indiana  State  Library,  from  Indian  Office,  Letters  Received,  Potawatomi 
and  Miami ;  Abel  C.  Pepper  to  Lewis  Cass,  May  16,  1835,  Mereness  Calendar, 
Indian  Office,  Letters  Received,  Potawatomi. 


20  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

"to  train  them  to  pastoral  life"  promised  to  become  a  formid- 
able barrier  in  the  way  of  the  chosen  policy.  In  January,  1835, 
and  again  in  July,  Pepper  wrote  to  George  Gibson,  Commis- 
sary General  of  Subsistence,  that  Catholic  priests  were  alleged 
to  be  interfering  with  the  operations  of  the  removal  of  the 
Potawatomi.  During  the  next  months  it  was  reported  to  him 
that  Father  Deseille  held  meetings  with  the  Indians,  advised 
them  not  to  sell  their  lands  but  to  build  a  church,  settle 
together  in  one  village,  and  reject  the  proposition  of  the  gov- 
ernment to  remove  west.^*^  Pepper  thereupon  requested  that 
whenever  Deseille  assembled  any  of  the  Indians  within  the 
Indian  agency,  he  inform  Pepper  of  it,  and  added  that  it 
might  be  necessary  to  furnish  an  authorized  interpreter  for 
these  occasions  to  insure  that  there  would  be  no  talk  or  speeches 
which  might  incite  the  Indians  toward  a  violation  of  the  exist- 
ing laws  and  treaties.  He  referred  the  priest  to  an  act  ap- 
proved June  30,  1834,  to  regulate  trade  and  intercourse  with 
the  Indians,  which  placed  heavy  penalty  on  anyone  attempting 
to  "produce  contravention  or  infraction  of  any  treaty  of  the 
United  States."" 

Whatever  Deseille's  opinion  of  a  governmental  attitude 
that  threatened  the  existence  of  his  mission,  his  replies  to  Pep- 
per were  friendly  and  co-operative.  He  promised  to  comply 
with  the  agent's  request  and  added :  "I  have  not  the  least 
objection  to  this — my  business  with  the  Indians  being  only 
about  their  spiritual  concerns,"  He  even  inquired  whether 
Pepper  would  prefer  to  have  the  Indians  discontinue  their 
attendance  at  the  Sunday  and  festival  meetings  in  the  village.^* 

This  brought  from  Pepper  the  assurance  that  he  had  no 
objections  to  any  course  of  religious  instruction  among  the 

^"Abel  C.  Pepper  to  the  Commissary  General  of  Subsistence,  January  17, 
1835,  Mereness  Calendar,  Indian  Office,  Letters  Received,  Potawatomi; 
Abel  C.  Pepper  to  Lewis  Cass,  October  16,  1835,  Indian  Office,  Letters 
Received,  Potawatomi. 

"Abel  C.  Pepper  to  Father  Deseille,  August  7,  1835,  Indian  Office, 
Letters  Received,  Potawatomi;  U.  S.  Statutes  at  Large,  IV,  731. 

"^Father  Deseille  to  Abel  C.  Pepper,  October  10,  1835,  Indian  Office, 
Letters  Received,  Potawatomi ;  Deseille  to  Pepper,  November  10,  1835, 
"Documents :  Correspondence  on  Indian  Removal,  Indiana,  1835-1838,"  Mid- 
America,  XV  (1932-1933),  178. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  21 

Indians  that  did  not  "infringe  the  laws  of  the  United  States 
nor  interfere  with  the  humane  poHcy  of  the  government."  He 
added  that  it  would  give  him  pleasure  to  have  Deseille  call  on 
him  for  an  exchange  of  views. ^^ 

Commissary  General  Gibson,  upon  whose  department  lay 
the  responsibility  of  conducting  an  emigration,  asked  Deseille 
for  an  explanation  of  the  actions  attributed  to  him,  declaring 
that  he  was  reluctant  to  believe  that  the  priest  would  adopt  a 
course  "calculated  to  impede  the  progress  of  measures  adopted, 
in  the  judgement  of  the  Government  to  promote  the  well  fare 
of  the  indians."  Father  Deseille  declared  himself  innocent  of 
all  charges  made  against  him.  His  visits  to  the  Indiana  Pota- 
watomi  had  been  made  only  with  consent  of  their  agent,  Wil- 
liam Marshall,  and  their  great  distance  from  Pokagon's  Village 
in  Michigan  where  he  lived  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  visit 
them  more  than  two  or  three  times  a  year.  He  attributed  to 
Marshall  the  efforts  to  concentrate  the  tribe  into  villages.  As 
to  the  building  of  a  church  by  the  Indians  on  Yellow  River, 
he  explained :  "I  could  not  but  approve  it  but  I  deemed  it  use- 
less being  convinced  that  it  was  not  possible  for  them  to  stay 
much  longer  in  that  country  without  being  protected  by  the 
laws  against  encroachment  of  the  Whites  and  for  this  reason 
I  would  not  take  one  step  to  begin  and  after  several  repeated 
solicitations  I  told  them  that  I  did  not  see  any  possibility  for 
them  to  remain  in  this  country  unless  they  should  get  from 
their  great  father  the  President  the  favor  of  being  subject  to 
the  laws  as  white  people  and  this  I  did  not  tell  them  before  I 
had  .'jscertained  myself  that  the  intention  of  the  Government 
was  not  to  remove  all  the  Indians  to  the  West  but  rather  to 
extinguish  their  nationality — so  I  was  told  by  persons  in  office 
whom  I  supposed  to  be  well  acquainted  with  the  proceedings 
of  the  Government." 

Gibson's  far  too  reassuring  reply  reveals  either  a  lack  of 
unity  or  a  duplicity  in  the  policy  of  the  War  Department.  He 
informed  Deseille  that  there  would  be  no  further  inquiry  into 
his  actions,  and  stated  further  that  Potawatomi  chiefs  who  had 
visited  Washington  in  November,    1835,  had  been  told  that 

'"Abel  C.  Pepper  to  Father  Deseille,  October  20,  1835,  ibid.,  XV,  177. 


22  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

they  would  not  be  disturbed  by  the  government  so  long  as  they 
wished  to  remain  in  Indiana.*" 

Upon  this,  Deseille  set  about  to  expand  and  improve  his 
mission,  confident  that  there  would  be  nothing  to  interrupt  its 
progress.  He  requested  an  appropriation  out  of  the  fund  voted 
by  Congress  for  civilizing  the  Indians  to  be  expended  on  a 
school  at  the  Yellow  River  reserve.  He  wrote  frankly  to 
Pepper,  "I  am  quite  confident,  sir,  you  will  not  make  any  dif- 
ficulty to  permit  me  as  heretofore  to  continue  the  moral  and 
religious  instruction  of  the  Indians  of  your  agency;  viz.  those 
of  the  village  of  Menomina,  Chechacose  and  Ashkum  who  all 
have  received  the  same  favor  [that  they  could  remain  as  long 
as  they  wished]  by  a  rescript  of  the  Secretary  of  War  in  Jan- 
uary, 1836."  In  April,  1836,  Menominee  and  Makkahtah- 
moway  also  asked  for  an  appropriation  for  the  education  of 
the  youths  of  their  tribe,  and  shortly  afterward  the  sum  of 
$300  was  allowed.*^ 

This  trend  of  affairs  was  exasperating  and  embarrassing 
to  Pepper.  He  requested  Deseille  to  take  no  steps  toward 
establishing  himself  permanently  among  the  Potawatomi*^  and 
wrote  to  John  Tipton:*^  "If  the  Sec.  of  War.  or  Commissary 
Gen  did  give  such  assurences,  why  was  I  not  advised  of  it? 
I  have  felt  it  to  be  my  duty  constantly  to  repeat  to  the  Indians 

^''George  Gibson  to  Father  Deseille,  November  3,  1835,  and  January  22, 
1836,  Indian  Office,  Commissary  General  of  Subsistence,  Letter  Book, 
volume  C,  329,  420;  Deseille  to  Gibson,  December  28,  1835,  "Documents," 
Mid-America,  XV,  179-80. 

"Father  Deseille  to  Abel  C.  Pepper,  March  21,  1836,  "Documents," 
Mid-America,  XV,  182;  Menominee  and  Makkahtahmoway  to  Elbert 
Herring,  April  14,  1836,  Mereness  Calendar,  Indian  Office,  Letters  Received, 
Indiana;  Lewis  Cass  to  John  Tipton,  April  19,  1836,  Mereness  Calendar, 
Indian  Office,  Letter  Book,  volume  18,  pp.  315-16. 

■""Abel  C.  Pepper  to  Father  Deseille,  April  18,  1836,  "Documents," 
Mid-America,  XV,  183. 

"Abel  C.  Pepper  to  John  Tipton,  April  16,  1836,  Tipton  Papers,  Indiana 
State  Library.  Tipton  was  a  member  of  the  United  States  Senate  from 
Indiana  from  1832  to  1839.  From  1823  to  1831  he  had  served  as  agent  to  the 
Miami  and  Potawatomi,  first  at  Fort  Wayne  then  at  Logansport,  and  his 
success  in  winning  the  confidence  of  the  Indians  was  notable.  As  a  member 
of  the  Senate  he  served  on  committees  dealing  with  military  affairs,  Indian 
affairs,  and  public  lands.    Tipton  Papers,  Indiana  State  Library. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  23 

that  the  President  would  no  longer  listen  to  any  arguments  in 
favor  of  their  remaining  in  this  Country.  And  are  my 
speec[h]es  thus  made  to  be  contradicted,  and  my  authority  and 
influence  to  be  destroyed,  by  the  action  of  the  Government, 
without  my  knowledge?  I  failed  in  a  late  effert  to  conclude  a 
treaty  with  the  Yellow  river  band,  wholy  on  account  as  the 
Chief  aleged,  of  a  paper  which  he  said  the  Priest  had  authoriz- 
ing the  band  to  remain  permanently  on  their  reservation — 
build  Churches,  School  houses  &c.  ...  I  shall  be  glad  to  be 
advised  what  has  been  said  to  Me-nom-mi-na  or  the  Priest  on 
this  subject." 

But  Pepper's  success  was  close  at  hand :  one  by  one  he  was 
committing  the  remaining  bands  of  Potawatomi  to  emigration. 
On  March  26,  1836,  he  negotiated  a  treaty  with  the  Pota- 
watomi of  Turkey  Creek  Prairie  (near  the  head  of  the  Yellow 
River)  ;  on  March  29  and  April  11  at  the  Tippecanoe  (where 
Chechaukkose's  band  lived);  on  April  22  at  Logansport;  on 
August  5  at  the  Yellow  River  (ostensibly  with  Menominee's 
band)  ;  and  on  September  20,  22,  and  23  at  Chippewaynaung 
on  the  Wabash.  By  these  treaties  the  Potawatomi  agreed  to 
sell  to  the  government  all  their  claims  to  land  in  Indiana  and 
promised  to  remove  to  lands  provided  for  them  beyond  the 
Mississippi  within  two  years.  The  treaties  were  all  ratified  by 
the  Senate.**  How  he  managed  to  wear  the  Indian  resistance 
down  can  only  be  imagined,  but  following  the  treaty  of  the 
Yellow  River,  concluded  on  August  5,  by  which  the  twenty- 
two  sections  comprising  Menominee's  Reserve  were  sold,  there 
was  a  great  storm  of  protest. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  this  reservation  was  granted  in 
1832  to  Menominee,  Peepenawah,  Makkahtahmoway,  and  No- 
tawkah  and  their  bands.  Menominee's  name,  which  headed 
the  list  in  1832,  does  not  appear  among  the  signers  of  the 
treaty  of  1836,  and  strenuous  efforts  were  made  to  prove  that 
the  treaty  was  a  fraud.  Government  officers  attributed  to 
Deseille  the  leadership  in  the  opposition.  Arguments  against 
the  validity  of  the  treaty  were  that  those  who  signed  it  were 
not  the  proper  chiefs  and  that  there  was  much  drinking  at  the 
treaty  grounds.     In  turn  the  priest  was  alleged  to  have  ob- 

"Kappler  (ed.),  Laivs  and  Treaties,  II,  450,  457-59,  462-63,  470,  471-72. 


24  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

tained  from  Menominee  and  perhaps  others  a  title  to  the  reserve 
and  to  have  incited  the  Indians  to  fight  the  treaty/^ 

On  November  4  the  Potawatomi  of  the  Yellow  River  sent 
to  John  Tipton  a  protest  against  the  sale  which  Tipton  for- 
warded to  Carey  A.  Harris,  then  Commissioner  of  Indian 
Affairs.  Harris  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  this  and  of  a 
similar  plea  from  Chechaukkose  and  others,  but  let  the  matter 
drop.**'  Protests  dated  November  15,  1836,  and  April  6,  1837, 
were  sent  to  President  Van  Buren  and  Secretary  of  War 
Cass.  On  May  15  and  June  12,  the  Yellow  River  Potawatomi 
again  appealed  to  the  President,  declaring  that  they  had  not 
made  a  treaty  with  Colonel  Pepper  the  preceding  August." 

It  is  likely  that  Deseille  was  instrumental  in  sending  these 
papers  to  Washington,  sincerely  feeling  that  the  Indians  were 
being  defrauded.  Lewis  H.  Sands,  an  assistant  superintendent 
of  the  emigration,  made  a  tour  of  the  Potawatomi  villages  in 
Indiana  in  the  spring  of  1837,  and  in  May  reported  that  he 
had  found  all  the  bands  convinced  that  they  had  given  up  their 
lands  and  ready  to  move  except  at  the  Yellow  River  village. 
He  called  upon  Deseille.  "He  appeared  willing  to  give  me  an 
answer  to  my  queries,"  Sands  wrote  to  Pepper,  "and  I  am 
perfectly  convinced  that  he  has  made  this  band  of  Indians 
believe  that  they  have  not  sold  their  reservation.  .  .  .  Unless 
his  influence  is  curtailed  and  he  stopped  from  making  misrep- 
resentations relative  to  the  treaty  and  object  of  the  govern- 
ment, we  may  not  expect  to  emigrate  but  a  portion  of  this 
band."^« 

Citing  the  act  of  June  30,  1834,  as  his  authority.  Pepper 
delivered  to  the  priest,  through  Sands,  a  kind  of  ultimatum, 

"George  W.  Ewing  and  Cyrus  Taber  to  John  Tipton,  August  21,  1836, 
Mereness  Calendar,  Indian  Office,  Letters  Received,  Potawatomi. 

"Protest  to  John  Tipton  by  Potawatomi  of  Yellow  River,  November  4, 
1836,  Mereness  Calendar,  Indian  Office,  Letters  Received,  Potawatomi ; 
John  Tipton  to  Carey  A.  Harris,  December  18,  1836,  Mereness  Calendar, 
Indian  Office,  Letters  Received,  Indiana;  Harris  to  Tipton,  December  29, 
1836,  Mereness  Calendar,  Indian  Office,  Letter  Book,  volume  20,  p.  351. 

"Mereness  Calendar,  Indian  Office,  Letters  Received,  Potawatomi  and 
Indiana.    See  also  post,  pp.  38,  41. 

"Lewis  H.  Sands  to  Abel  C.  Pepper,  May  11,  1837,  "Documents,"  Mid- 
America,  XV,  183-84. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  25 

ordering  him,  as  an  alien,  to  leave  the  public  lands,  or,  as  an 
alternative,  to  stay  and  attempt  to  prove  himself  a  citizen.  In 
the  latter  event  he  announced  that  the  priest  would  be  prose- 
cuted for  disturbing  the  peace  among  the  Indians  and  attempt- 
ing to  alienate  them  from  the  government.  Upon  this  the 
missionary  left  the  reserve.^'' 

Shortly  after  Deseille's  departure  Miss  Campeau  received 
the  following  curt  note  from  Sands :  "You  are  hereby  re- 
quired to  leave  the  Indian  reservation  purchased  by  Govern- 
ment forthwith.  M  Deselle  cannot  be  allowed  to  evade  the 
penalties  of  the  law  by  leaveing  yourself  in  possession  of  his 
house.  Mr.  Nash  is  authorised  to  demand  and  take  possession 
of  the  House  in  which  M.  Deselle  resided  for  the  use  of  Gov- 
ernment   And  you  expected  to  depart  immediately."^" 

Pepper,  feeling  perhaps  that  these  steps  may  have  been  too 
drastic,  sought  approval  of  his  actions  from  Commissioner 
Harris,  in  a  letter  of  May  31.  Harris  replied  that  the  depart- 
ment concurred  fully  in  the  course  that  had  been  taken. ^^ 

Deseille  remained  in  the  neighborhood.  The  following 
September  he  spent  two  weeks  at  Pokagon's  Village  in  Mich- 
igan, then  made  his  way  on  foot  to  his  home  at  St.  Mary's 
Lake.  He  fell  ill  after  his  arrival  there,  and  died  on  Septem- 
ber 26.^^ 

In  the  late  summer  and  early  fall  of  1837,  between  four 
and  five  hundred  Ottawa,  Chippewa,  and  Potawatomi  from 

"Abel  C.  Pepper  to  Father  Deseille,  May  16,  1837,  and  Lewis  H.  Sands 
to  Abel  C.  Pepper,  May  20,  1837,  ibid.,  XV,  185-87. 

°"Lewis  H.  Sands  to  Mamzelle  Liggate  (Angelique  Campeau),  May  2S. 
1837,  photostat  in  University  of  Notre  Dame  Archives  from  original  in 
Chancery  Office,  at  Indianapolis.  The  priest  had  acknowledged  to  Sands 
that  he  had  a  contract  signed  by  the  Indians  of  the  Yellow  River  reserve 
granting  his  Bishop  one  section  of  the  reserve  including  the  church  and  the 
house  in  which  the  priest  resided.  See  ante.  p.  16;  Sands  to  Abel  C.  Pepper. 
May  20,  1837,  "Documents,"  Mid-America,  XV,  186-87. 

"Abel  C.  Pepper  to  Carey  A.  Harris,  May  31,  i837,  ibid.,  XV,  188; 
Harris  to  Pepper,  June  16,  1837,  Indian  Office,  Letter  Book,  volume  21, 
p.  500. 

''A  description  of  Father  Deseille's  death  is  given  in,  "Missionaries  of 
Indiana,— First  Rev.  C.  De  Seille,"  Ave  Maria,  I,  No.  30,  PP-  474-75  (De- 
cember 9,  1865);  Annales,  X  (1837-38),  No.  lx,  556;  Godecker,  Simon 
Brute  de  Remur,  pp.  327,  347. 


26  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

the  Chicago  Agency  were  removed  to  Council  Bluffs  sub- 
agency,  and  smaller  parties  of  Potawatomi  emigrated  from 
Indiana.  The  government  agents  meanwhile  continued  to 
exert  a  constant  pressure  on  the  remaining  bands. 

In  the  midst  of  this  anxious  season  Angelique  Campeau, 
now  living  at  Plymouth,  asked  Bishop  Brute  to  send  a  new 
father  to  take  Deseille's  place.®^  The  nearest  priests  were  at 
Chicago,  Logansport,  and  Fort  Wayne,  far  too  remote  to  visit 
the  Catholic  Potawatomi  or  the  increasing  white  population 
around  South  Bend.  In  answer  to  this  plea  Bishop  Brute 
dispatched  his  well-loved,  newly  ordained  young  priest.  Father 
Benjamin  Marie  Petit,  to  carry  on  as  well  as  he  could  the  task 
of  missionary  and  father. 

Petit  was  born  at  Rennes,  France,  Brute's  native  city,  on 
April  8,  1811.  He  was  graduated  from  the  University  at 
Rennes  in  1829  and  made  a  brilliant  record  at  the  law  school 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1832.  After  three  years  as  a 
successful  advocate  he  renounced  his  profession  and  entered 
the  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice^*  to  become  a  priest.  Perhaps 
Bishop  Brute's  presence  in  the  city  accounted  for  Petit's  de- 
cision, for  Brute  had  journeyed  to  France  to  secure  funds  and 
priests  for  his  newly  formed  diocese,  and  it  is  likely  that  he 
encouraged  the  young  man  in  abandonment  of  the  law  for 
the  church. '^^ 

In  April,  1836,  Petit  wrote  to  his  widowed  mother,  Mme. 
Chauvin  Petit,  that  he  was  soon  to  leave  for  America  with 
Bishop  Brute.  On  April  14  Paul  Petit,  Benjamin's  younger 
brother,  addressed  a  protest  against  this  decision  to  Brute 
which  was  soon  followed  by  one  from  his  mother.     Their  op- 

''^\ngelique  Campeau  to  Bishop  Brute,  September  30,  1837,  photostat  in 
University  of  Notre  Dame  Archives  of  original  in  Chancery  Office,  at 
Indianapolis.  This  contains  a  note  from  some  of  the  Catholic  Indians 
strengthening  Mile.  Campeau's  plea,  which  is  signed  by  "Jeneie  or  Sinigo. 
Markartamwa.    Menomine.    Peppenarwha.    Weishekmar." 

'*The  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice  was  a  Catholic  school  founded  at  Paris  by 
Jean-Jacques  Olier  in  1642.  It  became  an  important  place  for  training  clerics. 
Branches  were  established  in  Canada  in  1657  and  in  the  United  States  in 
1791.     The  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  XIII  (1912),  378-80. 

^°Data  in  the  Archives  d'llle-et-Vilaine,  Rennes;  Annales,  XI  (1838-39), 
No.  Lxv,  382-83. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  27 

position  to  Benjamin's  departure  to  the  mission  field  was  based 
largely  upon  his  delicate  health,  especially  a  weakness  in  the 
chest  which  demanded  constant  attention.  Brute  called  upon 
Mme.  Petit,  apparently  to  try  to  assuage  her  fears,  for  Ben- 
jamin showed  no  signs  of  changing  his  plans.  Another  lengthy 
expostulation  from  Paul  and  two  more  from  Mme.  Petit  were 
of  no  avail.  Benjamin's  letters  show  from  the  beginning  that 
he  longed  for  missionary  fields  and  placed  himself  entirely  in 
the  hands  of  his  Bishop.^'' 

Petit  sailed  with  Brute  and  the  group  he  had  gathered  to- 
gether on  June  i,  1836.  The  boat  docked  in  New  York  on 
July  21,  and  the  party  divided.  Two  priests  were  sent  directly 
to  the  northern  part  of  the  Vincennes  diocese — one  to  Chicago 
and  one  to  Fort  Wayne.  Brute  took  five  of  the  group  to  Mary- 
land to  study  English  at  Mount  St.  Mary's  at  Emmitsburg. 
Of  the  remaining  eleven,  three,  including  Petit,  were  sent 
through  Pittsburgh  to  bring  the  heavy  baggage  down  the  Ohio, 
and  eight  accompanied  the  Bishop  to  Louisville  by  way  of  Cin- 
cinnati, then  to  Vincennes.  Petit  and  his  comrades  arrived 
several  weeks  after  the  Bishop. ^^ 

The  young  man  remained  for  the  time  at  Vincennes.  On 
December  16,  1836,  he  received  his  minor  orders,  and  two  days 
later  he  was  made  a  subdeacon.^^  In  June,  1837,  he  accom- 
panied Brute  on  a  visit  to  Father  Frangois^^  at  Logansport. 
Hearing  of  Deseille's  expulsion  from  the  public  lands  the  pre- 
vious month,  they  proceeded  to  South  Bend,  where  they  spent 
several  days.     They  also  visited  the  German  colony  ministered 

^'Photostats  of  the  letters  from  Mme.  Petit  and  Paul  Petit  to  Bishop 
Brute,  dated  April  14,  16,  21,  23,  and  25,  1836,  are  in  the  University  of 
Notre  Dame  Archives.  The  original  letters  are  in  the  Chancery  Office  at 
Indianapolis. 

"Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remur,  pp.  274-77,  279-80. 

'^Herman  J.  Alerding,  A  History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the  Diocese 
of  Vincennes  (Indianapolis,  1883),  p.  226;  Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remur, 
p.  293. 

''Father  Claude  Frangois  came  to  America  as  a  missionary  in  1835. 
He  was  stationed  first  at  Fort  Wayne,  then  in  1836  was  transferred  to 
Logansport  to  replace  the  Reverend  Patrick  O'Bierne  (O'Byrne).  Ihid.,  pp. 
240,  284;  Alerding,  History  of  the  Catholic  Church,  p.  238;  McNamara, 
Catholic  Church  on  the  Northern  Indiana  Frontier,  p.  78- 


28  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

to  by  the  Reverend  Louis  Mueller'^"  near  Fort  Wayne  and  the 
neighboring  Miami  reservation,  returning  to  Vincennes  after 
traveling  six  hundred  miles. ®^ 

On  September  23  Petit  was  elevated  to  the  deaconship,  the 
last  step  before  priesthood.  When  he  had  entered  the  mis- 
sionary field,  he  had  asked  as  a  particular  favor  "to  be  sent 
to  the  Indians  so  soon  as  he  would  have  been  prepared  for  the 
priesthood."**"  The  need  for  someone  to  replace  Father  De- 
seille  probably  brought  the  call  sooner  than  Bishop  Brute 
wanted  it  for  his  young  charge,  but  it  was  accepted  hopefully 
and  eagerly. 

The  following  letters  written  by  Petit,  beginning  April 
17,  1836,  shortly  before  his  departure  for  America,  and  con- 
tinuing to  a  few  days  before  his  death,  tell  the  story  of  his 
trials  and  joys  as  a  missionary,  and  give  a  vivid  description 
of  the  expulsion  of  the  Potawatomi  from  Indiana. 

^Father  Mueller  was  among  the  party  which  accompanied  Brute  to 
America  in  1836.  Upon  his  arrival  he  went  directly  to  Fort  Wayne. 
Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remur,  pp.  277,  289;  Valley  of  the  Upper 
Maumee  River  (2  volumes.  Brant  &  Fuller,  Madison,  Wis.,  1889),  II,  412, 
413,  429.  432. 

*^Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remur,  pp.  310-11,  318. 

^^Ibid.,  p.  328;  Alerding,  History  of  the  Catholic  Church,  pp.  167,  226. 


LETTERS  OF  BENJAMIN  MARIE  PETIT 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  April  17,  1836 

[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDAi] 

St.  Sulpice,  17  April,  1836. 

MONSEIGNEUR, 

I  was  preparing,  following  what  had  been  agreed  upon,  to 
leave  tomorrow  and  join  you  at  Rennes,  when  a  letter  came 
from  my  mother  asking  me  in  the  name  of  obedience  not  to 
depart  from  the  seminary  before  she  had  had  the  honor  of  see- 
ing you  and  had  given  me  permission  to  depart.  One  of  my 
brothers,^  Mother  tells  me,  was  to  have  the  honor  of  writing 
to  you  in  my  behalf. 

M.  Fayon^  tells  me  that,  as  my  journey  to  Rennes  was  only 
to  give  pleasure  to  my  mother,  it  must  be  postponed,  since  she 
appears  to  want  it  to  be,  unless  you,  Monseigneur,  wish  other- 
wise to  dispose  of  me,  who  am  and  will  always  be  with  the 
grace  of  God  ready  to  obey  all  that  you  have  the  goodness  to 
tell  me  in  the  smallest  as  well  as  in  the  greatest  things,  because 
I  desire  only  the  will  of  God,  and  I  regard  you  as  the  inter- 
preter of  that  holy  will  to  me. 

I  shall  await  your  reply  before  departing,  Monseigneur, 
or  rather,  as  your  moments  are  so  precious,  please  have  M.  de 
la  Hailandiere*  write  to  me  what  you  wish  me  to  do :  I  shall 
do  it  instantly. 

M.  du  Merle^  leaves  tomorrow  to  visit  his  family. 

^The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 

^Paul  Petit.    Ante,  pp.  26-27. 

^Evidently  the  rector  of  the  seminary. 

Xelestin  Rene  Lawrence  Guynemer  de  la  Hailandiere,  second  Bishop  of 
Vincennes,  was  born  in  Brittany,  May  2,  1798.  He  was  ordained  a  deacon  in 
1824,  entered  St.  Sulpice  in  Paris,  and  became  a  priest  May  28,  1825.  With 
Petit,  he  accompanied  Brute  to  America  in  1836.  He  served  as  vicar-general 
of  the  diocese,  and,  in  1839,  upon  the  death  of  Brute,  he  was  consecrated 
Bishop.   Alerding,  History  of  the  Catholic  Church,  pp.  162  ff. 

"Charles  du  Merle  also  accompanied  Brute  to  America  in  1836,  and  was 
ordained  a  subdeacon  by  him  on  the  same  day  as  Petit.  Godecker,  Simon 
Brute  de  Reniur,  pp.  273,  293 ;  Alerding,  History  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
p.  226. 

(29) 


30  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

We  always  pray  here,  Monseigneur,  for  you  and  for  the 
mission,  confident  that  you  do  not  forget  us  either  before  the 
good  Lord. 

Please  accept  the  expression  of  veneration,  devotion  and 
gratitude  with  which  I  am,  Monseigneur, 

Your  very  humble  servant  and  happy  son  in  Jesus  Christ, 

B.  Petit, 
Tonsured  Clerk. 
Messieurs  de  St.  Palais,^  Buteux,^  du  Merle  charge  me,  Mon- 
seigneur, to  convey  to  you  their  respectful  homage. 

[Addressed :]  Monseigneur  Brute  Bishop  of  Vincennes,  at 
the  diocese  of  Nantes,  Nantes. 

Petit  to  Mme.  Chauvin  Petit,  October  15,  1837 

[Translated  from  Annales,  XI  (1838-39),  No.  lxv,  383-85] 

I  am  now  a  priest,  and  the  hand  which  is  writing  to  you 
bare  Jesus  Christ  this  morning!^  How  can  I  express  to  you 
all  I  should  like  to  say,  and  yet  how  can  I  not  wish  to  say 
something  of  what  no  tongue  can  express?  My  hand  is  con- 
secrated to  God;  my  voice  now  has  a  power  to  which  God 
Himself  is  docile.  How  my  lips  trembled  this  morning  at  my 
first  Mass  when,  at  the  Memento,^  I  commended  you  all  to 
God!  And  so  shall  I  again  tomorrow,  and  the  day  after,  and 
every  day  of  my  life  until  the  last!  .    .    . 

'James  M.  Maurice  de  Long  d'Aussac  de  St.  Palais,  fourth  Bishop  of 
Vincennes.  He  was  ordained  a  priest  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  and  accom- 
panied Brute  to  Vincennes  in  1836.  He  served  successively  at  a  station  six 
miles  north  of  the  site  of  Loogootee,  at  Logansport,  and  at  Madison.  In 
1847  he  became  vicar-general  and  superior  of  the  ecclesiastical  seminary  at 
Vincennes,  under  Bishop  John  Steven  Bazin.  He  was  consecrated  Bishop  of 
Vincennes  on  January  14,  1849,  and  died  June  28,  1877.  Alerding,  History  of 
the  Catholic  Church,  pp.  190  f  f. 

^Father  Stanislaus  Buteau  was  one  of  the  party  which  accompanied  Bishop 
Brute  to  America  in  1836.  In  1837  he  founded  St.  Mary's  parish  at  Terre 
Haute  and  became  its  first  resident  priest.  He  remained  there  until  1842. 
Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remur,  p.  273  ;  H.  C.  Bradsby,  History  of  Vigo 
County,  Indiana  .  .  .  (Chicago,  1891),  p.  595;  Alerding,  History  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  p.  445. 

*That  is.  Petit  said  Mass.  He  had  been  ordained  a  priest  the  day  before, 
October  14,  at  Vincennes  by  Bishop  Brute. 

"Memento  vivorum,  prayers  for  the  living,  a  regular  part  of  the  Mass. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  31 

When  I  think  that  in  two  days  I  shall  start  from  here  all 
alone,  going  nearly  three  hundred  miles  to  bestow  sacraments 
— graces  ratified  in  heaven — among  people  whom  I  do  not 
know  at  all,  but  to  whom  God  sends  me — "  I  tremble  at  the 
thought  of  my  nothingness.  When  I  see  myself  going  for- 
ward, as  we  often  do  here,  in  the  company  of  God,  who  reposes 
on  my  breast^^  night  and  day,  carrying  on  my  horse  the  instru- 
ments of  the  great  Sacrifice,^^  stopping  from  time  to  time  in 
the  depths  of  the  forest,  and  making  the  hut  of  an  obscure 
Catholic  the  palace  of  the  King  of  Glory — how  deeply  do  I 
feel  myself  penetrated  by  St.  Paul's  thought,  that  God  loves 
to  accomplish  great  things  by  using  that  which  is  nothing: 
Ea  quae  non  sunt)}^ 

Ah,  then  I  abandon  myself  willingly,  and,  I  must  say,  at 
that  time  which  is  so  important  in  my  life,  I  have  not  yet  felt 
anything  painful!  All  has  been  the  sweet  rapture  of  God's 
will,  who  Himself  ordains  and  executes  through  His  grace. 
Ah,  with  what  delight  I  put  my  trust  in  Him !  Pray  much  for 
me ;  now  is  the  time.  .   .   . 

I  had  been  a  deacon  since  September  24,  when  a  black- 
sealed  letter  came  one  evening,  announcing  that  M.  Deseille,  a 
missionary  among  the  Indians  for  seven  years,  was  dead.  He 
had  sent  word  beforehand  to  his  two  nearest  neighbors,  at 
Chicago  and  Logansport,  but  one  was  very  sick,  and  the  other, 
who  had  been  in  bed  for  several  weeks,  was  too  enfeebled  to 
travel  seventy-five  miles.  M.  Deseille  had  to  die  alone — ah, 
Mary  must  have  helped  him!  This  is  without  doubt  one  of 
the  severest  tests  of  missionaries ;  but,  since  they  expose  them- 
selves to  the  danger  only  for  their  love  of  God,  He,  being  so 
good,  does  not  abandon  them  without  succor  to  death;  and,  if 
He  deprives  them  of  a  priest's  presence,  assuredly  it  is  to  em- 
bellish their  crown  of  virtues  with  a  final  sacrifice.     Indeed  I 

'"The  distance  from  Vincennes  to  South  Bend  by  way  of  Terre  Haute, 
Covington,  Lafayette,  Logansport,  and  South  Bend— the  route  followed  by 
Petit — is  about  265  miles.     See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  pp.  119-20. 

"The  Eucharist. 

"The  Mass  kit. 

""As  base  things  of  the  world,  and  things  which  are  despised,  hath  God 
chosen,  yea,  and  things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought  things  that  are." 
I  Corinthians,  i  :28. 


32  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

think  He  accords  this  favor  only  to  those  who  are  His  sainted 
friends. 

From  the  first  moment  Monseigneur  resolved  to  send  me 
to  the  deceased's  residence  to  settle  his  affairs.  But  I  was 
about  to  make  the  journey  as  a  deacon,  when  a  letter  from  M. 
Frangois  arrived  from  Logansport,  expressing  his  sorrow  at 
finding  himself  reduced  by  illness  to  refusing  his  ministrations 
to  those  who  were  dying  in  his  congregation.  I  was  very 
moved  while  reading  this  letter.  Monseigneur  was  preparing 
for  the  ordination  of  an  Irish  priest^*  the  following  week.  He 
had  said  many  times  in  speaking  to  me  of  my  journey:  "You 
must  become  a  priest."  But  he  knew  that  I  wanted  time,  and 
he  himself  wished  it  for  me.  Yet  I  felt  myself  forced  to  tell 
him  that  in  the  present  state  of  affairs  I  should  not  have  any 
objection  to  my  ordination,  if  he  judged  it  expedient.  My 
words  fell  in  with  his  intentions :  from  then  on  my  ordination 
was  decided  upon.  A  priest  yesterday,  I  said  my  first  Mass 
today,  and  in  two  days  I  shall  go  to  South  Bend  to  console 
a  tribe  of  Indians  who  have  addressed  a  touching  petition  to 
Monseigneur  for  a  new  priest.  At  the  same  time  I  shall  be 
with  poor  M.  Francois,  the  missionary  at  Logansport.  I  am 
not  at  all  frightened,  for  I  have  faith  in  the  One  whose  min- 
ister I  am;  but  pray  for  me — I  shall  be  seventy-five  miles 
from  the  nearest  priest,  left  to  myself,  but  supported  by  the 
strong  arm  of  my  God.^^ 

I  shall  conclude  this  glorious  day  by  telling  you  that  the 
dominant  feeling  in  me  is  a  profound  joy  under  the  burden  of 
newly  contracted  obligations.  I  know  not  whether  I  should 
have  some  inquietude,  but  I  feel  so  light  at  heart,  so  happy, 
so  content,  that  I  am  wholly  overwhelmed  by  it.  To  go  from 
Mass  to  Mass  to  heaven!  .    .    . 

You  know  how  I  often  said  I  was  born  lucky — well !  I  can 
still  say  it,  and  God  has  treated  me  on  my  first  mission  like  a 

"John  Plunkett.  Alerding,  History  of  the  Catholic  Church,  p.  226; 
Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remur,  p.  328. 

"The  stations  which  Petit  was  to  attend  included  St.  Mary's  of  the 
Lake,  South  Bend,  Pokagon's  Village,  Bertrand,  Michigan  City,  and  the 
various  Indian  villages  in  southern  Michigan  and  northern  Indiana.  McAvoy, 
"Father  Badin  Comes  to  Notre  Dame,"  Indiana  Magazine  of  History,  XXIX, 
13- 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  33 

spoiled  child  1^''  I  had  always  longed  for  a  mission  among  the 
savages;  we  have  only  one  in  Indiana;  and  it  is  I  whom  the 
Potawatomi  will  call  their  "Father  Black-Robe." 

Petit  to  His  Family,  November  24  (?),"  1837 
[Translated  from  Annates,  XI  (1838-39),  No.  lxv,  385-87] 

I  have  stayed  twenty-one  days  among  them.^^  This  is  the 
life  we  led  during  that  time:  At  sunrise  the  first  bell  rang, 
and  you  would  have  seen  the  savages  come  along  the  forest 
paths  and  the  shores  of  the  lakes.  There  are  four  adjoining 
each  other,  and  the  church  is  built  on  a  hillock  on  the  shore  of 
the  largest.^^  When  they  arrived,  the  second  bell  rang.  While 
waiting  for  the  laggards  to  assemble,  the  catechist  gave  in  an 
animated  manner  the  substance  of  the  previous  day's  sermon. 
Then  they  recited  a  chapter  of  the  catechism  and  the  morning 
prayer.  I  said  Mass  between  hymns,  after  which  I  preached, 
my  sermon  being  translated  by  a  respectable  French  demoiselle"** 
of  seventy-two  years  who  has  consecrated  herself  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  an  interpreter  to  the  work  of  the  missions.  Then 
they  concluded  with  a  Pater  and  an  Ave,  sang: 
In  thy  protection  do  we  trust, 
O  Virgin,  meek  and  mild, 
and  left  the  chapel. 

Then  it  was  time  for  me  to  hear  confessions  until  evening, 
sometimes  even  after  supper.  At  sunset  they  came  together 
again    for   catechism,    followed    by   an   exhortation,    evening 

^"This  is  the  term  Bishop  Brute  affectionately  applied  to  the  young 
priest.  "Missionaries  of  Indiana, — First  Rev.  C.  De  Seille,"  Ave  Maria, 
I,  No.  30,  p.  474. 

"No  date  for  this  letter  is  given  in  the  Annales,  but  it  was  probably 
written  on  the  twenty-fourth.  Petit  says  that  he  has  spent  twenty-one  days 
at  the  Yellow  River,  and,  in  his  letter  to  the  Bishop,  post,  p.  35,  that  he 
arrived  there  on  the  third  of  November. 

^'The  Potawatomi  Indians  on  the  Yellow  River  reserve. 

"About  halfway  between  Plymouth  and  Hibbard,  near  the  Yellow  River, 
is  a  cluster  of  seven  small  bodies  of  water,  four  of  which — Cook,  Nichols, 
Myers,  and  Lawrence— are  called  "lakes."  These  evidently  are  the  four  to 
which  Petit  refers.  They  have  probably  varied  in  size  from  time  to  time, 
and  it  is  difficult  to  decide  which  is  the  largest,  but  according  to  local 
tradition  the  site  of  the  church  is  on  the  north  side  of  Cook  Lake. 

^Angelique  Campeau. 


34  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

prayer,  the  hynin  to  the  Virgin,  and  I  gave  them  my  blessing — 
poor  Benjamin's  blessing! 

But  God  has  done  great  things  through  me :  Fecit  mihi 
magim  qui  pot  ens  est!  Many  had  the  holy  habit  of  taking 
communion  frequently,  and,  deprived  as  they  had  been  since 
the  death  of  M,  Deseille,  they  had  practiced  spiritual  com- 
munion with  all  the  ardor  of  a  pious  longing.  I  have  bap- 
tized eighteen  adults  and  blessed  nine  marriages.  The  prosely- 
tism  of  these  good  people  is  wonderful :  they  leave  their  homes 
and  go  far  away  to  be  with  those  who  desire  to  be  made  Chris- 
tians, to  teach  them  what  they  must  know.  Each  of  the  newly 
baptized  who  was  not  an  inhabitant  of  the  village  took  away 
with  him  a  young  man  who  knew  how  to  read  and  who  went 
with  him  solely  to  teach  the  prayers  and  the  catechism. 

Shall  I  tell  you  now  how  much  they  have  become  attached 
to  me  in  such  a  little  time?  "We  were  orphans,"  they  said  to 
me,  "and  as  if  in  darkness,  but  you  appeared  among  us  like  a 
great  light,  and  we  live.  You  have  taken  the  place  of  our 
father  who  died,  and  we  shall  do  nothing  without  your  advice." 

"I  do  not  hold  the  hearts  of  others  in  my  hand,"  said  an 
old  man,  his  eyes  filled  with  tears,  while  pressing  my  hand, 
"but  mine  will  never  forget  what  you  have  spoken.  While 
you  were  among  us,  if  we  had  any  sorrow,  we  came  to  you, 
and  you  consoled  us.  To  whom  shall  we  go  when  you  have 
departed?" 

When,  passing  by  a  wigwam,  I  raised  the  mat  which  serves 
as  a  door  and  thrust  in  my  head  to  say  to  them,  "Good  day, 
my  children!"  if  you  had  seen  their  frank  smiles  in  replying 
to  me,  "Good  day.  Father!" — if  you  had  heard  them  ask  me 
permission  with  the  simplicity  of  children  to  go  on  their  fall 
hunt  and,  when  they  had  received  my  blessing  and  the  little 
paper  on  which  I  indicated  the  fast  days  for  them,  take  leave 
of  me  in  such  filial  and  childlike  manner — if  you  had  seen  their 
heavy  spirits  when  they  knelt  in  a  silent  circle  about  me  at  the 
moment  I  was  to  leave — you  would  understand  why,  in  bid- 
ding this  first  farewell,  I  felt  again  in  my  heart  something  of 
that  feeling  which  I  knew  for  the  first  time  when  I  left 
Rennes :  that  day  I  left  my  family  again. 


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Firs^  Page  of  Father  Petit 's  Journal 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  35 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  November  27,  1837 
[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA21] 

South  Bend,  27  November,  1837. 

MONSEIGNEUR, 

Here  I  am  back  from  my  journey  and  my  mission  among 
the  Indians,  and  today  I  must  give  you  a  general  report. 

I  arrived  on  the  3d  at  the  reserve  of  Chichipe  Outipe^"  and 
left  again  on  the  25th;  from  the  4th  to  the  20th  confessions 
did  not  leave  me  a  moment  to  myself.  Since  the  20th  I  have 
been  freer.  64.5980 

I  performed  28  baptisms,  18  of  which  were  of  adults;  9 
marriages;  138  communions,  some  of  which  were  first  com- 
munions. I  brought  divine  grace  to  a  sick  woman  in  a  cere- 
mony including  all  my  Indians.  I  administered  extreme  unction 
and  officiated  at  an  interment. 

If  it  were  now  necessary  to  retrace  everything  my  heart  has 
felt,  paper  would  not  suffice.  I  shall  only  tell  you,  Monseig- 
neur,  that  my  soul,  overwhelmed  by  the  sweetnesses  of  the 
Lord's  favor,  does  not  know  how  to  thank  Him  and  you,  His 
interpreter,  for  having  granted  me  this  wonderful  beginning 
in  the  holy  ministry.  Not  that  sometimes  there  do  not  arise 
certain  clouds,  certain  anxieties,  but  they  are  calmed  by  prayer 
and  trust  in  God. 

These  good  Indians  have  given  me  their  confidence  so  en- 
tirely, they  surround  me  with  so  much  filial  attachment,  that 
it  is  only  by  weeping  and  rending  my  heart  that  I  tear  myself 
away  from  their  touching  farewells,  carrying  off  in  my  heart 
something  of  the  sentiment  which  I  knew  for  the  first  time 
two  years  ago  when  I  left  my  mother  and  brothers. 

An  Indian  sends  me  two  messages  to  ask  me  whether  I 
should  like  to  admit  him  to  confession.  I  naturally  reply, 
"Yes."  He  comes,  gloomy  as  the  night,  sad,  racked  with  deep 
pain.     This  is  the  situation :   This  man,  a  good  Christian,  had 

"The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 

""He  [Petit]  calls  his  mission  'Chichipe  Outipe,'  which  I  have  not  yet 
been  able  to  identify,  but  the  first  word  is  apparently  She-she-pa  which  is  the 
Potawatomi  word  for  'duck.'  "  Dunn,  True  Indian  Stories,  pp.  241,  258. 
This  is  apparently  a  term  that  the  Indians  applied  to  Petit,  also.  See  post, 
p.  62. 


36  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

before  his  baptism  a  wife  whose  temperament  did  not  agree 
with  his.  He  sends  her  away  and  takes  another,  M.  Deseille 
wants  him  to  return  to  his  first  wife,  but  he  doesn't  want  to. 
The  priest  forbids  him  to  enter  the  chapel  and  deprives  him 
of  prayer.  He  remains  good  for  a  year,  praying  and  present- 
ing himself  for  confession,  but  M.  Deseille  refuses  to  receive 
him,  even  for  confession,  if  he  is  unwilling  to  take  his  first 
wife  again.  But  his  heart  has  partaken  of  piety,  and  this  is 
not  life  for  him.  He  comes  to  confession,  and  I  question  him, 
warned  by  Mile.  Campeau.  At  the  very  first  words  I  learn 
that  the  first  wife,  whom  he  had  left,  was,  when  he  married 
her,  his  brother's  widow  (a  way  out!),  and  I  tell  him  to  come 
back  in  the  evening  with  his  present  wife.  I  made  inquiries 
about  the  situation  in  the  meantime.  I  reprimand  them  for 
having  married  thus  without  the  benediction  and  against  the 
will  of  the  priest,  and  then  I  announce  to  them  that  on  the 
following  Sunday  I  shall  marry  them  (it  is  Thursday).  I 
forbid  them  to  live  conjugally  until  that  day  and  order  them  to 
spend  the  time  in  fasting,  prayer,  and  meditation  of  their  sins. 
On  Sunday  they  come  back  to  confession.  I  announce  and 
explain  the  marriage  so  that  there  may  be  neither  astonish- 
ment nor  scandal,  and  I  have  them  take  their  places  again 
among  their  brethren.  As  a  result  of  this,  life  has  returned  to 
the  heart  and  countenance  of  this  man ;  it  is  one  of  the  greatest 
joys  I  have  ever  experienced. 

One  Saturday  evening  a  girl  of  eighteen  or  nineteen  years 
conies  to  confession.  We  notice  that  she  speaks  with  diffi- 
culty. She  finishes  her  confession  and  goes  away.  Evening 
comes,  very  dark  and  rainy.  Two  little  Indians  arrive  and 
consult  me  about  this  girl,  who  fell  into  convulsions  on  the 
way  home.  I  take  a  woolen  blanket,  wrap  myself  in  it  like  an 
Indian,  and  my  guides  and  I  [go  forth],  each  with  a  torch  in 
his  hand  which  spreads  a  dubious  light  on  the  way  through  the 
woods  when  he  waves  it.  There  are  creeks  to  cross  on  tree 
trunks  by  this  light.  We  arrive.  The  poor  girl  has  not  been 
well  for  several  days,  and,  upon  returning  home,  fell  into  the 
fire  unconscious,  they  thought.  I  give  extreme  unction  by 
the  light  of  the  fire  burning  in  the  center  of  the  Indian  hut. 
I  start  to  withdraw,  but  they  appear  to  want  me  to  stay,  and  I 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  37 

Stay.  I  sleep  for  a  moment  on  a  mat ;  then  I  remain  awake  in 
their  midst.  I  have  them  sleep  by  turns.  I  speak  to  them 
with  some  Indian  words  learned  from  M.  Deseille  and  many 
gestures  learned  from  my  mother,  from  France.  The  night 
passes,  the  moon  looking  down  upon  us  from  on  high  and 
revealed  by  the  hole  through  which  the  smoke  escapes. 

Two  days  later  the  mother  comes  to  confession  and  tells 
me  that  her  daughter  spoke  only  to  say :  "I  have  seen  my 
Father.  Pray  to  God  for  me.  I  cannot  speak,  but  I  see  and 
hear.  Tell  him  to  ask  God  that  I  may  die  or  that  I  may  re- 
cover quickly."  When  I  have  a  moment  in  the  evening  (this 
was  in  the  last  few  days),  I  go  there,  saying  my  breviary. 
I  say  my  Complin^^  with  the  dying  woman,  then  the  prayers 
of  the  dying,  then  a  last  absolution.  A  half  hour  afterward 
the  report  of  a  rifle  informs  us  of  her  death.  I  hurry  imme- 
diately to  those  at  the  chapel,  where  we  pray  for  her. 

A  thousand  things  and  details  as  moving  must  wait  for  an- 
other time.  I  should  like  to  ask  you  for  the  privilege  of  bene- 
diction and  indulgence  of  the  cross  and  chaplets,  the  privilege 
of  in  mortis  articulo,  if  you  can  grant  them  to  me. 

How  am  I  to  give  dispensation  to  Mme,  Brouillette  for  the 
impediments  of  affinity  contracted  by  having  responded  at  the 
baptism  of  her  daughter?^*  May  I  do  it  by  a  single  voluntary 
act  from  here,  or  is  it  necessary  to  make  the  journey  and  give 
her  dispensation  at  her  home  ?  She  knows  nothing  of  it ;  it  is 
lOO  miles  there  and  back. 

What  about  a  good  man  quite  ready  for  baptism  who  does 
not  want  to  be  baptized  because  it  will  then  be  necessary  to 
marry  and  his  present  Christian  wife  has  too  melancholy  a 
temperament?  He  is  waiting  for  her  to  change  before  he 
binds  himself  to  her  forever,  and  so  at  present  refuses  his 
baptism. 

A  woman's  unfaithful,  bigamous  husband  becomes  con- 
verted.    She  has  custody  of  the  children.     Is  it  necessary  to 

^The  liturgical  prayer  of  the  day,  said  after  nightfall. 

""Marie  Elizabeth  Brouillette.  See  Petit's  Journal  and  notes  to  his  Jour- 
nal, post,  pp.  I20,  133.  Mme.  Brouillette  had  incurred  the  "impediment"  by 
acting  as  godmother  to  her  own  daughter. 


38  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

require  her  to  leave  this  husband,  who  supports  her  and  her 
children?  She  was  his  first  wife,  a  Christian  woman  sent 
away  by  an  unfaithful  husband,  not  married  by  the  Church. 
Can  she  marry  another,  and  vice  versa?  What  if  both  are 
unfaithful?  I  think  yes,  but  be  good  enough  to  reply  to  me 
with  just  a  word  on  all  this,  and  I  shall  be  very  grateful  to  you. 
I  like  so  much  to  lean  upon  the  decision  of  a  superior  in  such 
questions. 

The  Indians,  Monseigneur,  are  preparing  to  leave  for 
Washington  to  protest  against  the  unworthy  manner  with 
which  they  are  treated.  The  treaty^^  is  indeed  a  thing  as  illegal 
as  possible  and  in  no  wise  applicable  to  our  people,  who  have 
sold  nothing.  Menominee,  the  great  chief,  another  savage,  an 
interpreter,  and  a  lawyer  are  preparing  to  leave.  It  seems  to 
me  that  if  the  government  has  not  decided  to  be  completely 
unjust,  they  will  be  listened  to.  It  is  not  at  all  a  question  of 
breaking  the  treaty  but  merely  of  whether  the  executive  power 
will  declare  the  treaty  good  and  valid  as  far  as  it  concerns 
those  who  have  actually  sold,  but  at  the  same  time  exercising 
its  power  as  interpreter  to  say  that  the  document  could  not  be 
applied  without  an  error  of  fact  which  would  vitiate  it.  To 
those  who  have  not  sold,  it  is  a  question  of  interpreting  and 
applying  the  treaty,  not  of  breaking  it. 

I  just  found  out,  however,  that,  at  the  payment  at  which 
the  savages  were  to  receive  the  money  necessary  for  their 
journey,  the  Catholics  got  nothing,  or  next  to  nothing.  So  I 
fear  their  voices  cannot  be  heard  at  Washington — or  perhaps 
they  will  obtain  a  justice  which  would  save  the  most  edifying 
of  your  congregations  for  your  diocese.  One's  heart  bleeds  at 
so  much  injustice.  Well,  what  shall  I  say  to  you?  Monseig- 
neur, I  have  asked  the  good  Lord  whether  I  ought  to  tell  you : 
I  think  so.  If  the  Indians  cannot  find  a  way  to  go  themselves, 
could  I  not  go  myself,  with  a  power  of  attorney  from  them? 
I  think  I  am  capable  of  doing  it,  although  it  is  a  trial  to  a  sort 
of  natural  timidity  and  repugnance  which  I  feel  for  this  kind 
of  thing.  Mother  informs  me  of  money  from  France ;  I  could 
make  the  trip  at  my  own  expense. 

^Treaty  of  August  S,  1836.     See  ante,  p.  23. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  39 

Would  we  abandon  them  without  even  a  feeble  attempt  at 
protection?  I  have  entrusted  the  affair  to  the  Holy  Virgin. 
I  do  not  think  there  enters  into  this  proposal  I  make  to  you  any 
natural  desire  on  my  part  to  travel  or  tour.  Ah,  no;  I  feel 
rather  a  sort  of  natural  defiance,  and  I  think  I  should  make 
this  attempt.  Your  wisdom  will  weigh  and  decide :  it  will  be 
the  voice  of  God  to  me.  The  journey  will  take  only  a  short 
time. 

If  I  had  more  paper  I  should  speak  to  you  about  my 
Protestants  around  the  Indian  mission.  What  would  you  say 
if  I  told  you  that  a  Protestant  lady  poured  out  torrents  of 
tears  while  asking  me  to  pray  that  her  whole  family  might 
become  Catholic?  It  is  the  edification  of  the  Indians  which 
causes  this.  Monseigneur,  to  conclude,  pardon  me  again :  I 
said  Mass  this  morning  for  M.  Schaeffer.^^  I  lack  paper  and 
have  only  time  enough  to  beg  you  to  excuse  irregularities  of 
form  in  favor  of  deep  respect  and  of  complete  and  devout  sub- 
mission in  Jesus  Christ. 

From  your  son, 

B.  Petit 
Ptre.  Mre.-' 

This  morning  I  claimed  letters  addressed  to  M.  Deseille, 
notably  the  one  of  which  his  sister  spoke.  I  am  going  to  write 
to  Mile.  Deseille  what  I  know  of  the  details  of  this  mission- 
ary's death.  On  second  thought  I  shall  not  do  it,  for  upon 
rereading  the  letter  I  see  that  I  am  not  asked  to  do  it. 

I  think  I  conformed  with  Monseigneur's  wishes  in  giving 
six  piasters^^  to  Mile.  Campeau  for  her  living.  She  asks  me 
for  an  old  coat,  some  old  stockings,  and  some  pocket  handker- 
chiefs. I  gave  them  to  her.  She  is  indeed,  Monseigneur,  one 
of  your  most  edifying  and  useful  missionaries,  is  this  holy 
woman. 

^'Father  Bernard  Schaeffer  came  to  America  with  Bishop  Brute  in 
1836  and  went  immediately  to  service  in  Chicago.  He  died  there  on  October 
2,  1837.  See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  121 ;  Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remiir, 
pp.  273,  277. 

"Missionary  Priest. 

^"Piaster"  is  synonymous  with  "dollar." 


40  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

I  confirmed  the  gift  of  a  pair  of  young  steers  promised  by 
M.  Frangois"^  to  a  Frenchman*^"  to  whom  M.  Deseille  had  en- 
trusted the  animals  and  who  at  all  times  has  rendered  and  is 
still  ready  to  render  the  greatest  services  to  the  mission. 

M.  Mueller's^^  horse  is  worn  out,  and,  what  is  worse,  they 
told  me  the  other  day  that  he  is  eighteen  or  nineteen  years  old. 
What  is  certain  is  that  when  I  was  coming  back  from  my  so- 
journ among  the  Indians,  a  trip  of  twenty-seven  or  thirty 
miles,  I  had  to  stop  for  the  night  on  the  way.  He  could  not  go 
further.  I  know  the  road  is  terrible — mud,  half  a  foot  of  ice, 
snow — but  what  of  it?  Mme.  Coquillard^^  promises  me  an- 
other. 

[Addressed:]  To  The  Right  Rd.  Bishop  Brute  Vincennes 
(Knox  County)  Indiana. 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  December  9,  1837 

[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA33] 

South  Bend,  9  December,  1837. 

MONSEIGNEUR  : 

Just  this  moment  I  received  your  honored  letter  of  the 
29th  last.  I  had  been  waiting  for  it  for  several  days  in  order 
to  write  to  you,  having  to  bring  to  your  attention  some  of  M. 
Deseille's  final  recommendations,  made  to  a  good  Irishman 
who  attended  him  during  his  last  illness.  He  wanted  140 
Masses  said  for  the  repose  of  his  soul,  and  he  informed  you 

^Priest  at  Logansport.    See  ante,  p.  27. 

^Perhaps  M.  Charron.  See  notes  to  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  133.  Char- 
ron  was  a  farmer  on  the  land  on  St.  Mary's  Lake  owned  by  Bishop  Brute. 

"Father  Mueller  was  priest  at  Fort  Wayne.  See  ante,  p.  28.  He  came 
to  South  Bend  following  Father  Deseille's  death,  and  upon  his  departure 
took  the  Father's  horse,  leaving  behind  his  own,  which  was  sick.  See  Petit's 
Journal,  post,  p.  120. 

'^Frances  (Comparet)  Coquillard.  In  1824,  in  Detroit,  she  married 
Alexis  Coquillard,  an  agent  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  and  came  with 
him  to  his  station  at  the  present  site  of  South  Bend,  then  a  wilderness. 
"Intelligent,  charming,  and  well  educated,"  she  "was  to  the  poor  untutored 
Indians  of  that  day  a  veritable  Good  Samaritan."  Charles  C.  Chapman, 
History  of  St.  Joseph  Cowity,  Indiana  (Chicago,  1880),  pp.  503-4;  Mary  C. 
Coquillard,  Alexis  Coquillard — His  Time  (Northern  Indiana  Historical  So- 
ciety, South  Bend,  1931),  pp.  12-13,  14. 

'■'The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  41 

that  he  himself  had  paid  the  cost  of  40  Masses,  and  he  wished 
the  140  said  in  a  year's  time. 

If  M.  Mueller  saw  a  draft  for  $400  among  M.  Deseille's 
papers,  I  have  found  nothing  of  the  kind,  and  I  haven't  heard 
the  least  word  said  about  it.  All  I  discovered  was  $140  in 
cash,  which  belongs  to  the  savages  of  Chichipe  Outipe.  I  shall 
give  it  to  Menominee  for  his  journey  to  Washington ;  he  asked 
me  for  it  again,  and  it  belongs  to  them.  In  addition  there  is 
a  counterfeit  note  for  $5,  and  $4  in  cash ;  I  think  that  is  all 
remaining  after  the  debts  were  paid  by  M.  Frangois. 

As  to  the  savages,  Monseigneur,  I  have  never  said  a  word 
to  them  tending  in  the  least  to  influence  them  to  disobey  in 
case  they  should  not  obtain  justice  and  should  be  forced  to 
depart.^*  This  would  be  contrary  to  their  interest  and  my  duty. 
Nor  have  I  ever  had  the  least  idea  of  asking  your  permission 
to  accompany  them  in  their  emigration,  and  I  am,  thanks  to 
God,  wholly  prepared  to  leave  them  when  you  say  to  me : 
"Depart"  (not,  however,  without  some  inner  pangs,  but  that 
does  not  matter). 

But  this  is  what  I  have  done,  and  I  don't  think  I  did 
wrong — you  shall  judge :  I  promised  Menominee  a  memorial, 
in  which  I  should  briefly  explain  their  case  so  that,  when  he  is 
before  the  President,  he  may  be  sure  to  make  him  understand 
the  facts  with  certainty.  He  is  to  deliver  it  as  if  it  were  his 
own,  and  my  name  will  not  appear.  It  is  a  simple,  general, 
and  logical  expose  of  the  facts,  tending  to  prove  that  they  did 
not  sign,  or  that  they  signed  without  knowing  what  they  were 
doing,  or  that  some  of  the  signatures  appearing  on  the  treaty 
are  of  people  not  properly  settled  on  the  reserve.  The  whole 
is  based  simply  on  the  general  facts,  without  direct  or  personal 
accusations  against  anyone.  It  is  true  that  agents  in  general 
are  somewhat  blackened  by  it,  but  is  it  necessary  to  sacrifice 
the  innocent  to  the  guilty  by  keeping  silent? 

^^In  a  letter  dated  November  29,  Bishop  Brute  wrote  to  Petit:  "These 
people  will  not  be  successful  in  having  the  law  repealed.  Whatever  may 
have  been  its  origin — however  faulty  or  dishonest  even — if  the  fault  lay  in 
the  documents  upon  which  the  law  was  based  then  above  all,  we  should,  as 
Father  Deseille  said,  refrain  from  meddling  in  what  is  not  in  the  line  of  our 
duties."   Quoted  in  Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remur,  p.  334- 


42  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

The  reason  I  promised  this  to  him  is  that  they  have  so 
often  been  deceived  by  lawyers  and  interpreters,  and  they  have 
so  often  been  made  to  say  what  they  do  not  mean,  that  I  am 
very  glad  to  assure  them  a  certain  communication  of  their 
protests. 

This  is  absolutely  the  only  interpretation  I  make  of  it : 
It  is  not  at  all  a  question  of  repealing  a  law :  a  treaty  is  not  a 
law,  for  it  has  in  no  wise  received  any  legislative  sanction  at 
all,  having  been  approved  only  by  the  Senate  and  ratified  by 
the  President.  It  is  not  a  question  of  repealing  it  but  of  exe- 
cuting it  in  its  true  sense.  The  executive  power  is  always 
joined  to  the  interpretive  power,  and  the  President,  who  is 
bound  to  execute  the  treaty,  necessarily  has  the  power  to  say 
it  applies  to  those  to  whom  it  does  not.  In  the  Senate's  inten- 
tion, however,  the  ratification  applies  to  a  completed  sale.  So 
from  the  moment  the  executive  power  declares  unquestionably 
that  the  sale  was  not  actually  agreed  upon,  as  is  the  case,  it 
would  follow  that  by  his  interpretive  power  he  ought  to  say 
the  treaty  applies  to  those  who  have  really  sold,  but  it  could 
apply  only  by  an  error  of  fact  contrary  to  the  intention  of  the 
ratification  itself.  Thus,  you  see,  it  is  only  a  question  of  ask- 
ing the  competent  executive  power  in  the  case  at  issue  to  de- 
clare the  proper  application  of  the  treaty  by  a  natural  and 
well-founded  interpretation. 

Such  is  the  spirit  in  which  the  memorial  in  question  is  ad- 
dressed to  the  President.  I  think  it  may  be  useful  to  the 
Indiahs,  but  speak  but  a  word  to  me,  and  I  shall  keep  it  to 
myself  in  all  submission,  telling  Menominee  that  you  do  not 
think  it  can  do  them  any  good.  As  to  this  manner  of  bringing 
the  question  to  the  President's  attention,  I  communicated  my 
opinion  to  the  law3'er.  I  do  not  think  I  was  wrong  in  all 
this,  but  judge  me,  Monseigneur,  and  I  shall  submit  very 
quickly,  very  quickly. 

If,  however,  the  Indians  depart  before  I  have  learned  your 
decision  regarding  this  and  ask  me  for  the  promised  letter,  I 
shall  give  it  to  them,  for  it  is  merely  as  if  they  were  asking 
me  to  write  a  letter  for  them  because  they  do  not  know  how  to 
write,  and  this  is  a  service  which  can  hardly  with  charity  be 
refused  them.    All  things  considered,  however,  I  should  refuse 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  43 

it  to  them  until  I  got  your  permission.  But  in  case  of  refusal 
I  shall  ask  your  authority  to  communicate  what  I  have  done 
to  someone  who  can  do  as  much  for  them  in  my  place  or  adopt 
my  memorial  in  his  name. 

I  am  ashamed  of  myself,  Monseigneur,  and  I  fear  you  find 
me  still  too  much  a  lawyer.  I  should  perhaps  have  cast  that 
spirit  far  from  me,  and  yet  it  was  at  a  time  when  the  weak 
oppressed  had  no  sure  defense  against  the  oppressor  other  than 
the  priest's  voice.  Could  you  give  them  a  letter  of  recommen- 
dation to  J.  Ewing  of  Vincennes  ? — he  is  in  the  Senate. ^^  En- 
close it  in  your  reply  to  this. 

I  had  the  happiness  of  baptizing  Mme.  Laurent  Bertrand  :^^ 
I  heard  her  confession,  baptized  her  under  condition,^^  had  her 
renew  her  confession  generally,  and  gave  her  absolution.  .    .    . 

This  week  I  went  several  miles  to  see  a  woman  who  had 
left  the  Catholics  to  join  the  Dunkers.  She  promised  me  she 
would  return,  and  I  expect  her  tomorrow  at  confession. ^^  She 
has  been  in  this  commendable  state  of  mind  since  before  M. 
Deseille's  death;  she  is  the  wife  of  a  good  Irishman  who  came 
and  told  me  his  sorrow  and  implored  me  to  go  speak  with  his 
wife.     I  hope  God's  grace  will  settle  this  yet. 

In  answer  to  your  questions  :  First,  I  have  completely  worn 
out  M.  Mueller's  horse;  he  is  in  such  a  state  as  to  make  the 
crows  cry  with  envy.  The  idea  of  a  journey  with  this  poor 
old  creature  (who,  I  imagine,  still  means  well)  is  hopeless. 
Perhaps  he  will  recover ;  one  still  occasionally  sees  that  he  was 
a  good  horse. 

Second :  I  went  yesterday  to  lay  out,  at  the  further  ex- 
tremity of  the  land,^^  a  site  where  a  new  farmer  will  build  a 

^John  Ewing  was  a  member  of  the  United  States  House  of  Representa- 
tives, not  the  Senate,  1833-35,  1837-39.  Biographical  Dictionary  of  the 
American  Congress  1774-1927  (1928),  p.  954. 

^"Wife  of  Laurent  Bertrand,  son  of  Joseph  Bertrand,  Sr.  See  post,  p. 
son.  On  November  2,  Bertrand  had  informed  Petit  that  his  wife  was  ready  to 
become  a  CathoHc ;  on  November  28,  she  was  converted.  See  Petit's  Journal, 
post,  p.  122. 

"A  procedure  resorted  to  when  there  is  some  doubt  whether  or  not  an 
individual  has  been  validly  baptized. 

^'She  came  to  confession.    See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  122. 

'"Probably  the  land  deeded  by  Father  Badin  to  Bishop  Brute.  See  ante, 
p.  15  and  note. 


44  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

second  farmhouse  and  cultivate  the  soil.  He  is  to  use  it  for 
three  years  to  reimburse  himself  and  then  pay  a  third  of  the 
land's  produce,  and  all  the  improvements  will  belong  to  you. 
The  wood  he  will  have  to  sell  above  what  is  necessary  for  the 
fences  and  buildings  and  his  own  use  will  be  sold  by  halves.  I 
allowed  him  to  carry  off  and  chop  up  the  felled  or  broken 
wood  which  was  rotting  on  the  ground  in  consideration  of  fif- 
teen cents  a  cord.  M.  de  la  Hailandiere  will  say  this  is  too 
cheap,  but  it  is  the  price  one  gets  for  such  wood  here,  and, 
if  I  do  not  sell  it  at  this  price,  it  will  be  a  complete  loss  next 
year.  Before  long  I  shall  arrange  for  a  farm  with  Charron 
himself  as  well  as  I  can  to  your  advantage. 

Third :  the  savages  have  repeated  to  me  also  that  they  were 
willing  to  give  a  section  to  the  Church,  but  it  is  the  section  on 
which  the  church  is  located  at  the  Yellow  River,  and  the  first 
question  is  whether  the  reserve  still  belongs  to  them;  if  not,  the 
Church  can  take  nothing  from  them. 

Fourth  :  M.  Deseille's  residence  at  the  Yellow  River  is  very 
beautiful  and  good,*"  and  I  do  not  doubt  you  can  have  a  right 
of  pre-emption  over  this  quarter  section  as  the  heir  of  M. 
Deseille,  the  first  settler,  but  it  would  not  be  necessary  to  give 
up  the  place  or  buy  it. 

Fifth:  I  shall  be  able  to  inquire  for  an  Indian,  but  I  do 
not  think  I  can  find  one  of  the  kind  which  would  be  neces- 
sary— but  perhaps — I  shall  see.  I  heard  that  some  of  them 
intended  to  ask  you  if  they  could  settle  at  the  lake,  on  a  little 
corner  of  your  land,  if  they  are  driven  off  the  "duck's  head." 
They  could  indeed  cultivate  your  land  if  a  priest  is  established 
at  the  lake ;  that  might  be  advantageous  both  for  you  and  for 
them ;  it  should  be  looked  into  later. 

Sixth:  I  shall  see  whether  I  can  find  some  religious  ar- 
ticles suitable  to  please  a  Clarisse.*^ 

Seventh :  I  found  two  chalices,  a  large  one  and  a  small  one, 
for  a  mission;  the  foot  of  the  latter  is  broken.  The  books  are 
in  good  condition,  and  some  are  precious — a  magnificent  Bil- 

"Petit  had  taken  up  residence,  apparently  with  no  opposition,  in  the 
house  on  the  Yellow  River  reserve  from  which  Sands  had  expelled  Father 
Deseille  and  Angelique  Campeau.    See  ante,  pp.  24-25. 

"A  nun  of  the  Order  of  St.  Clare. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  45 

luart*^ — church  and  personal  linen,  handkerchiefs,  tools,  all 
sorts  of  things. 

M.  Coquillard*^  himself  is  soon  going  to  Fort  Wayne;  I 
shall  entrust  the  note  concerning  M.  Comparef**  to  him. 

I  recommend  myself  to  the  prayers  of  your  candidates  for 
ordination  at  Christmas;  we  shall  pray  for  them  at  Chichipe 
Outipe  as  soon  as  I  return  there,  but  that  will  not  be  before 
the  ordination.     I  shall  go  there  the  day  after  Christmas. 

Yes,  Monseigneur,  I  shall  accept  without  shame  whenever 
donations  are  given  me,  but  they  do  not  happen  often.  I  am 
still  very  rich  anyway,  and  I  have  the  dollars  you  intended  for 
M.  Mueller  in  the  bottom  of  my  pocket.  Is  it  a  wrong  use  to 
keep  them  for  a  horse  in  case  his  should  completely  fail? 
There  is  a  real  carcass. 

I  shall  write  to  M.  Badin.*^ 

Monseigneur,  if  you  find  in  me  too  much  ardor  for  the 
savages,  you  will  excuse  me,  will  you  not?  For  though  I 
have  known  them  only  a  short  time,  there  is  an  inconceivable 
tenderness  for  them  in  the  bottom  of  my  heart  which  the  good 
Lord  will  bless,  I  hope.  Might  it  not  turn  out  that  this  will 
give  me  the  happiness  of  offering  to  Him  the  pain  I  shall  feel 
in  leaving  them,  if  you  wish  it  so? 

*'One  of  the  theological  works  of  Charles  Rene  Billuart,  1685-1757. 
The  Catholic  Encyclopedia,  II  (1907),  567. 

"Alexis  Coquillard  won  a  reputation  as  an  Indian  trader  and  was  ap- 
pointed agent  for  the  American  Fur  Company,  in  partnership  with  Francis 
Comparet.  He  came  to  South  Bend  in  1824  and  has  been  described  as  the 
"pioneer  introducer  of  civilized  customs  among  the  Indians  in  northern 
Indiana."  Coquillard,  Alexis  Coquillard;  Chapman,  History  of  St.  Joseph 
County,  p.  464. 

"Francis  Comparet  came  to  Fort  Wayne  in  1820.  Bert  J.  Griswold,  The 
Pictorial  History  of  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana  (Chicago,  1917),  p.  247;  Coquil- 
lard, Alexis  Coquillard,  pp.  8-13. 

"Francis  Vincent  Badin,  vicar-general  of  the  diocese  of  Detroit.  The 
diocese  of  Vincennes  extended  only  to  the  Indiana-Michigan  border.  The 
region  north  of  this  was  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Bishop  Reze  of  Detroit, 
to  whom,  through  his  vicar-general,  Petit  was  responsible  for  his  ministra- 
tions at  Bertrand  and  other  points  in  Michigan.  Alerding,  History  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  pp.  121-22,  124.  Petit  had  written  to  Detroit  on  November 
27,  and  wrote  again  on  December  28.  He  received  the  same  powers  which 
Father  Deseille  had  had.   Post,  pp.  56,  121,  123. 


46  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

I  shall  say  midnight  Mass  in  the  church  at  Bertrand.*^  It 
is  not  entirely  finished,  but  well  closed  up  and,  I  think,  just 
about  as  suitable  as  your  respected  cathedral,  although  it  is  not 
consecrated.  I  think  I  can  say  the  first  Mass  there  just  as  well 
as  in  Mme.  Coquillard's  parlor.  Last  Sunday  I  had  twelve 
children  at  catechism,  afterwards  the  breviary,  and  finally  our 
dinner. 

Monseigneur,  I  may  be  mistaken,  and  I  often  am  mistaken 
through  ignorance,  but  I  hope  the  good  Lord  will  pardon  me, 
for  he  reads  at  the  bottom  of  my  heart  a  great  desire  to  do 
well  for  His  glory.  And  thanks  a  thousand  times  to  you; 
you  will  pardon  me,  too,  for  I  know  your  fatherly  indulgence 
for  your  respectfully  devoted  son  and  priest, 

B.  Petit 
Ptre.  Mre. 

My  friendly  respects  to  M.  de  la  Hailandiere :  thanks  a 
thousand  times  for  his  good  letters,  and  Shaw,  Vabret,  Berel, 
and  Paret,*"  for  keeping  the  little  cloak  and  giving  me  the 
pleasure  of  accepting  it  from  me. 

We  need  here  the  number  of  your  section,  which  we  do  not 
have  in  the  contract  for  the  tax  payments. 

I  think  it  is  proper  that  I  go  and  settle  at  the  lake  :*^  first, 
it  will  please  many  people ,  second,  I  think  I  am  an  embarrass- 
ment here,  though  they  urge  me  to  stay  and  they  are  a  thou- 
sand times  too  good;  and  finally  it  is  more  fitting  that  I  be 

**Bertrand,  Michigan,  was  a  village  on  the  St.  Joseph  River,  not  far 
from  the  Indiana  border.  See  "History  of  the  Extinct  Village  of  Bertrand," 
Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Society,  Collections,  XXVIII  (1900),  128- 
33. 

^^These  four  were  members  of  the  party  which  Brute  brought  to  America 
in  1836.  Michael  Edward  Shaw  (Shawe)  was  made  a  deacon  December  18, 
1836,  and  was  ordained  March  12,  1837 — the  first  priest  to  be  ordained  in  St. 
Francis  Xavier  Cathedral  at  Vincennes.  He  became  the  first  resident  pastor 
at  Madison  on  July  18,  1836.  Father  John  A.  Vabret  conducted  the  Catholic 
College  at  Vincennes.  Maurice  Berel  was  ordained  a  priest  at  Vincennes  on 
December  23,  1837,  and  continued  as  an  instructor  in  the  school  there. 
Anthony  Paret  (Parret),  ordained  a  subdeacon  December  18,  1836,  a  deacon 
December  23,  1837,  and  a  priest  August  15,  1838,  remained  in  the  Vincennes 
District.  Alerding,  History  of  The  Catholic  Church,  p.  226;  Godecker, 
Simon  Brute  de  Remur,  index;  Vincennes  Western  Sun  and  General  Adver- 
tiser, September  2,  1837,  p.  3,  c.  4,  and  following  issues. 

"St.  Mary's  Lake. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  47 

where  M.  Deseille  was.  Please  tell  me  in  your  next  letter  that 
you  desire  me  to  go  there,  in  order  to  remove  all  difficulty  in 
case  I  should  leave  my  present  dwelling.  I  am  thinking  of 
leaving  one  of  these  days,  but  I  am  somewhat  embarrassed :  a 
Westphalian  Catholic  is  going  to  Europe  and  wishes  to  return 
here,  he  says,  in  August  next  year  with  about  forty  Catholic 
families  to  found  a  second  town  on  the  Coquillard  land  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river,  but  he  wants  a  church. 

May  I  presume  to  send  by  you,  Monseigneur,  my  respectful 
greetings  to  Messieurs  Ellis,  Law,  Stahl,  Trouts,  and  the 
Moore  and  Doran  families?  You  will  permit  me,  Monseig- 
neur, to  ask  for  a  reply  from  you  or  M.  de  la  Hailandiere  as 
soon  as  you  can  without  inconveniencing  yourself. 

I  knew,  of  course,  that  I  must  always  have  someone  present 
when  I  say  Holy  Mass. 

Sunday  evening.  The  good  Lord  spoils  me  :  I  had  to  recon- 
cile the  poor  Dunker,  of  whom  I  believe  I  spoke  above,  to  the 
Church  today.  Then  I  had  a  conversation  with  a  Protestant 
woman*^  desiring  to  become  a  Catholic;  she  is  a  believer  and 
appears  educated ;  I  do  not  think  it  will  take  long.  She  came  to 
Mass  today  in  spite  of  the  extreme  cold  and  the  icy  roads. 
Some  ladies  even  came  from  as  far  as  Bertrand — seven  miles — 
a  full  audience.  They  tell  me  of  other  Protestants :  it  would 
be  a  pity,  Monseigneur,  to  abandon  this  post.  If  I  am  not 
to  remain  here,  try  to  send  another  here. 

[Addressed:]  To  the  Right  Rd.  Bishop  Brute  Vincennes, 
Knox  Cty.  Indiana 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  December  26,  1837 

[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA^o] 

South  Bend,  26  December,  1837. 
Monseigneur, 

If  after  all  the  kindness  you  have  shown  me  so  often  I 
could  still  have  doubted  that  I  had  found  a  father's  tenderness 
in  you,  your  letter  of  December  5,  followed  at  a  two-day  inter- 
val by  another,  would  have  sufficed  to  prove  to  me  the  paternal 

"A  Mme.  Clarke.    See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  122. 

^°The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 


48  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

solicitude  for  the  elder  sons  of  your  numerous  family  which 
fills  your  heart.^^ 

I  am  surprised,  Monseigneur,  at  my  health :  one  evening  at 
sunset  I  left  Bertrand  in  snow  which  was  falling  heavily  to 
go  twenty-four  miles  to  administer  to  a  sick  woman  at  Poka- 
gon's.®^  I  traveled  all  night  through  the  forest ;  there  were,  in 
the  sleigh,  M.  Benjamin  Bertrand^^  and  I.  We  upset  nine 
times  on  the  way — superb ! — we  laughed  like  kings.  We  finally 
arrived  at  2  a.  m.  I  had  left  Bertrand  without  eating.  The  day 
before  was  a  fast  day,  and,  as  I  wanted  to  say  the  first  Mass, 
I  didn't  take  anything.  I  went  to  bed  on  an  Indian  mat,  and 
after  a  few  hours  there  I  was,  as  fresh  and  fit  as  you  can 
possibly  imagine.  Mass,  sermons  to  the  Indians,  confessions 
all  day  long,  and  the  next  day  extreme  unction,  communion 
for  the  sick  woman,  five  other  communions — and  then  we  left. 
Going  back  we  upset  only  twice.  I  remember  the  time  when 
Benjamin  would  have  coughed,  grown  pale,  etc.,  but  he  was 
not  a  missionary  then:  that  makes  quite  a  difference. 

Now  to  tell  you  of  'Hty  Christmas :  Pokagon's  savages  ar- 
rived at  Bertrand  for  the  festival  Friday  morning,  to  the  num- 
ber of  sixty  or  seventy.  I  went  there  myself  and  heard 
confessions  until  sunset  Saturday.  They  brought  me  back  by 
sleigh  to  South  Bend,  where  on  Sunday  morning  after  High 
Mass  I  had  the  happiness  of  baptizing  Mme.  Clark.  I  left  for 
Bertrand  immediately,  and  in  the  afternoon  performed  seven 
baptisms,  three  of  which  were  of  Indian  adults ;  then  confes- 
sions until  eleven  o'clock,  midnight  Mass,  sermons  in  French 
and  English,  and  about  fifty  communions;  the  next  morning 
at  the  lake  confessions  until  High  Mass,  English  and  French 
sermons,  and  ten  or  fifteen  communions.  I  shall  confess  that 
after  these  two  High  Masses,  six  sermons,  and  confessions 

"Brute's  solicitude  for  Petit  induced  him  to  request  P"ather  Francois,  of 
Logansport,  in  a  letter  of  December  24,  1837,  to  "have  an  eye  on"  the  young 
man,  "so  zealous  and  little  accustomed  to  the  climate."  University  of  Notre 
Dame  Archives. 

"The  village  of  Chief  Leopold  Pokagon.    See  ante,  p.  I4n. 

*^Half-breed  son  of  Joseph  Bertrand,  Sr.  "History  of  .  .  .  Bertrand," 
Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Society,  Collections,  XXVIII,  130.  See 
post,  p.  5on. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  49 

during  these  days,  I  felt  very  tired,  and  in  the  afternoon  I  fell 
asleep  in  an  armchair  by  the  fireplace. 

I  have  nothing  but  the  highest  praise  for  the  kindness  of 
the  Bertrand  family,  M.  and  Mme.  Coquillard,  and  M.  and 
Mme.  Charron,  whether  it  was  to  drive  anywhere  (for  when 
I  do  not  go  by  sleigh  and  when  I  do  not  want  to  abuse  their 
kindness,  I  have  to  go  on  foot,  my  horse  being  entirely  un- 
serviceable; I  do  this  only  for  very  short  trips),  or  whether  to 
do  anything  to  please  me  in  connection  with  decorating  the 
altars,  etc.  I  should  not,  however,  like  to  defer  any  longer, 
if  I  am  to  remain  here,  having  a  good  horse;  I  regard  this  as 
necessary  equipment;  a  missionary  should  not  have  to  depend 
upon  the  kindness  of  others  to  go  anywhere  his  ministry  calls 
him.  However  great  the  kindness  may  be,  it  can  become  ex- 
hausted at  long  last.  But  I  am  leaving  for  Chichipe  Outipe 
tomorrow;  I  am  going  to  conduct  a  mission  for  the  savages, 
and  from  there  I  shall  pass  through  Vincennes  on  my  way  to 
Washington.'**  During  my  absence  M.  Mueller's  horse  will 
either  get  well,  and  then  I  shall  sell  him,  or  die  completely. 
Mme.  Coquillard  still  promises  me  one  which  a  gentleman  owes 
her  as  a  token  of  a  big  sale  of  lands  made  by  her  husband; 
if  she  gets  it,  I  shall  have  it. 

I  hope  to  see  you  soon.  I  have  many  things  to  tell  you, 
and  it  is  a  joy  to  my  heart  to  think  of  being  with  you  again. 
Yet  I  am  leaving  some  children,  a  family  I  love  much;  my 
heart  is  always  torn  and  divided  and  will  not  be  happy  any- 
where. These  ties  which  the  ministry  forms  are  sweet  and 
strong,  like  all  the  manifestations  of  the  love  of  God,  whom 
we  serve. 

I  was  so  tired  at  Christmas  time  that  I  felt  no  devotion. 
I  do  not  know  how  the  savages'  journey  will  take  place;  I 
think  they  are  having  trouble  finding  the  necessary  money.  In 
any  event  I  shall  be  ready  to  follow  your  directions,  either 
going  alone  with  their  power  of  attorney,  which  they  will  send 
me  in  case  they  should  not  be  able  to  come  themselves,  or  both 
they  and  I  leaving  separately  to  act  simultaneously.  Omnia 
ad  Maiorem  Dei  Gloriain. 

"This  journey  was  never  made,  for  Brute  apparently  overruled  the 
plan  the  next  month.    Post,  p.  124. 


50  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

I  have  just  seen  M.  Joseph  Bertrand,  who  has  just  come 
from  the  Mississippi,  where  he  conducted  a  troop  of  Indians.^' 
As  soon  as  they  arrived  there,  they  were  visited  by  Protestant 
ministers  who  offered  them  their  services.  *'We  didn't  send 
for  you,"  said  Caldwell, ^^  the  great  chief  of  the  Potawatomi. 
"When  we  need  you  we  shall  let  you  know."  But  a  French 
priest  was  there,  and  they  already  have  a  church  at  Council 
Bluffs.  Who  is  this  priest?'^'  Will  it  be  bad  or  good  fortune 
for  these  poor  simple  Christians?  You  could  find  out,  Mon- 
seigneur,  from  the  Bishop  of  St.  Louis,  in  whose  diocese  the 
place  mentioned  above  is  situated. 

^'Joseph  Bertrand  established  a  trading  post  on  the  west  side  of  the 
St.  Joseph  River  in  1808,  later  moving  across  the  river  to  the  site  now 
known  as  Bertrand.  He  married  Mona,  baptized  Madeline,  daughter  of 
Chief  Topenebee,  by  whom  he  had  several  children.  Bertrand  probably 
served  as  an  assistant  in  the  emigration  of  about  450  Potawatomi,  including 
the  band  of  Topenebee,  in  July,  1837.  This  party,  under  the  direction  of 
Lewis  H.  Sands  and  Moses  H.  Scott,  went  to  Chicago,  where  it  divided. 
One  hundred  and  sixty,  under  Scott,  went  to  the  Osage  River  in  Kansas 
and  287,  under  Sands,  to  Council  Bluffs.  Bertrand  joined  his  family  on 
the  Potawatomi  reservation  in  Kansas  in  1853.  "History  of  .  .  .  Bertrand," 
Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical  Society,  Collections,  XVIII,  128-33 ;  Otho 
Winger,  The  Potawatovii  Indians  (Elgin,  Illinois,  1939),  pp.  115-19;  Moses 
H.  Scott  to  Lewis  H.  Sands,  November  18,  1837,  and  Lewis  H.  Sands  to 
Carey  A.  Harris,  November  18,  1837,  Mereness  Calendar,  Indian  Office, 
Letters  Received,  Chicago ;  Daniel  McDonald,  History  of  Lake  Maxinknckee 
(Indianapolis,  1905),  p.  19. 

"Sauganash  (the  Englishman)  or  Billy  Caldwell  was  a  half-breed,  son 
of,  an  Irish  officer  and  a  Potawatomi  woman.  He  was  educated  in  the 
Jesuit  schools  in  Detroit  and  became  an  outstanding  member  of  his  tribe. 
In  183s  he  left  his  home  in  Chicago  to  emigrate  to  Iowa ;  he  died  on  the  re- 
serve near  Council  Bluffs  in  1841.  Winger,  The  Potazvatomi  Indians,  pp. 
108-10;  Hodge  (ed.),  Handbook  of  American  Indians,  11,  408. 

^In  1837  there  was  no  mission  at  Council  Bluffs.  The  first  Indian 
mission  west  of  the  Mississippi — perhaps  the  "church''  that  Petit  mentions — 
was  established  among  the  Kickapoo  near  Fort  Leavenworth,  in  1836,  by 
Father  Charles  Van  Quickenborne,  aided  by  Brothers  Andrew  Mazella  and 
Edmund  Barry.  Father  Christian  Hoecken  became  the  first  teacher  in  the 
school  there.  On  September  13,  1837,  the  Potawatomi  of  Council  Bluffs, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Superior  of  the  Missouri  Mission,  Father  Ver- 
haegen,  petitioned  the  Secretary  of  War  for  a  school  to  be  conducted  by  the 
Catholic  Missionary  Society  of  Missouri.  The  petition  was  signed  by  several 
Potawatomi,  including  Caldwell.  In  May,  1838,  a  mission  was  established 
under  the  direction  of  Father  Peter  de  Smet  and  Father  Felix  Verreydt. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  51 

I  think,  Monseigneur,  that  toward  the  end  of  January  I 
shall  have  the  happiness  to  ask  for  your  benediction  and  to 
offer  you  my  respects  in  person. 

You  know,  doubtless,  that  M.  Mueller  has  been  very  ill 
again. 

I  have  not  yet  received  an  answer  from  M.  Badin  in  De- 
troit, and  apparently  I  shall  leave  before  getting  one. 

As  for  your  fears  that  I  am  suffering  hardship,  I  do  not 
at  all.  I  have  spent  very  little  and  am  still  rich  enough  to  re- 
turn home  amply  provided  with  the  money  you  personally  gave 
me.  I  need  absolutely  nothing.  I  am  little  sensitive  to  the  cold 
and  in  good  health,  although  a  little  tired  these  days. 

I  beg  you,  Monseigneur,  to  accept  the  respectful  expres- 
sion of  sentiments  of  devotion  and  submission  with  which 
I  am, 

Your  Reverence's  very  humble  and  very  obedient  servant, 
priest,  and  son  in  Jesus  Christ, 

B.  Petit 
Ptre.  Mre. 

My  respects  to  all  those  gentlemen  and  particularly  to  M. 
de  la  Hailandiere,  Shaw,  Vabret,  Berel,  Paret — particularly — 
I  have  named  everybody;  this  is  certainly  a  large  particulari- 
zation ! 

[Addressed:]  To  the  Right  Rd.  Bishop  Brute  Vincennes 
(Knox  Cty.)  Indiana 

Petit  to  His  Family,  January  5  (?),  1838^^ 

[Translated  from  Annales,  XI   (1838-39),  No.  lxv,  387-89I 

Here  I  am  at  Chichipe  Outipe,  in  the  bosom  of  my  Indian 
church.  How  I  love  my  children  and  what  a  good  time  I  have 
among  them !  The  mission  is  laborious,  but  what  consolations ! 
I  shall  not  repeat  it — it  is  always  the  same  miracle — an  incred- 
ible succession  of  conversions  among  these  poor  infidels.  There 

It  lasted  until  1841.  John  Rothensteiner,  History  of  the  Archdiocese  of  St. 
Louis  (2  volumes.  St.  Louis,  1928);  I,  641-45,  653-54,  660,  663;  John  F. 
Kempker,  "Catholic  Missionaries  in  the  Early  and  in  the  Territorial  Days  of 
Iowa,"  Annals  of  Iowa,  X  (1911),  61. 

''According  to  his  Journal  Petit  wrote  only  one  letter  between  December 
28  and  January  27,  "a  letter  to  France"  on  January  5.    See  post,  p.  124. 


52  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

are  now  a  thousand  to  twelve  hundred  Christians,  and  what  a 
fervor,  what  a  wonderful  and  touching  simpHcity ! 

It  was  the  last  day  of  the  year  1837.  I  was  sleeping  on 
my  mat  when,  toward  midnight,  I  was  awakened  with  a  start 
by  a  discharge  of  musketry.  One  does  not  take  long  to  arise 
when  one  sleeps  clothed  on  mats :  I  ran  to  my  door,  which  was 
being  shaken,  and  opened  it.  In  a  moment  my  room  was 
filled  with  a  crowd  of  Indians — men,  women,  children — who 
had  come  to  wish  me  Happy  New  Year.  They  knelt  around 
me,  and  I  blessed  them.  Then,  all  smiles,  they  pressed  my 
hand.  It  was  truly  a  family  celebration.  I  made  them  a  brief 
speech  on  the  past  year  and  the  one  which  had  just  begun,  and 
I  led  them  all  to  the  chapel,  where  we  said  a  short  prayer. 
Then  they  asked  my  permission  to  do  the  same  honors  to  the 
chiefs,  and  I  granted  it  without  reluctance,  as  you  may  well 
imagine. 

Ah,  I  love  them  tenderly!  If  you  saw,  when  I  enter  a  cabin, 
the  little  children  who  surround  me  and  climb  on  my  knees,  the 
father  and  mother  and  elder  children  who  gather  together, 
piously  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  then  with  a  trusting 
smile  come  to  press  my  hand — you  could  not  help  loving  them 
as  I  do.  When  one  visits  them  at  their  cabins  in  the  evening, 
one  finds  them  with  their  heads  bent  over  the  fire,  singing 
hymns  or  reciting  the  catechism  by  the  light  of  their  brazier. 
Their  zeal  is  surprising:  at  this  moment  I  have  Christians  of 
three  weeks'  standing  who  have  learned  prayers,  catechism, 
and  hymns  in  a  space  of  time  inconceivably  short.  I  am  be- 
ginning to  speak  their  language  a  little — to  appreciate  some- 
thing of  what  they  say  to  me.  If  I  had  to  give  you  all  the 
details  which  might  interest  you,  I  should  never  finish.  I  am 
truly  too  happy.  Do  not  wish  anything  better  for  me  but  that 
God  protect  us!  This  mission  is  menaced  by  approaching  de- 
struction— the  government  wants  to  transport  the  Indians  to 
the  other  side  of  the  ]\Iississippi.  I  live  between  fear  and  hope, 
but  I  entrust  my  hope  and  fear  to  the  hands  of  the  Lord ! 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  53 

Petit  to  De  la  Hailandiere,  February  11,  1838 
[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA^s] 

South  Bend,  ii  February,  1838. 
Monsieur  and  Very  Reverend  Friend: 

First  to  business  :^°  an  Indian  woman  had  nine  children ; 
her  husband  died;  the  woman's  brother-m-law,  according  to 
the  custom  of  these  people,  married  his  dead  brother's  wife  in 
order  to  support  the  family;  this  was  a  duty  for  them.  He 
already  had  another  wife,  who,  shocked  by  this,  became  angry 
with  her  husband  and  left  him.  She  finally  became  a  Chris- 
tian. Today  this  is  the  situation:  the  first  wife,  not  wishing 
to  return  to  her  unfaithful  husband,  offers  no  difficulty:  she 
is  not  bound  to  him,  he  is  unfaithful,  she  is  a  Christian,  both 
wish  to  leave  each  other,  and  he  does  not  wish  to  leave  his 
second  wife  (his  sister-in-law) — si  discedit  infidelis,  discedat.^^ 
The  difficulty  is  this:  he  wishes  to  become  a  Christian,  and 
his  present  wife,  his  brother's  widow,  does  also,  but  the  latter 
says  she  cannot  leave  him  on  account  of  her  numerous  family, 
whom  he  is  supporting.  They  have  been  living  as  husband  and 
wife  for  four  years.  She  has  had  one  more  child  by  him  and 
still  has  five  from  the  first  marriage  too  young  to  do  without 
paternal  aid,  which  they  receive  from  their  uncle  and  step- 
father. Monseigneur,  wouldn't  there  be  a  means  of  dispensa- 
tion for  the  marriage  between  brother-in-law  and  sister-in-law 
for  such  weighty  reasons?  It  seems  possible  to  me.  The 
situation  demands  it ;  they  married  in  the  belief  that  they  were 
fulfilling  a  duty.  The  second  wife  cannot  leave  her  husband 
without  compromising  her  numerous  family,  her  husband 
wishes  to  keep  her,  and  his  first  wife  declared  to  me  that,  even 
if  he  sends  away  the  second,  she  will  have  nothing  to  do  with 
him.  They  have  completely  separated,  and  I  have  declared  to 
the  woman  that  she  could  marry  another.     In  short,  and  per- 

""The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 

""De  la  Hailandiere  was  vicar-general  of  the  diocese  of  Vincennes  at 
this  time  and  could  advise  Petit  in  ecclesiastical  matters  in  Brute's  absence. 
The  Bishop  had  left  Vincennes  late  in  December,  going  south  for  his  health 
and  visiting  in  St.  Louis,  New  Orleans,  and  Mobile.  He  returned  to  \'in- 
cennes  on  April  2,  1838.   Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remur,  pp.  335-44- 

""If  the  unbelieving  depart,  let  him  depart."    I  Corinthians,  7:15. 


54  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

haps  more  clearly,  if  Monseigneur  can  dispense  a  marriage 
between  brother-in-law  and  sister-in-law,  I  am  asking  for  such 
a  dispensation  in  the  case  in  question.  It  is  a  question  of  a 
previously  contracted  marriage,  according  to  a  nation's  custom ; 
the  interests  of  a  numerous  family  demand  it.  For  M.  Deseille 
the  difficulty  was  quite  different,  the  man  then  having  two 
wives ;  today  he  has  put  one  of  them  aside  and  holds  to  his 
sister-in-law.  I  am  repeating  myself  and  becoming  a  dotard : 
if  there  is  any  way  to  do  it,  arrange  the  dispensation.  M.  De- 
seille, it  appears,  had  promised  baptism  in  the  present  situation, 
in  which  this  man  put  aside  his  first  wife  and  was  faithful  to 
his  second.  It  seems  to  me,  also,  that  I  vaguely  recall  that  he 
consulted  the  above-mentioned  Monseigneur  in  my  presence. 
Such  dispensations  are  granted  to  the  Ottawa  of  Michigan 
for  pre-existing  marriages.*'^  Try  to  understand  me  and  if 
possible  grant  the  dispensation  which  will  render  them  both 
good  Christians. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  the  validity  of  a  baptism  that  the 
water  touch  three  times,  is  it?  A  child  moved  during  a  bap- 
tism, and  I  am  afraid  I  did  not  moisten  it  three  times,  although 
certain  of  moistening  him  at  least  one  good  time  while  pro- 
nouncing the  words.  I  think  that  suffices,  but  one  cannot  be 
too  sure  for  so  necessary  a  sacrament,  and,  although  the  books 
may  tell  me,  I  want  to  be  more  certain.  I  am  very  stupid,  am 
I  not? 

In  regard  to  the  taxes,  Monseigneur  owes  40  piasters  for 
his  last  year's  tax  because  of  delinquency;  it  would  have  been, 
if  paid  on  time,  only  15  piasters.  Coquillard  had  paid  before 
a  witness  but  without  getting  a  receipt.  He  could  recover  only 
his  15  piasters,  and  the  collector,  who  can  do  nothing  more 

"^Probably  at  Arbre  Croche  (Crooked  Tree),  near  Harbor  Springs, 
Michigan.  The  Jesuits  had  a  mission  there  which  they  visited  occasionally 
from  Michilimackinac  between  1741  and  1765.  Father  Dejean  visited  there 
in  1824  and  Father  Vincent  Badin  in  1825.  In  May,  183 1,  Father  Frederic 
Baraga  arrived,  and  in  a  little  over  two  years  baptized  461  Indians.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Father  Saenderl  (Sanderl)  in  1833.  Chrysostom  Verwyst, 
"Life  and  Labors  of  Bishop  Baraga,"  Michigan  Pioneer  and  Historical 
Society,  Collections,  XXVI  (1896),  534-37;  Annales,  VIII  (1835-36),  No. 
XLiii,  293-96;  John  Gilmary  Shea,  History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the 
United  States  (2  volumes.    New  York,  1890-92),  I,  342,  343,  347,  354,  614. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  55 

about  it  today  since  the  receipt  for  the  delinquents  is  in  the 
hands  of  another,  is  a  poor  man  and  implored  them  not  to  act 
with  severity  towards  him,  recognizing  that  he  could  be  made 
to  pay  the  40  piasters.*'^ 

Monseigneur  tells  me  of  another  half  section  of  M.  Badin's; 
he  wants  me  to  inquire  about  the  taxes;  they  amount  to  80 
dollars  today,  and  if  they  aren't  paid  it  will  be  sold  next  year 
for  taxes.  Send  me  some  money,  therefore — as  many  Indiana 
notes  as  possible,  as  they  do  not  accept  anything  else  here  at 
the  tax  office. 

I  have  had  to  buy  a  horse  for  70  piasters,  60  in  cash  and 
10  on  credit.  I  have  only  7  dollars  left — not  that  I  have  spent 
everything,  but  I  lent  200  dollars  to  the  chiefs  departing  for 
Washington.  If  you  can  send  me  the  money  for  the  Masses"* 
you  commissioned  me  to  say,  it  would  please  me.  In  my  next 
letter  I  shall  report  all  my  expenses,  dollar  for  dollar,  to  you, 
for  I  keep  an  exact  account  of  my  time  and  all  my  business. 

It  is  as  difficult  to  procure  Indiana  notes  here  as  money 
itself. 

While  I  was  with  my  Indians,  Charron,  the  farmer  at  the 
lake,  sold  my  poor  horse  (M.  Mueller's)  for  18  dollars.  The 
American  who  bought  him,  after  working  him  a  few  days, 
brought  him  back,  asking  for  a  refund.  Charron  was  unwill- 
ing to  give  it  and  kept  the  American's  note.  The  expenses  of 
the  lawsuit,  which  lasted  several  days,  amounted  to  30  dollars, 
and  they  have  been  charged  to  the  American.  Meanwhile  the 
horse,  broken-hearted,  probably,  at  being  the  cause  of  so  much 
trouble,  died  of  grief.  I  am  glad  of  it  and  for  having  been 
absent  the  whole  time. 

Here  is  a  fact  which  probably  will  interest  you:  Sina- 
gorra,*^^  Chichipe's  first  catechist — a  man  remarkable  for  his 

*'The  meaning  of  this  paragraph  is,  apparently,  that  the  tax  collector 
gave  the  receipt  to  the  wrong  person,  thus  rendering  Coquillard's  payment  in 
behalf  of  Brute  invalid  and  making  the  collector  liable  for  the  amount 
plus  the  penalty  for  delay. 

"Petit  had  said  ten  Masses  ordered  by  De  la  Hailandiere  for  Father 
Deseille  and  Father  Schaeffer.    See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  122. 

°°Perhaps  this  is  William  Sinagau,  a  resident  of  Menominee's  Reserve, 
who  later  became  head  chief  of  a  band  of  Potawatomi  at  Rush  Lake, 
Michigan.    Buechner,  The  Pokagons,  pp.  314,  31 7- 


56  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

wit,  eloquence,  deep  faith,  devotion  to  the  good  works  of  the 
mission  among  his  brethren — was  very  ill  in  his  hunting  camp 
at  Christmas  time  last  year.  He  could  not  walk,  being  incapaci- 
tated by  pain,  and  he  looked  on  with  despair  as  all  his  neighbors 
left  for  the  chapel  to  celebrate  the  festival  there.  He  was  con- 
sumed with  the  desire  to  be  among  them,  and  gloom  settled 
upon  him.  Then  he  made  up  his  mind  to  go  at  any  price.  He 
had  himself  put  on  a  horse  and  left  for  the  village  suffering 
so  much  that  he  wept.  After  a  long,  painful  journey  he  ar- 
rived, unable  to  walk;  bent  double,  he  dragged  himself  with 
great  difficulty  on  a  cane  to  the  chapel.  He  joined  in  the 
prayer  with  his  usual  fervor,  and  then,  after  the  prayer,  he 
arose,  completely  cured  of  his  pains  and  walking  without  a 
cane,  and  returned  on  foot.  The  whole  village  witnessed  this. 
It  is  wonderful  to  hear  this  Indian  speak:  his  features  light 
up  with  such  fire;  his  speech,  his  gesture,  his  face  are  so  ex- 
pressive ;  he  is  so  beloved  by  all  the  Christians  and  surrounded 
by  such  universal  confidence.  His  spirit,  his  discourse,  and  his 
heart,  entirely  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God,  make  him  a 
missionary  so  appropriate  to  his  position  that  you  could  not 
help  loving  him.  With  all  that  he  has  the  naive  and  humble 
simplicity  of  a  very  small  child;  he  is  in  my  eyes  a  holy  and 
truly  lovable  man. 

How  little  savage  they  are  at  heart,  these  Indians,  whom 
the  Americans,  with  their  hearts  dry  as  cork  and  their  whole 
thought  "land  and  money,"  fail  to  appreciate  and  treat  with  so 
much  disdain  and  injustice. 

Conforming  to  Monseigneur's  wish,  I  have  had  myself 
authorized  by  M.  Badin  of  Detroit :  I  now  have  the  same 
powers  M.  Deseille  himself  had.''*' 

Please  reply  to  me  by  return  mail  addressed  to  Plymouth, 
Marshall  County,  where  I  shall  get  your  letter  at  the  end  of 
this  month  on  my  way  to  Chichipe  Outipe,  where  I  am  to  be 
for  Ash  Wednesday.  I  am,  awaiting  the  honor  of  your  reply, 
M.  Vicar-General, 

Your  entirely  devoted  and  submissive  servant, 

B.  Petit 
Ptre.  Mre. 

""See  ante,  p.  45. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  57 

Yesterday  I  covered  twenty-five  miles"  on  horseback 
through  severe  cold.  It  is  strange  how  little  I  suffer  from  the 
cold,  or  rather  I  do  not  suffer  at  all  from  it :  I  was  forced  to 
remove  my  mittens  because  I  was  too  warm.  My  health  is  still 
excellent,  though  my  eyes  are  tired  by  the  snow,  which  has  not 
left  us  for  nearly  two  months.  They  are  tired,  but  not  more 
than  others'. 

In  regard  to  the  money  I  am  asking  you  for,  I  shall  tell  you 
that  my  boots  are  full  of  holes,  and  I  should  be  glad  to  buy  a 
pair  of  them,  or  even  shoes,  but  that  does  not  mean  that  I  am 
suffering  at  all  from  the  cold :  I  am  like  a  prince.  I  have  so 
well  got  the  habit  of  sleeping  on  a  mat  wrapped  in  blankets  that 
I  have  one  uninterrupted  sleep  that  way  from  evening  to  morn- 
ing, and  today  I  was  completely  out  of  my  element  in  the 
feather  bed  at  M.  Coquillard's  house.  One  does  not  refresh 
one's  self  so  well  that  way ;  it  won't  do. 

I  had  about  ten  newly  arrived  German  Catholics  here  at 
Mass  this  morning.  I  had  to  improvise  in  English.  How  are 
the  gentlemen  of  the  College  and  the  Seminary  P*^^  Is  the  in- 
stitution prospering?    My  respects  to  all. 

Mother  tells  me  she  sent  a  parcel;  if  you  should  receive  it, 
I  should  like  you  to  have  a  pair  of  riding  breeches  and  leggings 
forwarded  to  me,  if  you  could,  addressing  them  to  M.  Fran- 
cois by  steamboat. 

^'This  is  the  distance  from  Menominee's  Reserve  near  Plymouth  to 
South  Bend. 

"'Before  the  see  of  Vincennes  was  created  in  1834,  there  was  a  school 
there,  taught  by  four  Sisters  of  Charity  from  Nazareth,  Kentucky.  The 
sisters  were  withdrawn  temporarily,  but  returned  in  1835.  In  1838,  the 
Superiors  at  Nazareth  recalled  two  of  the  four  sisters.  The  other  two 
remained  until  1838,  when  two  sisters  from  Mt.  St.  Mary's  near  Emmitsburg, 
Maryland,  replaced  them.  They  were  more  experienced,  and  able  to  carry 
out  Brute's  plans  for  a  boarding  school,  day  school,  and  a  separate  free 
school.  Aided  by  funds  which  he  collected  on  his  trip  to  France  and  Italy  in 
1836,  Brute  set  up  the  Catholic  College  of  Vincennes  in  the  fall  of  1837 ;  in 
the  fall  of  1838  St.  Mary's  Academy  and  Free  School  was  opened.  Godecker, 
Simon  Brute  de  Remur,  pp.  229,  236-37,  320,  341-43  ',  Alerding,  History  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  p.  149;  Bayley,  Memoirs,  pp.  93-94-  96;  advertisements  in 
Vincennes  Western  Sun  and  General  Advertiser,  September  2,  1S37,  p.  3.  c.  4, 
August  18,  1838,  p.  3,  c.  5,  and  following  issues. 


58  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

I  shall  send  you  immediately,  in  a  box,  my  little  Indian 
family  leaving  for  France.''^ 

How  is  Monseigneur? 

Have  you  any  nevi^s  from  France  ? 

[Addressed :]  To  the  Very  Revd.  C.  de  la  Hailandiere 
Pastor  of  the  Catholic  congregation  Vincennes,  Knox  Cty. 
Indiana, 

Petit  to  De  la  Hailandiere,  March  25,  1838 

[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA^o] 

South  Bend,  25  March,  1838. 
M.  the  Vicar-General  (and  dear  friend), 

First,  I  could  not  and  cannot  help  laughing  upon  reading 
the  salutation  of  your  letter  to  Benjamin:  "Monsieur  and 
dear  colleague."  It  is  so  serious,  so  dignified,  so  official,  so 
canonical  that,  not  knowing  how  to  answer,  I  wrote  in  all  dig- 
nity "M.  the  Vicar-General,"  subordinating  in  parentheses  an 
apostrophe  which  you  deign  to  allow  me  and  which  your  pen 
ordinarily  calls  me  when  it  has  no  distractions.   .    .    .^^ 

To  be  serious:  I  received  the  150  piasters  safe  and  sound, 
and  it  is  with  a  painful  feeling  that  I  have  to  render  you  an 
account  of  the  tax  affair  which  will  surprise  you.  The  lake 
farm"  had  not  paid  its  taxes  of  1836  and  1837;  here  is  a 
detailed  account  of  the  affair: 

,  Taxes  for  1836,  due  December  i,  1836         $20,251 
Fine  for  delay  in  payment,  50%  10.126 

Increase  which  runs  day  by  day,  100% 
a  year,  dating  from  December  i,  1836, 
which  makes  a  delinquency  of  i  year, 
3  months,  and  22  days  26.68 

"'Perhaps  a  picture. 

"The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 

"This  is  not  an  ellipsis.  Petit  apparently  used  this  means  to  indicate 
a  change  of  tone  in  his  letter. 

"Petit  refers  to  the  land  on  Lake  St.  Mary's  which  Father  Badin  pur- 
chased and  deeded  to  Brute. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  59 

This  is  the  enormous  amount  I  have  had 

to  pay  $83.05" 

You  told  me  to  look  into  it  closely ;  I  have  been  able  to  do 
nothing  in  that  regard  but  to  figure  it  out  myself  on  the  basis 
that  I  am  communicating  to  you  according  to  the  instructions 
I  received.  This  is  what  I  think  of  what  has  happened :  M. 
Coquillard  was  negligent  in  notifying  me.  The  collector  told 
me  this  morning  that  Coquillard  had  come  to  make  payment 
too  late,  and  he  probably  did  not  want  to  pay  the  penalty  and 
the  increase;  so  he  left  the  matter  there.  It  has  increased  day 
by  day  since  then.  He  had  committed  himself  to  pay  only  the 
current  taxes  and  not  the  penalty  and  the  increase,  but  he  ought 
to  have  notified  us  sooner.  When  he  made  this  benevolent 
promise,  during  the  Bishop's  visit, ^*  the  penalty  and  increase 
for  1836  had  already  been  incurred. 

I  do  not  yet  know  the  section  number  of  M.  Badin's  farm, 
and  consequently  I  do  not  know  what  there  is  of  it.  I  shall 
attend  to  it. 

I  expressed  myself  badly  if  you  understood  that  the  woman 
whom  I  assured  was  free  was  leaving  in  spite  of  his  wishes 
the  man  who  had  been  her  husband  ever  since  she  had  become 
a  Christian.  He  is  willing  to  keep  her  if  he  can  have  two 
wives — his  situation  for  several  years — but,  as  I  told  him  in 
order  to  become  a  Christian  he  must  have  only  one,  he  is  leav- 
ing the  former  and  keeping  the  other — his  sister-in-law,  the 
mother  of  that  numerous  family  for  whom  I  asked  dispensa- 
tion— for  his  legitimate  wife.  As  for  the  dispensation,  I  am 
not  of  your  opinion  (I  am  ashamed  to  say  so,  as  if  I  am 
entitled  to  an  opinion  in  theology)  in  regard  to  the  necessity. 
Many  authors  interpret  it  as  a  moral  necessity,  which  I  believe 
I  see  in  the  interests  of  a  numerous  family.  Remember  it  is 
very  difficult  to  find  a  man  willing  to  take  the  maintenance 
of  a  family  like  that  upon  himself;  I  believe  there  are  five 

"See  the  Journal,  post,  pp.  125,  133-34-  I"  his  letter  Petit  omitted  the  1837 
tax,  amounting  to  $26.00,  which  would  bring  the  total  to  $83.05.  There  was 
also  a  town  clerk's  fee  of  25  cents  which  brought  the  total  Petit  paid  to 
$83.30  or  $83.31. 

''Bishop  Brute  visited  South  Bend  in  June,  1837-  Godecker,  Simon 
Brute  de  Remur,  p.  311. 


60  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

children,  still  minors  or  very  young,  out  of  a  family  of  ten ; 
add  to  this  their  complete  good  faith  and  the  idea  of  fulfill- 
ment of  a  duty,  which  united  them.  Finally  the  three  letters 
in  which  I  spoke  to  you  of  the  situation  will  give  Monseigneur, 
I  think,  an  exact  idea  of  the  case.  We  shall  see  his  opinion;  I 
am  waiting, 

I  feel  in  error  about  Lent :  not  knowing  what  prescriptions 
to  have,  I  have  followed  last  year's :  fast  every  day,  meatless 
Wednesday  and  Friday  each  week  and  all  the  Holy  Week.  I 
find  myself  agreeing  with  M.  Frangois  in  this :  on  meat  days 
one  single  meal.  I  have  even  given  dispensation  to  the  sav- 
ages in  regard  to  eating  meat  during  Holy  Week,  except 
Wednesday  and  Friday.  On  meatless  days  they  eat  only  corn, 
on  Sunday  meat  at  every  meal.  I  should  have  conformed  to 
your  ideas  if  I  had  received  them  sooner,  but,  when  they  came, 
we  were  in  the  midst  of  Lent,  and  I  have  given  instructions 
which  I  was  unwilling  to  alter  because  I  could  not  do  it  effec- 
tively and  it  would  have  caused  disturbance  and  confusion 
among  my  children — some  doing  one  thing,  some  another. 

As  for  this  marriage  which  the  wife  of  the  man  who  dis- 
appeared three  years  ago  would  like  to  contract :  although  he  is 
probably  dead,  I  do  not  regard  that  as  certain  enough  to  permit 
his  hypothetical  widow  to  contract  a  second  marriage.  I  told 
them  my  opinion,  but  I  promised  to  obtain  that  of  the  diocese. 

I  do  not  know  how  to  send  you  my  little  savages,  my  let- 
ters, and  my  moccasins ;  the  roads  are  so  bad  the  stages  do  not 
run  any  more. 

I  do  not  know  definitely  whether  my  mission  is  going  to 
be  destroyed ;  there  is  not  much  to  hope  for  and  much  to  fear. 
In  Washington  people  are  trying  to  frighten  them  and  prevent 
them  from  seeing  the  President."   I  believe,  however,  that  they 

^''A  delegation  of  Potawatomi  chiefs  was  in  Washington  by  March  3, 
under  the  care  of  J.  T.  Douglass.  They  returned  late  in  the  month,  arriving 
at  Cincinnati  on  March  26.  There  is  no  record  of  their  interview  with 
President  Van  Buren  other  than  Menominee's  statement  "that  when  at 
Washington  last  winter  he  heard  the  President  say,  that  no  white  men  had 
any  right  to  come  upon  their  land  until  they  had  ceded  it  to  the  Government." 
J.  T.  Douglass  to  Carey  A.  Harris,  February  4,  March  13  and  26,  1838,  Indian 
Office,  Letters  Received,  Indiana  and  Miscellaneous ;  Abel  C.  Pepper  to 
Harris,  May  5,  1838,  Indian  Office,  Letters  Received,  Potawatomi. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  61 

have  seen  him,  introduced  by  a  friend  of  Monseigneur's  for 
whom  I  endorsed,  for  the  benefit  of  the  chiefs,  a  recommen- 
dation which  Monseigneur  had  personally  given  me.  We  shall 
soon  know  the  result.  I  have  put  them  under  the  Holy  Virgin's 
protection  on  the  day  of  the  presentation,  and  I  intend,  if  they 
remain,  to  give  the  name  of  Notre  Dame  of  the  Presentation  to 
the  mission.  Fiat  voluntas  tua.'"^  That  is  all  I  can  say,  al- 
though I  deeply  desire  that  such  a  cup  pass  far  from  me,  if 
possible.  I  accept  the  bitterness  of  it,  however,  and  every  day 
I  offer  it  to  God  for  them  and  for  me. 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  M.  Frangois  among  the  In- 
dians; he  was  charmed  with  the  few  he  saw.  After  the  con- 
fessions at  the  beginning  of  Lent  nearly  all  of  them  departed 
for  their  sugar  works,  which  they  will  leave  only  in  time  for 
Easter.  My  heart  is  proudly  Indian,  and  they  themselves  love 
me  well,  too.  It  is  strange  how  God  disposes  all  things  through 
His  providence :  on  this  trip  I  gave  advice  to  the  sick,  grand- 
mother's advice;  I  prescribed  bread-crumb  poultices,  applica- 
tions of  soap  and  sugar,  and  I  am  a  great  doctor  among  them. 
I  took  Father  Francois  to  see  them  in  their  rush  huts,  and  he 
was  very  much  surprised  to  hear  me  chat  with  them  without  an 
interpreter,  as  well  as  sing  Indian  hymns  during  his  Mass.  I 
am  astonished  myself  sometimes.  I  have  a  father's  yearning 
for  them,  and  I  feel  oppressed  by  a  profound  anguish  when- 
ever I  think  of  seeing  them  forced  to  depart,  perhaps  without 
a  priest :  a  thousand  Christians  deprived  of  those  sacraments 
and  that  word  of  God  which  they  love  so  much,  in  a  country 
where  false  ministers  are  already  preparing  their  batteries  un- 
der the  guise  of  religion  to  take  possession  of  the  money  the 
Indians  will  receive  for  many  years  yet. 

My  health  has  been  spared  colds  this  winter ;  I  have  a  slight 
temperature,  but  I  am  taking  pills  and  it  is  improving.  The 
worst  of  my  situation  is  that,  having  one  day  come  very  fast 
from  Chichipe  to  South  Bend  in  very  severe  cold  without 
underdrawers,  I  received  saddle  sores.  Forced  to  return  with- 
out getting  well,  I  bruised  my  haunches.  As  a  result  of  this  I 
was  obliged  to  hear  confessions  standing  eight  days  in  succes- 

'^hy  will  be  done. 


62  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

sion,  without  ever  sitting  down  with  any  comfort.  Thank  the 
Lord  this  is  better  now,  and  this  journey  did  not  injure  me 
too  much.^^ 

The  day  after  tomorrow  I  depart  for  Turkey  Creek 
Prairie,  forty  miles  in  the  general  direction  of  Fort  Wayne ; 
I  am  to  conduct  a  funeral  service  there  and  give  a  little  ex- 
planation of  our  holy  faith.  I  hope  my  posterior  parts  will  not 
suffer  too  much  from  it. 

M.  Coquillard,  who  has  just  arrived  from  Fort  Wayne,  told 
me  that  they  want  me  there  very  much.  There  are  those  who 
complain  of  M.  Mueller,  and  they  would  like  to  tell  me  about 
it.  I  feel  no  need  or  desire  to  interfere.  M.  Mueller,  I  trust, 
with  God's  aid,  will  triumph  over  this  dissatisfaction  by  his 
firmness  and  his  conduct ;  may  God  help  him !  I  myself  am  too 
young  to  interfere  in  this;  I  can,  however,  write  him  what  I 
think.     Should  I? 

As  to  France,  let  them  marry,  run  about,  dance,  die  (that 
is  the  world  as  I  knew  it  when  I  was  young  and  a  Frenchman)  ; 
I  scarcely  bother  myself  about  it  any  longer,  now  that  I  am  old 
and  an  Indian.  Yet  I  still  deeply  desire  that  the  Good  Lord 
will  bless  them  and  preserve  the  gift  of  the  faith  which  is  so 
precious  in  them.  May  they  become  less  guilty  of  the  abuse 
of  so  many  favors  before  God. 

Farewell,  dear  and  respected  friend.  My  homage  to  Mon- 
seigneur  and  respectful  greetings  to  all. 

Entirely  yours  with  respect  and  devotion, 

B.  Petit 
Ptre.  Mre. 

Will  you  request  for  me  from  France  a  good  ordinary 
alarm  watch  with  a  double  case,  also  the  theological  dictionary 
by  Bergier?'*  My  little  watch  is  always  at  variance  with  the 
sun ;  I  never  know  which  will  win  out  in  the  end.  Nin  Muckah- 
taokonia  Chichipe  Outipe  angenickaso  gatamikoa  tchdiai  Muc- 
katahokonia  AutcJmkpock  Kick.  I,  the  Black  Robe,  called  the 
"duck's  head,"  I  greet  all  the  Black  Robes  from  the  mouth  to 
the  source  (Vincennes). 

"Petit  left  Chichipe  Outipe  for  South  Bend  on  February  lo.  He  re- 
turned on  February  26. 

"Nicholas  Sylvestre  Bergier  (1715-1890),  French  theologian. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  63 

[Addressed:]  To  the  Very  Revd.  C.  de  la  Hailandiere 
Pastor  of  the  Catholic  congregation  Vincennes,  (Knox  Cty). 
Indiana. 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  April  i,  1838 

[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA^s] 

South  Bend,  i  April,  1838. 

MONSEIGNEUR, 

I  conclude,  from  the  last  letter  I  received  from  M.  de  la 
Hailandiere,  that  by  today  you  are  back  from  your  journey 
(may  it  have  been  good  for  your  precious  health!).  That  is 
why  I  am  addressing  you  this  letter,  in  which  my  inexperience 
consults  you  for  decisions  it  needs  to  make. 

I  baptized  an  American  woman  married  to  a  French  Cath- 
olic— that  is,  nonpracticing  Catholic.  I  wanted  to  have  him 
come  to  confession  in  order  to  marry  them ;  I  did  not  succeed, 
and,  when  his  wife  told  him  to  come  to  me,  he  said,  "No." 
Should  I,  notwithstanding  his  refusal,  ignore  it  and  give  them 
nuptial  benediction  for  the  sake  of  the  wife,  a  Catholic  today 
and  very  well  disposed? 

Last  week  I  took  a  little  journey:^**  I  went  to  Leesburg, 
forty  miles  away,  to  preach  at  the  funeral  of  a  poor  Mary- 
land Catholic^^  who,  when  dying,  asked  for  this.  His  whole 
family  is  Catholic,  but  for  twenty-two  years  they  have  not 
seen  a  priest ;  I  also  found  there  an  Irishman^-  and  his  fam- 
ily and  a  Frenchman,  all  of  whom  are  Catholic.  My  coming 
was  known  in  the  region,  and  a  large  and  brilliant  assemblage 
gathered  at  the  home  of  the  deceased.  At  the  appointed  time 
I  arrived  by  horse  and  proceeded  to  bless  the  grave ;  then  I 
betook  myself  to  a  large  house,  where  some  seats  were  pro- 
vided. Everybody  around  me  was  Protestant  except  my  Irish- 
man and  my  Frenchman.  I  knelt,  and  after  a  brief  prayer  I 
was  much  amazed  to  find  myself  speaking  to  them  with  such 
ease.    It  was  as  if  the  voice  of  the  deceased  had  called  upon  me 

"The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 

""See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  125. 

*^Mr.  Norris.     See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  125. 

'^Probably  Mr.  Horan.    See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  125. 


64  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

to  justify  the  faith  he  had  always  professed:  condemnation  of 
private  interpretation,  authority,  the  estabUshed  precept  of 
Jesus  Christ,  unity  of  doctrine,  the  Hne  of  succession  in  the 
apostoHc  mission,  the  cross,  images,  invocation  of  saints,  re- 
mission of  sins,  confessions  (they  said  M.  Coquillard  gets  a 
license  every  year  for  lOO  dollars  to  do  everything  he  pleases 
during  the  year  without  jeopardizing  his  soul!),  purgatory, 
prayer  for  the  dead.  In  the  heat  of  my  conclusion  I  asked  the 
audience  to  pray  for  the  deceased,  to  join  their  prayers  to 
mine :  was  I  not  wrong  to  speak  thus  to  Protestants  ?  It  was 
not  well  considered;  I  said  it  inadvertently.  When  I  was  com- 
ing to  a  close,  an  old  man,  his  temples  sparsely  covered  with 
gray  hair,  with  an  inward  and  remorseful  expression,  began  to 
groan,  "Oh,  Lord!"   That  made  me  end  at  once, 

I  saw  there  several  savages,  not  of  the  faith,  drinking  and 
sinning.  One  of  them  told  me  he  did  not  know  God  and  it 
was  indeed  good  to  drink;  he  had  just  received  a  knife  wound 
and  was  naked,  having  only  his  girdle  and  a  blanket  on  his 
back.  He  made  fun  of  me.  I  spoke  with  another,  who 
did  not  like  to  drink,  but  he  was  a  gambler;  I  gave  him  a 
shilling  for  tobacco  and  he  promised  me  he  would  come  to 
confession  at  Chichipe.  Some  drunken  Indian  women  came 
there;  I  did  not  speak  to  them.  You  will  not  understand — I 
myself  do  not  know  why — my  heart  was  so  sick  when  I  saw 
them  act  so  badly.  The  good  Lord  has  made  me  so  full  of  pity 
for  them  that,  although  I  had  never  seen  them  before,  when  I 
realized  what  a  sad  plight  they  were  in  and  that  they  needed 
only  a  priest  and  a  little  time  to  make  them  as  good  as  my  poor 
little  children,  I  wept  bitterly  for  them  in  my  soul.  They  have 
souls,  too,  and  redemption  is  for  them,  too.  I  assure  you  that 
they  understood  me  well  although  they  had  never  heard  me  be- 
fore. Some  say  I  shall  speak  passable  Indian  in  three  months. 
All  I  know  is  that  I  love  them  much,  I  love  their  language, 
and  I  pray  the  good  Lord  to  bless  me  as  an  instrument  for 
their  salvation :  that  is  my  sole  desire.  May  His  holy  will  be 
accomplished  in  me ;  I  am  too  happy  when  I  consider  my  busy 
life,  and  at  the  present  moment  I  dare  to  hope  I  shall  be 
carrying  out  the  intentions  of  His  Providence. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  65 

On  my  way  back  I  said  Mass  with  a  German  family  at 
Goshen;  there  I  baptized  a  child  of  this  Lutheran,  to  whom 
I  believe  you  spoke  on  your  journey  last  spring  with  regard 
to  the  baptism  of  his  children. 

I  have  begun  my  Easter  labors ;  I  shall  indeed  be  busy. 

I  have  the  honor,  Monseigneur,  to  offer  you  the  homage 
of  the  very  respectful  and  submissive  devotion  of  your  son 
and  priest, 

B.  Petit 
Ptre.  Mre. 

My  health,  Monseigneur,  is  very  good. 

No  news  from  Washington,  except  that  our  business  is 
under  consideration  and  they  are  attending  to  it.  What  will  be 
the  outcome  ?    I  wait  and  pray. 

[Addressed :]  To  the  Right  Revd.  Bishop  Brute  Vincennes 
(Knox  Cty.)  Indiana 

Petit  to  His  Family,  April  4,  1838*^ 
[Translated  from  Annates,  XI  (1838-39),  No.  lxv,  389-91] 

My  cherished  home  now  is  my  Indians'  village.  There  I 
have  a  grand  habitation  built  of  entire  logs  placed  one  above 
the  other;  in  more  than  one  spot  we  can  see  daylight  through 
the  walls.  My  fireplace  would  be  large  enough  to  contain  a 
quarter  of  a  cord  of  wood.  I  don't  walk  on  rugs,  but  on  planks 
which,  not  being  fastened,  tremble  underfoot  like  piano  keys 
under  a  musician's  fingers.  At  night  I  throw  a  mat  with  two 
coverlets  down  on  them — one  above,  the  other  beneath  me — 
and  I  sleep  on  this  poor  bed  as  well  as  I  should  on  the  most 
sumptuous  couch  in  the  world. 

Last  week  I  had  to  go  to  Turkey  Creek  to  preach  at  the 
grave  of  a  poor  Catholic  who  died  without  having  seen  a 
priest  for  twenty  years  at  least.  There  were  only  two  Catholic 
families  in  that  region — all  the  rest  were  Protestant.  The 
gathering  was  large;  the  Methodist  ministers  had  come  there. 
Obliged  to  preach  in  English,  I  was  afraid  of  being  nervous. 
But  God  takes  pity  on  us,  and  more  than  once  I  proved  the 

**The  date  of  this  letter  is  given  in  the  Annales  as  April  4,  1838.  Under 
April  10,  Petit's  Journal  mentions  a  "letter  to  France." 


(£  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

force  of  Jesus  Christ's  promise :  "Take  no  thought  how  or 
what  ye  shall  speak :  for  it  shall  be  given  you  in  that  same 
hour  what  ye  shall  speak. "^*  I  knelt  in  a  corner  of  a  large  room 
filled  with  benches,  addressed  a  brief  prayer  to  God,  recited  an 
Ave  Maria;  and  then,  having  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  I 
spoke  about  an  hour — completely  at  my  ease.  It  was  the  voice 
of  the  dead  man  justifying  the  faith  he  had  professed  in  life — 
condemnation  of  private  interpretation,  the  divine  institution 
of  authority,  the  uninterrupted  mission  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
unity  of  doctrine,  and,  finally,  a  reply  to  the  numerous  calum- 
nies spread  against  us.  The  nomadic  life  of  the  missionary  is 
entirely  designed  to  remove  him  from  worldly  desires.  It  is  in 
living  thus — always  going  from  place  to  place — that  one  feels 
one's  self  only  a  passer-by  on  the  earth.  Never  have  I  had  more 
freedom  of  spirit.  I  believe  I  can  truly  say  that  I  wish  to  die, 
if  God  wills  it,  without  ever  having  felt  tired  of  life.  Amidst 
these  labors  my  health  seems  to  become  fortified.  Well,  per- 
haps forty  years  of  this  mission,  and  then  heaven!  Perhaps 
not  even  forty  days,  and  then  heaven !  I  accept  willingly  one 
or  the  other — it  matters  little  which — provided  I  am  in  good 
favor  with  God.  .   .    . 

I  now  face  the  sad  prospect  of  my  Indian  mission's  early 
destruction,  and  it  is  like  a  dark  background  to  the  picture  of 
my  present  life.  I  begin,  however,  to  feel  more  resigned.  A 
trip  to  Washington,  with  pressing  protestations  to  the  Presi- 
dent, has  been  without  effect.  My  poor  Indians  have  only  one 
chance  left.**^  Will  they  succeed?  God  knows.  As  for  me,  I 
must  dry  their  tears  when  they  go  into  exile — I  must  destroy 
the  altar  and  the  church,  lay  low  the  cross  which  stands  on 
their  graves,  in  order  to  spare  the  sacred  articles  from  profana- 

"Matthew  10:19. 

*^Petit  perhaps  means  that  the  Indians  might  defend  their  claims  in  the 
courts.  John  Tipton,  in  his  report  to  Governor  Wallace,  wrote:  "The 
Indians  were  under  the  influence  of  bad  counsel  from  different  sources. 
They  were  owing  large  debts  to  the  traders,  who  opposed  the  emigration  of 
the  Indians  before  their  debts  were  paid  or  secured.  Some  were  anxious  to 
keep  them  where  they  were,  hoping  to  obtain,  with  ease,  a  part  of  the  money 
paid  them  as  annuity.  Lawyers,  I  am  told,  advised  Me-no-mi-nee  to  keep 
possession,  and  defend  his  claim  to  the  reserve  in  our  courts."  No  such  steps 
were  taken.    Indiana  Senate  Journal,  1838-39,  pp.  727-2>o.    See  post,  p.  81. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  67 

tion,  and  then  I  must  say  farewell  to  those  whom  I  love  and 
who  love  me  so  much,  never  to  see  them  again!  And  these 
Christian  souls  will  waste  away  without  the  aid  of  the  sacra- 
ments of  which  they  partook  with  such  love,  and  languish 
under  a  strange  sky  where  I,  their  father,  probably  cannot 
follow  them. 

Ah,  I  shall  do  everything  possible  to  keep  from  abandon- 
ing them !  If  they  leave,  I  want  to  go  with  them  at  least  as  far 
as  the  Jesuit  missions  on  the  Mississippi,  which  have  not  yet 
become  active.^"  And  meanwhile  many  of  my  Christians,  my 
children,  will  die  without  a  priest  to  absolve  them.  God  alone 
knows  all  my  heartaches — for  three  months  I  have  been  seeking 
to  know  and  do  His  just  and  merciful  will  in  regard  to  all  this. 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  May  26,  1838 

[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA87] 

South  Bend,  26  May,  1838. 

MONSEIGNEUR, 

I  have  gone  longer  than  usual  without  giving  you  an  ac- 
count of  my  time,  but  I  have  been  so  busy  celebrating  Easter 
with  those  whom  my  heart  loves  so  much  to  call  my  children, 
that  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  a  moment  to  do  it. 

I  departed  for  Chichipe  Outipe  on  Tuesday  of  Holy  Week ; 
I  had  celebrated  Easter  at  South  Bend  and  Bertrand  the  pre- 
vious weeks.  From  Wednesday  of  Holy  Week  until  the  fourth 
Sunday  after  Easter  inclusive,  we  heard  confessions  constantly 
from  morning  until  evening,  hardly  having  time  to  eat.  In  all 
that  time  I  had  respite  only  when  I  was  called  to  visit  the  sick, 
once  on  the  Tippecanoe  and  again  at  South  Bend,  when  it  was 
Mme.  Coquillard's  sister.^^  She  was  the  first  person  I  have 
seen  die.  She  heard  and  understood  me  until  the  end ;  the  good 
Lord  helped  me.  An  impressive  burial,  a  funeral  sermon  before 
an  audience  wholly  Protestant  (or  at  least  largely  Protestant), 
Catholic  burial  in  the  Catholic  cemetery  which  I  laid  out  on 
your  land  at  the  lake. 

"See  ante,  pp.  50-5 in. 

"The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 
"Mrs.  John  A.  Hendricks,  a  half-sister  of  Mme.  Coquillard.    Chapman, 
History  of  St.  Joseph  County,  p.  502. 


68  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

The  number  of  communions  was  208.  I  cannot  tell  you  the 
number  of  baptisms  and  marriages,  having  left  my  list  at 
Chichipe;  it  was  large, ^®  and  a  good  number  had  hearts  fully 
receptive  to  grace.  I  had  the  happiness  of  baptizing  an  Ameri- 
can Baptist  woman  of  the  vicinity.  After  every  kind  of  op- 
position and  contradiction  on  the  part  of  her  husband,  she  fi- 
nally obtained  an  indirect  consent,  of  which  we  took  advantage. 

On  May  14  I  departed  with  Mile,  Campeau  for  Pokagon's. 
There  from  the  i6th  until  the  24th  inclusive  we  heard  confes- 
sions and  preached ;  there  I  heard  my  first  confession  without 
an  interpreter :  only  one  word  was  troublesome  to  understand, 
and  my  exhortation  was  very  well  understood.  I  understand 
almost  everything  now,  and  I  myself  ask  the  ordinary  ques- 
tions. The  number  of  communions  was  63,  baptisms  15,®° 
and  marriages  5. 

All  these  Indians,  or  most  of  them,  have  settled  on  their 
own  land,  pay  taxes,  and  enjoy  general  esteem  and  confidence. 
I  saw  an  American  who,  knowing  Pokagon  was  departing  for 
Bertrand,  handed  him  some  money  to  pay  his  debts  there  with- 
out taking  a  receipt.     They  work  quite  wonderfully. 

The  number  of  Catholics  has  increased  considerably.  A 
German  of  the  vicinity  proposes  to  add  his  own  personal  sub- 
scription®^ of  1,000  piasters  (others  say  500)  to  M.  Coquil- 
lard's  generous  one.  A  good  number  of  Irishmen  told 
M.  Coquillard  recently  that,  if  I  came  to  South  Bend,  they 
would  proceed  to  settle  in  the  neighborhood;  that,  if  I  went  to 
the  Yellow  River,  they  would  settle  there :  for  them  no  reason 
exists  for  this  decision  other  than  proximity  to  a  priest  and 
the  Church. 

Such,  Monseigneur,  is  a  brief  sketch  of  the  present  condi- 
tion of  the  immense  mission  confided  to  the  care  of  your  poor 
young  priest.  To  say  we  are  tired  would  be  quite  easy,  but  the 
good  Lord  gives  us  strength.     When  we  went  to  Pokagon's, 

"According  to  the  Baptismal  Register  Petit  performed  twenty-seven 
baptisms  at  Chichipe  Outipe  during  the  months  of  April  and  May.     Post, 

pp.  138-39. 

""Eighteen  baptisms  and  four  marriages  are  recoraed.     See  post,  p.  139. 
"To  the  Church. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  69 

the  labor  of  the  journey  brought  us  out  of  our  seclusion  of  five 
weeks,  and  we  rested  by  working  again. 

Remember  Demoiselle  Campeau  is  72  years  old,  thanks 
to  the  Lord. 

We  shall  take  eight  days'  rest®^  at  South  Bend  and  then 
return  to  celebrate  the  feast  of  the  Pentecost®^  with  the  Indians. 
We  need  a  little  rest,  however,  and  I  am  invited  to  take  it  with 
a  Frenchman  who  is  married  to  a  rich  Indian  woman,  formerly 
one  of  my  children.  I  shall  stay  there  probably  for  several  days. 

Here  is  a  case  to  decide :  an  Indian  woman  lived  five  years 
with  an  American  who  was  not  baptized  or  Protestant;  she 
fell  ill ;  Mile.  Campeau  privately  baptized  her  on  condition  that 
she  leave  this  man.  She  recovered  and  returned  to  him; 
M.  Deseille  refused  her  admission  to  the  sacraments  and  to  the 
subsequent  ceremonies  of  baptism  as  long  as  she  stayed  with 
him.  Without  presuming  to  reflect  upon  the  opinions  of  those 
who  are  better  instructed  than  I  and  who  have  thought  dif- 
ferently, I  do  not  believe  this  should  be  required  of  this  woman 
(I  Cor.  7:13 :  "If  any  woman  have  a  husband  that  believeth 
not  and  he  consent  to  dwell  with  her,  let  her  not  put  away  her 
husband").  This  is  all  the  more  true  because  this  woman  has 
not  only  not  declined  her  duties  as  a  Christian  but  even  urges 
him  to  perform  them.  There  is  one  obstacle  to  reinstatement, 
however,  and  that  is  the  astonishment  others  would  feel  at  it ; 
but  a  false  scandal,  all  things  considered,  should  not  make  a 
soul  believe  she  has  an  illicit  connection  when  in  truth  she  has 
not.  This  is  my  opinion :  she  is  determined  to  leave  him  today ; 
if  he  is  unwilling  to  become  a  Christian  and  marry,  I  do  not 
think  I  have  the  right  to  impose  the  obligation  upon  him. 
Quid  jurisr* 

There  is  no  bis  in  idem^^  in  the  fifty  per  cent  incurred  by 
the  delinquency  in  the  tax  payment  and  the  100%  interest  per 
year.  One  is  for  the  mere  fact  of  delinquency  in  tax  payment ; 
the  other  is  for  the  greater  or  lesser  delinquency  in  tax  pay- 
ment and  the   penalty  incurred — two  very  different  things. 

•*He  actually  took  only  five.   See  his  Journal,  post,  p.  126. 
**Pentecost  this  year  occurred  on  June  3. 
•*What  is  the  law? 
^'Double  application. 


70  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

However,  I  have  the  proper  receipt;  if  there  was  any  error, 
I  could  get  my  money  back. 

I  am  going  to  be  obliged  to  employ  the  sheriff  and  the  law 
against  an  American  who  has  cut  some  wood  on  your  land  at 
the  lake.  However,  I  want  to  speak  to  him  politely  first:  if 
he  will  pay  willingly,  well  and  good ;  if  not,  I  shall  use  authority. 
After  all,  we  must  stop  the  depredations.  Apparently  I  like 
lawsuits — what  do  you  think,  Monseigneur  ?  I  thought  I  didn't. 

I  lent  the  savages  the  200-dollar  bill  which  you  had  given 
me  to  go  to  Washington ;  they  needed  it  for  their  own  journey, 
and,  as  you  had  intended  it  to  be  spent  for  them,  I  thought  I 
would  be  carrying  out  your  intention  thus.  If  I  am  mistaken, 
scold  me ;  perhaps  I  deserve  it. 

Monseigneur,  it  is  in  no  wise  for  the  purpose  of  objecting 
to  or  of  obstructing  your  decision  concerning  me,  but  this  is 
what  I  ought  to  submit  for  your  consideration :  the  emigration 
of  the  savages  is  far  from  having  been  decided  upon ;  even  in 
case  the  agents  succeed  in  what  they  are  attempting,  a  large 
number  of  Christians  will  remain  on  lands  they  still  possess ; 
the  affair  of  the  treaty  will  be  pleaded  before  a  judge,®®  and 
perhaps,  who  knows?  the  mission  will  go  on.  In  any  case  they 
do  not  want  to  leave,  and  the  government's  orders  are  not  to 
use  force ;  so  a  good  number  will  still  remain  scattered  through- 
out the  country  on  farms  they  will  buy.  Mile.  Campeau  is  old 
and  becoming  tired :  she  speaks  of  returning  to  her  beautiful 
lands,  for  you  know  (and  this  increases  the  value  of  her  de- 
votion) that  she  is  very  rich.  We  have  both  got  on  very  well, 
and  she  likes  me  very  much ;  if  I  leave,  she  vnW  leave,  too.  Then 
how  shall  we  give  all  these  Christian  Indians  (no  longer 
savage :  they  are  less  so  than  most  of  these  coarse  American 
woodsmen)  the  help  of  religion?  Consider  also  that  without 
my  being  able  to  do  serious  work  among  them  the  good  Lord 
has  in  a  few  months  given  me  knowledge  of  a  part  of  their 
language,  the  favor  of  making  myself  understood  in  many 
ways,  and  a  good  Indian  pronunciation :  I  read  and  write  their 
language  sufficiently  to  be  well  understood  and  read  by  them, 
and  everybody  says  that  before  winter  I  shall  be  able  to  dis- 
pense with  an  interpreter  at  all  confessions;  they  themselves 

""See  ante,  p.  66n. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  71 

show  their  astonishment  at  this.  I,  too,  am  very  much  sur- 
prised that  I  am  able  to  express  my  ideas  in  this  language, 
which,  moreover,  I  love  very  much  and  which  is  very  musical. 
They  say  that  in  a  year  I  shall  speak  good  Indian ;  thus  I  would 
become,  if  God  wills  it,  an  Indian  missionary.  This  is  all  the 
more  strange  because  in  the  few  months  I  have  spent  here  sev- 
eral long  intervals  have  occurred  without  my  saying  a  single 
word  in  Indian ;  sometimes  I  remained  an  entire  month  at 
South  Bend.  My  temperament  agrees  with  theirs,  and  remem- 
ber (I  must  tell  you  everything),  I  am  more  Indian  than  any 
of  the  priests  I  know.  An  old  woman  said  to  me  a  short  time 
ago,  "I  am  sad,  Father ;  I  think  perhaps  you  will  go  away  soon 
to  the  great  Black  Robe  and  we  shall  see  you  no  more."  "If 
my  chief  desires  it,  I  must  obey:  I  am  not  my  own  master. 
But  God  will  send  you  another  French  father  in  my  place." 
"Yes,"  she  told  me,  "he  would  be  a  Frenchman,  but  you  are 
already  a  Potawatomi  and  soon  will  be  nothing  but  a 
Potawatomi." 

There  are,  Monseigneur,  many  little  things  one  must  over- 
look in  them,  in  regard  to  the  amenities  of  life,  and  to  scorn 
these  amenities  readily  is  to  have  seen  the  emptiness  of  the 
world.  A  missionary  entrusted  with  them  must  also  under- 
stand a  little  about  business,  for  he  is  their  father  in  everything. 
The  good  Lord  makes  me  feel  the  sweet  joy  of  serving  Him, 
and  sometimes  my  heart  overflows  with  joy  and  my  eyes  with 
sweet  tears  as  I  think  of  my  happy  fate. 

I  believe,  Monseigneur,  I  ought  to  tell  you  all  this,  but  do 
not  think,  I  beg  you,  that  I  am  any  the  less  submissive  to  Your 
Reverence's  decisions,  whatever  they  may  be. 

With  respect  and  submission,  your  son  and  priest, 

B.  Petit. 

In  regard  to  M.  Badin's  tax,  I  cannot  pay  it,  not  knowing 
his  section  numbers  exactly;  if  you  can  send  them  to  me,  I  shall 
be  able  to  pay  it.  A  good  part  of  the  land  has  not  yet  been 
taxed,  and  taxes  on  the  rest  of  it  amount  to  only  3  dollars. 
There  is  no  danger  in  a  little  delay,  and  then  I  shall  certainly 
pay  without  the  risk  of  paying  for  another;  in  such  a  case 
there  is  no  recourse,  the  money  being  immediately  used  for 
schools. 


72  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

I  have  seen  the  law  regarding  paid  taxes  and  regarding  the 
bis  in  idem  of  Judge  Moore^" :  the  law  and  the  Judge  are  not 
of  the  same  opinion. 

The  agent  who  is  coming  to  get  the  Indians  is  the  son-in- 
law  of  the  Baptist  Missionary,  McCoy®* ;  he  says  there  are  some 
French  priests  down  there.  What  priests  can  they  be? — with- 
out mission,  without  means  of  making  money  (you  will  know 
the  facts  better  than  I).  The  priest  might  be  a  Frenchman 
from  the  diocese  of  Bardstown.  Who  sent  him  there?  In 
manus  Domini  commendo  me  et  nieas  oves. 

[Addressed :]  To  the  Right  Rd.  Bishop  Brute  Vincennes 
(Knox  Cty.)  Indiana 

Petit  to  His  Family,  May  31,  1838 

[Translated  from  Annates,  XI  (1838-39),  No.  xlv,  391] 

I  have  gone  longer  than  usual  without  writing  to  you,  but 
it  was  Easter  time,  and  the  poor  missionary  was  burdened 
with  work.  .    .    . 

First,  I  have  celebrated  Easter  at  Bertrand  in  Michigan, 
then  at  South  Bend.  After  this  I  left  for  Chichipe  Outipe, 
where  for  five  weeks  I  heard  confession  from  morning  to 
evening  without  any  rest  other  than  two  visits  to  sick  people"® 
forty  miles  distant  from  each  other.  Thence  I  had  to  bear 
ministerial  consolation  to  Chief  Pokagon,  sixty  miles  from 
Chichipe  Outipe,  in  Michigan.  Perhaps  you  think  missionaries 
aro  saints,  but  I  shall  admit  to  you  that  all  this  time  I  scarcely 
ever  could  say  a  prayer.  Confessions  finished  and  the  breviary 
told,  I  fell  asleep  on  my  mat.  Fortunately  my  sleep  is  always 
like  that  of  a  child — calm,  refreshing,  and  without  interruption. 
Truly — and  this  thought  consoles  me — the  day's  fatigue  was 
all  for  the  glory  of  the  good  Lord,  to  whom  I  gave  myself  en- 
tirely; He  is  good  enough  to  accept  it  as  a  continual  prayer. 

"Unidentified. 

^'William  Poike,  a  brother-in-law,  not  a  son-in-law  of  Isaac  McCoy, 
was  to  conduct  this  emigrating  party.  During  1824  and  1825  he  had  been 
associated  with  Carey  Mission  and  later  was  a  teacher  among  the  Ottawa. 
McCoy,  History  of  Baptist  Indian  Missions,  pp.  205,  213-17,  224,  258-59. 

^A  sick  woman  at  Benack's  home  on  the  Tippecanoe  and  Mrs.  John  A. 
Hendricks  at  South  Bend.   See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  126. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  73 

It  would  be  a  continual  sacrifice  for  him  who  could  render  it 
well.  Yet  there  are  still  many  moments  when,  in  spite  of  the 
weariness  of  soul  which  fatigue  brings,  my  heart  is  filled  with 
joy  and  my  eyes  are  moist  with  sweet  tears — it  is  so  good  to 
be  in  a  world  where  one  has  nothing  to  do  but  work  for  God ! 
Thanks  to  Thee,  my  Lord ! 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  June  20  and  23,  1838 

[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDAi] 

20  June,  1838,  Chichipe  Outipe 

MONSEIGNEUR, 

I  am  taking  advantage  of  one  of  the  first  leisure  moments 
I  have  been  able  to  find  in  a  long  time  to  inform  you  of  the 
blessings  which  the  good  Lord  has  bestowed  upon  the  mission 
entrusted  to  your  child.  Since  Easter  the  number  of  baptisms 
at  Chichipe  Outipe  has  been  83  and  at  Pokagon's  15.^  I  gave 
you  the  number  of  communions  at  the  Chichipe  Outipe  mission 
at  Easter  time ;  since  the  feast  of  the  Pentecost  there  have 
been  166  here.  Another  thing  which  doubtless  will  surprise 
you  is  that  today,  to  the  Indians'  great  satisfaction,  I  am  hear- 
ing- confessions  without  an  interpreter,  understanding  their 
language  rather  well  and  speaking  it  sufficiently  to  give  them 
advice  and  question  them.  I  began  at  the  Pentecost:  I  had 
asked  this  favor  of  the  good  Lord  on  that  great  day.  Mile. 
Campeau's  great  fatigue  induced  me  to  try,  and  I  saw  that 
they  understood  me  and  I  understood  them  better  than  I 
thought  I  could.  The  good  Lord  indeed  helps  missionaries;  I 
am  very  glad,  for  the  idea  of  an  interpreter  is  quite  incongruous. 

I  had  the  happiness  of  easing  at  death  a  young  Indian  girl 
who  had  been  sick  for  four  years,  and  I  was  much  exalted  by 
the  beautiful  signs  which  she  made  with  all  the  ardor  of  a  saint 
at  the  least  word  of  mine.  She  understood  me  well;  I  com- 
forted her  in  her  death  agony. 

Since  that  time  I  have  had  to  baptize  an  Indian  forty  miles 
from  here  on  the  Eel  River,^  and  there  too  I  heard  confessions 

*The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 
"See  ante,  p.  68. 

*At  the  village  of  the  Potawatomi  chief,  Louison  (Weeson,  Wesaw). 
See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  126. 


74  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

al!  the  time  I  was  there  from  morning  until  evening.  Every- 
body was  surprised,  including  me,  to  hear  me  speak  Indian. 

A  French  lady*  whose  confession  I  heard  at  Christmas 
thne  came  eighty  miles  to  spend  a  day  here,  along  with  her 
son  and  two  young  daughters,  whom  she  had  prepared  for 
their  first  communion.  I  had  heard  all  their  confessions  last 
Christmas  at  Bertrand,  where  they  had  come  for  the  festivities. 
They  were  much  edified  by  the  Indians,  and  the  Indians  by 
them.  After  spending  a  day  and  a  half  with  us,  they  left 
weeping.  The  charity  with  which  the  Indians  welcome  Catho- 
lics who  come  to  pray  with  them  from  time  to  time  is  an  edify- 
ing thing.  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  see  their  fraternal  affection 
in  Jesus  Christ ;  their  hearts  are  indeed  under  the  influence 
of  grace. 

St.  Mary  of  the  Lake,  23  June :  Upon  arriving  yesterday  I 
found  your  good  and  respected  letter  dated  May  25.  I  think 
you  have  received  the  one  I  myself  wrote  to  you  dated  May  26^ 
and  that  excess  of  work  will  have  excused  my  silence. 

I  felt  something  in  my  heart  which  announced  to  me  the 
decision  you  have  made  for  me,  and  every  day  at  High  Mass 
I  prayed  the  good  Lord  to  explain  your  decision  for  His  glory 
and  our  salvation.  The  good  Lord  treats  me  like  a  spoiled 
child;  I  have  been  thus  favored  all  my  life.  It  is  truly  a  bless- 
ing to  be  placed  in  the  midst  of  souls  like  these,  and  the  ties 
of  the  ministry  are  like  family  ties;  not  that  there  are  no  diffi- 
culties (they  have  to  exist  everywhere),  but  the  consolations 
outweigh  them. 

Now  to  business.  First :  a  man  and  a  woman  are  living 
together;  the  man  is  baptized,  and  his  wife  had  been  earlier. 
M.  Deseille  told  him  to  tell  his  wife  to  come  so  that  they  might 
get  married.  He  did  not  tell  his  wife,  and  she  knew  nothing 
about  it  until  much  later ;  then  she  said  to  him,  "Well,  let's  go 
and  get  married."  "No,"  replied  he.  "I  will  not  marry  you." 
Am  I  to  consider  his  continued  cohabitation  as  an  implicit  mar- 
riage, or  his  silence  and  then  his  refusal  to  be  married  as  a 
proof  of  lack  of  consent  since  his  baptism?  "I  can  take  an- 
other wife,"  he  reasons;  "I  am  not  married.  '     As  long  as  he 

*Mme.  Mouton.    See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  127. 
°See  ante,  pp.  67-72. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  75 

was  not  married  before  a  priest,  he  has  never  considered  him- 
self bound;  there  has  not  been,  therefore,  this  consent  which 
alone  can  bind.  I  tried  to  reunite  them,  to  reconcile  them :  it 
never  lasts  more  than  a  day,  and  a  bad  situation  is  certain  if 
they  are  married.  There  might  be  a  way  to  consider  them  not 
bound,  I  think ;  they  are  again  separated  now,  and  neither  one 
desires  a  reunion.  I  think  they  may  be  considered  free,  the 
consent  of  both  not  having  coexisted.  The  man  has  already 
taken  another  wife  and  lived  with  her  a  good  part  of  the  win- 
ter; as  soon  as  they  returned  to  the  mission  from  hunting,  I 
separated  them. 

Second:  an  unbeliever  becomes  disgusted  with  his  wife, 
puts  her  away,  and  takes  his  first  wife's  sister;  both  are  unbe- 
lievers. The  first  wife  is  afterwards  baptized;  he  has  been, 
too,  but  the  obligation  of  leaving  his  second  wife,  with  whom 
he  was  then  living,  was  imposed  upon  him  because  she  was  his 
sister-in-law.  Could  this  be  done?  He  was  able  to  take  her, 
being  an  unbeliever ;  could  he  be  forced  to  leave  her  when  he 
became  a  Christian?  She  has  a  numerous  family  by  him  and 
his  brother,  for  they  are  doubly  brothers-  and  sisters-in-law, 
the  two  sisters  having  at  the  outset  been  the  two  brothers' 
wives.  When  he  was  baptized,  it  was  a  long  time  after  he  had 
taken  his  sister-in-law  for  a  wife  (I  believe  it  was  five  or  six 
years),  and  he  had  completely  given  up  the  other.  He  wants 
a  wife,  but  he  doesn't  know  what  to  do.  No  one  will  separate 
him  from  the  one  he  wants  because  he  was  once  an  evildoer ; 
he  will  never  take  back  his  first  wife :  he  cannot  be  forced  to 
do  it.  He  had  left  her  a  long  time  before  his  baptism;  he 
separated  from  his  second  wife  out  of  obedience  when  he  was 
baptized,  but  he  would  like  to  take  her  back. 

You  ask  me  if  I  think  it  proper  for  you  to  come  and  give 
confirmation  at  Chichipe  Outipe  now.  As  you  say,  they  (the 
Americans)  would  say  you  were  coming  to  prevent  the  savages 
from  departing;  they  would  see  a  Catholic  attempt  at  high 
treason  in  it.  Soon,  I  hope — perhaps  in  September — I  shall 
welcome  you  here  more  peaceably. 

At  Washington  the  government  has  given  the  Indians  no 
answer;  apart  from  that  hope,  your  lands  are  lost.  But  the 
Indians  have  received  the  advice  of  people  of  the  highest  rank 


76  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

in  the  legislature,  and  they  are  following  it.  Their  case  will 
come  to  trial  and  will  be  heard  in  the  near  future  in  the  Federal 
Court  at  Indianapolis.  Their  lawyer  declares  stoutly  to  who- 
ever will  listen  that  the  savages  are  sure  of  winning.^ 

The  agent  in  charge  of  the  emigration^  is  now  on  the  scene, 
but  up  to  the  present  time  the  savages  have  paid  no  attention 
to  him :  they  farm  and  build  their  houses  under  his  very  eyes, 
driving  him  frantic.  "They  are  like  pillars :  there  is  no  way  to 
budge  them  from  their  homes,"  he  recently  said,  right  out  in 
public.  When  he  says  anything  to  them,  the  savages  reduce 
him  to  silence  in  short  order,  forcefully  and  spiritedly,  and 
they  declare  positively  that  they  will  not  go.  Some  savages 
came  from  the  Mississippi  and  told  them  it  was  better  to  be 
wretched  here  than  to  go  down  there,  where  one  dies  of  hunger 
and  where  the  land  produces  nothing.  Attempts  were  made  to 
bribe  them  to  say  it  was  fine :  they  refused  the  money  and  de- 
clared they  would  not  deceive  their  brothers. 

As  for  me,  this  is  my  situation :  the  first  individual  I  met 
at  the  mission  upon  returning  from  Pokagon's  was  the  agent. 
He  was  on  horseback  and  I  also.  "Are  you  the  gentleman  liv- 
ing at  the  chapel?"  "Yes,  sir."  "I  am  the  superintendent  of 
Indian  affairs."  A  nod  of  the  head  was  my  reply.  "I  shall 
come  to  see  you  one  of  these  days,  I  shall  be  here  for  some 
time,  sir." 

And  then  the  days  passed ;  he  didn't  come ;  finally  he  came. 
There  was  a  rather  large  number  of  savages  present.  He  sat 
down  on  the  threshold  of  a  little  house  in  the  yard,  his  inter- 
preter at  his  side ;  I  even  think  they  slept  there  for  some  time. 
Then  they  took  their  horses  again  and  departed  without  saying 
anything  to  anyone. 

The  third  time  he  came :  "Sir,  may  I  speak  to  you  for  a 
moment?"  "Yes,  sir."  Without  witnesses,  seated  on  a  block 
of  wood  at  the  end  of  the  chapel,  we  entered  into  conversation. 
"Sir,  am  I  to  consider  you  an  enemy  of  the  government,  in- 
terfering with  the  carrying  out  of  its  policy  here?"     "Not  in 

*See  ante,  p.  66n,  and  post,  p.  8i. 

''William  Polke.  By  June  28  between  four  and  five  hundred  Indians 
were  collected  near  Plymouth  in  preparation  for  the  emigration.  Logansport 
Herald,  June  28,  1838,  p.  3,  c.  i. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  ^^ 

the  least."  "Are  you  here  as  a  lawyer  or  as  the  minister  of 
a  religion  ?"  "It  is  true,  sir,  that  I  have  studied  and  practiced 
law,  but  today  I  am  a  priest  and  occupied  solely  with  my  min- 
istry; such  are  the  orders  I  have  received  from  my  Bishop,  and 
I  conform  to  them.  As  for  emigration,  I  have  never  said  any- 
thing for  or  against  it,  and  I  never  shall  say  anything;  I  leave 
such  things  alone.  As  for  acting  as  a  lawyer,  I  gave  that  up 
a  long  time  ago ;  I  shall  not  be  one  again  except  in  case  I  am 
personally  attacked  or  my  rights  are  challenged."  "Sir,  I  have 
accusations  against  you."  "I  know  that,  sir,  and  the  men  who 
accuse  me  are  the  same  men  who  accuse  Mile.  Campeau.  Well, 
a  month  ago,  in  the  presence  of  the  general  agent,®  one  of  them 
rose  and  said  he  had  witnesses  to  prove  that  Mile.  Campeau 
was  holding  them  back.  She  defied  him  publicly  to  produce 
them,  and  he  tried  to  do  it,  but  they  all  replied  to  him,  'I  don't 
know.'  And  yet  they  had  signed  the  accusation.  Such  are  the 
accusations  against  me;  you  know  them."  "Accordingly,  I 
deemed  it  more  proper  to  come  to  you  directly :  the  gentlemanly 
way  you  received  me  demanded  that,  sir;  and  from  the  first 
moment  I  saw  you  I  thought  there  was  too  much  good  sense 
in  your  head  for  you  to  be  the  man  these  people  describe." 
"You  have  done  well,  sir;  Col.  Pepper  was  obliged  to  repent 
having  been  too  hasty  last  year  with  M.  Deseille.  I  claim  as 
a  right  among  gentlemen  that  you  should  come  to  me  to  obtain 
the  explanations  which  these  people's  accusations  may  render 
necessary."  "Sir,  many  innocent  persons  are  persecuted  be- 
cause false  reports  deceive  government  officials.  As  for  us, 
we  have  no  intention  of  embarrassing  you  in  the  exercise  of 
your  ministry.  We  do  not  think  of  depriving  the  Indians  of 
it  as  long  as  they  remain  here."  "Sir,  that  is  a  right  which  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  guarantees  me."  "Are  you 
an  alien  or  a  citizen?"  "I  am  a  Frenchman."  "Well,  then,  it 
is  true,  not  being  subject  to  the  law,  you  cannot  be  punished, 
but  you  can  be  ejected  from  Indian  territory."  "Only  if  it 
were  proved  against  me  that  I  am  at  fault,  and  one  accusation 
is  not  enough."  "That  is  correct,  sir.  I  do  not  know,  sir,  why 
the  Indians  always  believe  we  are  lying."  "That  is  very  simple, 
sir.  During  the  last  few  years  ten  or  twelve  men  have  come 
'Colonel  Abel  C.  Pepper. 


78  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

who  have  so  grossly  lied  to  the  Indians  and  who  have  posed  as 
agents  that  today  the  Indians  naturally  believe  an  agent  is  a 
man  paid  to  deceive  them.  For  example,  M. ,  the  assist- 
ant agent,^  asked  me  to  make  an  announcement  to  the  Indians 
concerning  the  priest  they  v^^ere  to  obtain  to  accompany  them. 
I  did  not  think  I  should  take  what  he  told  me  seriously:  to 
some  he  says  one  thing  and  to  others  another."  "Sir,  perhaps 
there  is  a  way  to  reconcile  apparent  contradictions."  "Sir,  that 
is  what  he  told  me,  and  to  be  more  convincing  he  named  non- 
existent bishops  to  me :  this  is  what  one  of  them  told  M. , 

and  that  is  a  third  version  of  M,  's.     I  felt  I  could  not 

make  an  announcement  on  such  authority."  "That  is  true, 
sir."  And  then  he  showed  me  some  of  his  instructions — all  the 
more  firm  for  being  polite — to  try  to  persuade  them  to  leave. 
And  then  came  an  invitation  to  visit  him,  and  his  surprise  when 
he  learned  that  the  mission's  savages  had  a  private,  personal 
claim  on  me.  He  pretended  that  their  neighbors  could  have 
sold  this  land.  "I  did  not  know  that.  .  .  .  It  is  true,"  says  he, 
"that  it  was  wrong  to  get  their  names  thus,"  and  then,  "Come 
to  see  me  at  my  house,  and  I  shall  inform  you  about  the  whole 
business."  I  prefer  not  to  be  informed,  and  I  have  no  leisure. 
After  all  this  it  was  wonderful  the  way  we  politely  said  good- 
bye. I  remained  there  almost  two  weeks  longer,  but  I  did  not 
see  him  again. 

The  outward  symptoms  are  these :  the  American  invaders, 
who  were  once  proud  and  arrogant,  have  for  some  time  been 
very  gentle.  Some  are  moving  away :  yesterday  one  of  them 
offered  to  sell  me  his  cow ;  he  had  to  go  away  today.  They 
inquire  whether  the  savages  will  at  least  pay  for  their  labor. 
And  finally  our  accusers  were  fishing  in  the  lake  the  other  day, 
and  they  sent  us  their  fish  by  the  savages,  not  daring  to  bring 
them  themselves,  but  wishing  to  become  reconciled.  Moreover, 
prayer  rises  to  heaven,  and  the  salvation  of  numerous  Chris- 
tians will  be  greatly  imperiled  if  injustice  prevails  here.  I  have 
put  the  Indians  under  the  Holy  Virgin's  protection,  and  I  do  it 
again  every  day.    August  15'"  is  the  day  set  for  them  to  know 

"Amaziah  Morgan. 

'"By  July  26,  Petit  had  given  up  hope.  See  his  letter  to  Brute,  post, 
pp.  81-87. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  79 

the  final  decision ;  on  this  feast  of  the  Virgin  I  am  hoping  for 
the  end  of  their  troubles. 

Here  I  am  again  at  the  end  of  my  paper,  and  I  do  not  have 
space  to  express  to  my  Bishop  properly  the  respectful  homage 
of  his  son  and  priest. 

B.  Petit 

M.  de  la  Hailandiere  is  good  enough  to  tell  me  of  a  desire  to 
see  me  at  Vincennes ;  I  have  sometimes  thought  about  this,  but 
I  have  been  so  busy  that  I  hesitate  to  undertake  a  trip  of  580 
miles  except  for  absolute  necessity.  It  may  be,  however,  that  I 
can  do  it  later,  about  September,  perhaps,  to  go  fetch  some  of 
my  belongings.  I  would  do  it  with  a  savage,  carrying  a  tent, 
and  without  great  expense.  Perhaps  I  shall  not  do  it  either; 
they  count  the  days  of  my  absence  too  painfully. 

I  should  like  very  much  to  be  able  to  sell  Tom,"  and  with 
the  money  I  could  buy  a  pair  of  oxen  and  a  plow  for  the  land 
belonging  to  the  Indians.  It  may  be,  however,  that  I  should 
take  him  along  myself ;  he  is  good  and  strong  for  labor.  We 
shall  see  later. 

Could  you  take  in  a  young  Indian  at  Vincennes  for  the 
winter?  He  is  eighteen  years  old,  pious  as  an  angel,  speaks, 
reads,  and  writes  English;  I  intend  him  to  be  a  schoolmaster, 
and  he  will  do  much  good,  but  I  should  like  very  much  for  him 
to  perfect  himself  a  little  more,  and  work  with  your  gentlemen. 

I  intended,  Monseigneur,  to  ask  you  for  M,  Deseille's 
Billuart  for  the  collection  of  payments  for  Masses.  If  you 
prefer  to  keep  it  for  yourself,  I  do  not  absolutely  insist  upon 
it ;  still,  I  should  like  to  have  it. 

During  the  next  two  weeks  I  am  going  to  rest  a  little;  I 
need  to,  for  I  have  not  had  a  moment  since  Easter. 

Please  pray  for  us. 

My  respects  to  everyone,  priests  and  laymen. 

[Addressed:]  To  the  Right  Revd.  Doctor  Brute  Catholic 
Bishop  of  Vincennes  (Knox  Cty.)  Indiana 

"His  horse,  which  died  a  few  days  later. 


80  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Petit  to  His  Family,  July  9,  1838 

[Translated  from  Annales,  XI  (1838-39),  No.  Lxv,  392-93] 

As  long  as  the  savages  stay  in  Indiana,  I  think,  I  shall  be 
their  missionary.  God,  by  means  of  a  grace  which  He  grants 
more  to  their  piety  than  to  my  solicitude,  gave  me  the  power 
today  to  dispense  with  an  interpreter  for  confession  and  ordin- 
ary conversation.  I  am  greatly  astonished  to  hear  myself  speak 
Indian  with  them.  Although  I  have  had  no  leisure  to  study 
their  language,  they  listen  to  me  and  understand  me  well.  Ah, 
I  am  beginning  now  especially,  in  this  sudden  flowering,  to 
perceive  all  the  beauty  of  these  new  souls!  Their  attachment 
for  me,  and  mine  for  them,  is  much  stronger  today  than  ever. 
But  meanwhile  the  moment  is  coming  when,  I  fear,  I  shall  see 
the  mission's  destruction.  From  time  to  time  a  ray  of  hope 
gives  my  heart  a  passing  serenity.  I  entrust  everything,  how- 
ever, to  God's  hands — He  knows  best  what  is  good  for  us. 

I  feel  a  singular  attachment  for  everything  which  concerns 
the  savages.  When  I  travel  in  the  woods,  if  I  see  an  Indian 
cabin,  even  an  abandoned  camp  site,  I  feel  my  heart  beat  with 
joy.  If  I  discover  some  Indians  walking  along  my  path,  all  my 
fatigue  is  forgotten.  And  when  their  smiles  greet  me  from 
afar  (for  all,  or  nearly  all,  of  them  know  me,  and  even  those 
who  have  not  been  baptized  call  me  their  father),  I  am  re- 
freshed as  if  my  own  family  were  welcoming  me.  When  I  am 
on  a  mission  among  the  whites,  my  Potawatomi  worriedly 
count  the  days  of  my  absence,  and  I  too  consider  the  occasion 
of  my  arrival  at  Chichipe  Outipe  as  a  feast  day.  What  joy, 
what  handshakes,  what  blessings  before  and  after  evening 
prayer!  And  then,  when  darkness  comes,  they  no  longer  can 
leave  my  wigwam — they  seem  to  be  nailed  there. 

Ah,  if  I  were  free,  when  they  go  to  Mississippi,  they 
would  not  go  without  a  priest !  .    .    . 

I  have  had  the  good  fortune  since  Easter  of  baptizing  102 
infidels  among  them,  and  I  have  counted  434  communions. 
Indeed  there  are  some  Protestants,  too,  on  the  road  to  conver- 
sion, but  their  number  is  small.  I  have  so  little  time  and  so 
much  to  do  among  the  savages,  and  my  white  congregations 
are  so  far  from  giving  me  the  same  happiness  as  my  poor 
redskins ! 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  81 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  July  26,  1838 

[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA12] 

Chichipe  Outipe,  26  July,  1838 

MONSEIGNEUR, 

First,  to  give  you  a  report  of  the  trip  to  Washington :  it 
was  useless.  "I  do  not  wish  to  speak  of  it,"  said  the  President. 
"Your  names  are  on  the  treaty;  your  lands  are  lost,"  said  the 
Secretary  of  War.  "But  here  is  one  of  the  witnesses  to  the 
treaty  who  will  show  you  how  everything  was  a  fraud."  "I  do 
not  need  to  be  shown,  and  we  did  not  need  your  signatures :  the 
great  chiefs  of  the  nation  were  entitled  to  sell  your  reserve." 

Second,  the  lawyers  admit  that  the  case  cannot  be  pleaded 
before  the  Federal  Court  because  the  government  refuses  to 
become  a  party  and  no  jury  is  possible.  The  land  is  lost,  and 
without  recourse,  I  believe. 

Our  position  is  still  painful,  today  more  than  ever,  but  God 
protects  us.  They  are  carrying  the  emigration  forward,  and 
with  a  perseverance  and  tenacity  to  which  a  large  number  of 
Indians  will  yield,  although  there  will  always  remain  a  certain 
number  among  the  old  who  refuse  to  hear  of  going  there. ^^ 
They  still  have  some  lands  here  and  there,  and  later,  perhaps, 
we  shall  see  what  should  be  done. 

At  the  council  held  for  the  emigration  the  first  chief  arose, 
interrupting  the  savage  interpreter,  seized  the  agent's  hand,  and 
said  to  him :  "Look  here,  Father ;  our  lands  belong  to  us.  We 
shall  keep  them;  we  do  not  wish  to  talk  to  you  any  more."^* 

"^The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 

*^Abel  C.  Pepper,  superintendent,  and  other  emigration  officials  held  a 
council  at  Menominee's  Reserve  on  July  17  and  18.  Pepper  warned  the  Indians 
that  their  refusal  to  remove  would  be  a  clear  violation  of  the  treaty  obligation 
entered  into  with  the  President,  and  would  oblige  the  use  of  force  against 
them.  Pepper's  speech,  and  a  reply  made  for  the  Potawatomi  by  "San- 
go-aw,"  reiterating  the  refusal  of  the  chiefs  to  move,  are  printed  in  the 
Logansport  Telegraph  of  July  21,  1838,  p.  2,  c.  1-4. 

"Menominee  is  probably  referred  to  here,  although  he  is  not  mentioned 
in  the  account  of  the  council  given  in  the  Logansport  Telegraph,  loc.  cit. 
McDonald  (History  of  Marshall  County,  I,  21)  quotes  a  bystander's  version 
of  a  speech  made  by  Menominee  that  fits  the  circumstances:  "Members  of 
the  Council :  The  President  does  not  know  the  truth.  He,  like  me,  has  been 
imposed  upon.     He  does  not  know  that  your  treaty  is  a  lie,  and  that  I  never 


82  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

This  was  taken  as  an  insult  to  the  President,  and  a  report  was 
made  asking  for  authorization  to  use  force  if  they  refused  to 
leave  their  lands.  But  there  will  be  no  occasion  for  this,  as 
they  have  no  idea  of  resistance. 

An  assistant  agent^^  wrote  me  a  letter  in  which  he  held  me 
responsible  for  the  Indians'  conduct.  I  replied  to  him  im- 
mediately, I  wrote  to  his  superior,  and  I  announced  my  inten- 
tion of  making  a  complaint  to  Washington.  Lo  and  behold! 
the  day  before  yesterday  the  assistant  agent  came  into  my  tent, 
seven  or  eight  miles  from  here^"  (after  having  inquired  whether 
I  was  not  too  angry),  and  told  me  he  had  written  on  the  spur 
of  the  moment,  without  reflecting.  I  made  him  admit  the  un- 
truth and  impropriety  of  his  letter,  and  he  declared  his  desire 
for  a  reconcilation  with  me. 

Everyone  seems  full  of  consideration  for  me,  but  I  know 
they  are  full  of  suspicion.  The  assistant  agent  said  he  wanted 
me  to  depart  with  the  Indians  :  the  government,  everybody,  will 
be  delighted  if  I  do  it.  I  should  not,  I  tell  them,  have  any  per- 
sonal objection,  but  I  am  answerable  to  my  Bishop,  and  he  has 
few  priests  in  an  enormous  diocese. 

Such  is  our  present  situation ;  here  is  my  personal  one :  body 
tired  but  in  good  health,  spirit  troubled,  heart  suffering  from 
anxiety  and  yet  calm  enough  for  complete  submission.     I  trust 

signed  it.  He  does  not  know  that  you  made  my  young  chiefs  drunk  and  got 
their  consent  and  pretended  to  get  mine.  He  does  not  know  that  I  have 
refused  to  sell  my  lands  and  still  refuse.  He  would  not  by  force  drive  me 
from  my  home,  the  graves  of  my  tribe,  and  my  children  who  have  gone 
to  the  Great  Spirit,  nor  allow  you  to  tell  me  your  braves  will  take  me,  tied 
like  a  dog,  if  he  knew  the  truth.  My  brothers,  the  President  is  just,  but  he 
listens  to  the  word  of  the  young  chiefs  who  have  lied ;  and  when  he  knows 
the  truth  he  will  leave  me  to  my  own.  I  have  not  sold  my  lands.  I  will 
not  sell  them.  I  have  not  signed  any  treaty,  and  will  not  sign  any.  I  am 
not  going  to  leave  my  lands,  and  I  don't  want  to  hear  anything  more  about 
it." 

The  La  Porte  Herald,  quoted  in  the  Logansport  Herald  of  August  i6, 
1838,  p.  2,  c.  5,  attacked  Menominee's  position  on  the  grounds  that  (i)  the 
lands  had  been  granted  in  the  first  place  to  his  band  and  not  to  him  as  an 
individual ;  (2)  he  was  not  a  Potawatomi  and  not  entitled  to  rank  as  chief ; 
(3)  he  had  consented  in  1834  to  sell  part  of  the  reserve  at  half  the  price 
agreed  upon  in  the  treaty  of  1836. 

^^Probably  Amaziah  Morgan. 

**Petit  was  traveling  in  the  neighborhood  at  this  time.    See  post,  p.  128. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  83 

wholly  in  my  all-powerful  Lord.  If  a  large  number  of  Chris- 
tians depart,  I  should  like  to  be  able  to  follow  them,  at  least 
until  I  can  place  them  in  the  hands  of  another  pastor.  Why? 
Because  they  depart  alone,  recent  Christians,  for  the  most  part 
hardly  steadfast  yet,  thrust  amidst  Protestant  corruptions 
which  have  pulpits  everywhere  in  the  place  of  exile  destined  for 
them;  in  a  little  while  they  will  lose  the  fruit  of  M.  Deseille's 
very  great  labors.  Because  if  our  brothers  in  France  know 
they  departed  for  exile  without  a  priest's  offering  to  accompany 
them,  they  will  be  surprised,  and  the  fact  will  be  unique  in  the 
history  of  missions.  Because  I  know  my  presence  would  be 
their  protection  during  the  journey,  for  I  have  learned  in- 
directly that  the  management  of  the  Indians  would  be  entrusted 
to  me,  as  the  agents  recognize  that  their  power  is  as  nothing 
in  comparison  with  the  priest's  influence ;  until  now  they  have 
been  driven  like  dogs  on  these  journeys,  and  they  arrived  down 
there  broken-hearted  and  dispirited  from  mistreatment  on  the 
way;  it  would  be  fine  to  see  religion  with  maternal  tenderness 
protecting  and  consoling  these  new-born  children,  so  worthy  of 
sympathy  and  so  unfortunate  if  abandoned.  Because  the 
diocese  would  lose  nothing  by  it :  I  should  return  perhaps  with- 
in a  year,  as  soon  as  I  could  place  my  children,  my  tender  chil- 
dren, in  safe  hands.  Because  the  time  will  not  be  wasted  as  far 
as  I  am  concerned,  since  the  fatigues  of  charity  offered  to  God 
have  value  through  Jesus  Christ.  Because  in  the  immense  ter- 
ritory on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mississippi  which  has  been 
opened  to  the  missions  it  would  be  of  great  importance  to  have 
a  fully  developed  mission  for  a  base,  and  by  going  I  could  get 
advantageous  concessions  from  the  government  for  this  settle- 
ment, which  may  prosper  greatly  through  His  future  favor. 
Because  my  Bishop  could  not  refuse  me  this  without  reducing 
these  poor  children  to  the  plight  of  exposed  infants  whom 
Providence,  it  is  true,  can  save  but  who,  humanly  speaking, 
are  completely  destitute  of  aid.  Because  a  good  father  would 
not  do  such  a  thing,  and  my  Bishop  is  a  good  father.  Those 
are  many  of  the  reasons  for  my  request ;  there  are  still  many 
more. 

On  the  other  hand  they  do  not  wish  to  depart,  and  the 
government  intends  to  force  them  to  abandon  only  their  re- 


84  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

serve;  they  still  have  private  lands  and  can  settle  on  them. 
Like  others  they  will  be  suliject  to  and  protected  by  the  law. 
But  I  should  not  like  to  take  upon  myself  the  responsibility 
for  any  decision  on  their  part.  I  suspect  the  promises  to  be 
fulfilled  on  the  other  side  of  the  river;  the  slight  dependability 
hitherto  shown  is  a  poor  guarantee.  On  the  other  hand,  dis- 
persed among  the  whites,  they  will,  I  think,  be  very  unhappy 
for  a  while.  But  they  have  such  an  aversion  to  going  there, 
that  to  speak  of  it  is  to  expose  myself  to  the  loss  of  their  con- 
fidence. I  want  always  to  leave  them  to  themselves  regarding 
this,  but,  whatever  their  decision,  religion  ought  if  possible  to 
protect  them.  Such  is  my  position;  I  wait,  hope,  and  pray. 
Here  or  at  the  Mississippi,  it  is  absolutely  the  same  to  me;  let 
my  Lord  speak  a  word — that  is  all. 

If  by  chance  the  agents  write  to  you,  please  keep  in  mind 
when  replying  the  possibility  of  inquiring,  before  a  definite  de- 
cision pro  or  con  is  made,  about  new  developments,  new  mo- 
tives. I  wish  to  go  only  with  the  majority,  and  I  should  not 
want  my  departure  to  be  the  reason  for  their  decision. 

Others  have  the  satisfaction  of  reporting  to  you  that,  as 
a  result  of  their  labors,  new  churches  arise  amidst  their  congre- 
gations, but  I,  remote  indeed  from  this  happiness,  will  within 
a  few  days  destroy  this  church  whence  so  many  fervid  prayers 
rose  to  Heaven — this  altar  where  hitherto  I  have  so  many  times 
received  my  Savior  and  around  which  I  have  so  often  seen  such 
a  large  number  of  these  good  Indians  crowded  together  to  re- 
ceive their  Lord. 

No  pre-emption  for  us :  our  improvements  are  anterior  to 
the  extinction  of  the  savages'  title.  The  site  of  the  mission 
has  been  pre-empted,  and  on  August  5  an  American  will  take 
possession  of  the  house  I  occupy  there."     I  should  not  like  to 

"The  pre-emption  law  of  June  22,  1838,  governing  the  right  of  pre- 
emption on  the  lands  sold  by  the  Indians  by  the  treaties  of  1836,  denied  "a 
right  of  pre-emption  to  any  person  or  persons,  in  consequence  of  any  settle- 
ment or  improvement  made  before  the  extinguishment  of  the  Indian  title 
to  the  land  on  which  such  settlement  or  improvement  was  made.  ..." 
U.  S.  Statutes  at  Large,  V,  251-52.  The  chapel  at  the  Yellow  River  had  been 
erected  in  1835  and  no  pre-emption  claim  could  be  made  for  it.  The 
Potawatomi  of  the  Yellow  River  reserve  and  at  the  reserve  at  Chechaukkose's 
Village  on  the  Tippecanoe  had  both  granted  land  to  the  Church   (ante,  p. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  85 

see  the  church  in  their  hands :  they  will,  perhaps,  make  a  stable 
of  the  house  of  God.  I  think  we  shall  destroy  it,  except  in  the 
event  of  opposition. 

At  first  I  was  troubled  by  your  memorial  to  Washington^' 
by  which,  without  knowing  where  we  stood  in  the  case,  you 
interfered  in  its  progress  with  a  step  against  the  spirit  of  neu- 
trality which  I  observed  by  your  order — a  step  likely  to  cast 
on  the  Catholic  clergy  the  suspicion  (which  you  say  exists  at 
Washington)  of  our  influencing  the  Potawatomi  to  remain. 
At  first  I  thought  I  saw  a  lack  of  ordinary  prudence  in  this. 
Biit  God  can  resolve  all :  I  entrusted  all  to  Him.  At  first,  how- 
ever, I  was  dismayed  and  unhappy,  I  confess. 

The  good  Lord  has  taken  away  my  horse,  fine,  young, 
vigorous,  and  living  freely  in  the  woods.  Having  gone  from 
1 1  o'clock  till  7  or  8  in  the  evening  without  grain,  he  died.  I 
shall  try  to  get  another,  but  I  shall  replace  him  with  difficulty. 

When  you  read  this  letter,  I  pray  our  Lord  will  make  you 
understand  it  in  the  sense  He  desires  for  His  greatest  glory 
and  my  children's  salvation.  "To  sacrifice  you  to  the  savages, 
a  new  pardon  from  your  family  would  be  necessary."  No, 
Monseigneur,  they  have  given  me  to  God  entirely,  and  for 

i6),  but  the  transfers  were  not  recognized  by  the  government.  The  Attorney 
General  had  ruled  on  September  20,  1833,  that  the  lands  reserved  to  the 
Indians  were  still  under  the  original  title,  that  the  Indian  occupants  could  not 
convey  them  to  individuals,  and  that  no  valid  cession  could  be  made  by  them 
except  to  the  United  States.  Opinions  of  the  Attorney  General  of  the 
United  States,  1789-1841,  p.  1402. 

^*0n  June  25,  Brute  wrote  to  Commissioner  Carey  A.  Harris,  pleading 
for  justice  to  the  Indians  and  recounting  the  labors  of  Petit  and  his  pre- 
decessors among  the  Indians.  Brute's  letter  was  forwarded  by  John  Law 
in  a  note  of  June  27,  lauding  the  mission  and  pointing  out  that  it  had  been 
carried  on  at  the  expense  of  the  Bishop,  the  annual  allowance  of  $300  appro- 
priated by  the  government  for  the  civilization  of  the  Indiana  Indians  on 
April  19,  1836,  having  been  paid  only  once  {ante,  p.  22).  Harris  answered 
Law  on  August  2,  1838 :  "The  information,  that  has  reached  this  office  from 
its  agents  shows  that  M.  Deseille  exerted  himself  on  several  occasions  to  dis- 
suade the  Indians  from  removing,  as  measures  then  and  now  believed  to  be 
for  their  benefit,  and  more  recent  advices  impute  similar  proceedings  to 
his  successor  [Father  Benjamin  Petit].  For  this  reason,  and  for  that  also 
of  their  probably  speedy  emigration,  it  is  deemed  improper  to  continue  the 
allowance  from  the  civilization  fund."  "Documents,"  Mid-America,  XV, 
189-91 . 


86  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

them  as  for  me  it  does  not  matter  whether  I  am  here  or  there. 
They  would  not  understand  why  I  should  abandon  my  children 
thus,  and  if  they  read  of  this  mission's  destruction  and  the 
Christians'  exile  in  Annales  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,^^  each 
will  ask  with  astonishment :  "Just  where  has  their  priest 
gone?  Why  are  there  no  priests  with  them?"  That  would  be 
unusual,  Monseigneur,  in  the  annals  of  missions;  the  Church 
has  always  given  a  consoler  for  the  sufferings  of  her  children. 
You  shall  decide,  Monseigneur,  but  I  must  tell  you  what  is  in 
my  heart :  there  it  is.  Let  it  all  be  arranged,  rectified,  or 
changed  by  my  Bishop's  hand,  which  for  me  is  God's  hand. 

Your  benediction,  Monseigneur,  on  us  all,  your  Indians  and 
your  priest,  respectful  and  submissive  in  Jesus  Christ  and  Mary, 

B.  Petit,  Ptre.  Mre. 

In  the  last  letter  I  received  from  France  I  was  informed  of 
Mile.  Camille's  vows  and  F.  M.  Villeneuve's  marriage  to  a 
Demoiselle  Pauline  du  Modage :  I  think  this  will  be  a  good 
Christian  household. 

My  respects  to  M.  de  la  Hailandiere,  if  it  is  not  too  pre- 
sumptuous to  give  you  commissions,  Monseigneur,  as  well  as 
to  the  other  gentlemen.  I  heard  that  you  have  had  some  new 
ordinations  and  that  M.  de  la  Hailandiere  had  been  to  Chicago 
(I  heard  this  from  M.  Frangois)  ;  Chicago  is  not  very  far  from 
South  Bend. 

M.  Mueller  is  vexed  at  something  I  am  supposed  to  have 
done  in  his  territory.  First,  I  did  not  do  what  he  was  told  I  did ; 
second,  I  did  not  know  it  was  his  parish;  I  shall  avoid  going 
there  henceforth.  It  is  all  about  a  funeral  sermon  I  preached 
near  Leesburg;  I  shall  apologize  fully  and  peace  will  be  restored. 

My  mother,  brothers,  and  relatives  in  France  send  you  their 
homage,  Monseigneur,  and  their  respects  to  M.  de  la  Hailand- 
iere. I  would  consider  going  to  see  you,  but  affairs  are  so 
upset  here  that  in  the  press  of  the  moment  I  probably  cannot. 
All  is  for  God. 

"The  organ  of  the  Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  founded  in 
Lyons,  in  1822,  as  "an  endeavor  to  enlist  the  sympathy  of  all  Catholics  and 
assist  all  missions,  without  regard  to  situation  and  nationality."  The 
Society  was  the  chief  source  of  support  of  the  American  missions.  The 
Catholic  Encyclopedia,  XI  (191 1),  461-63. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  87 

What  of  Du  Merle  ?  My  heart  thinks  quite  often  of  him ; 
he  was  my  brother  in  America,  Monseigneur.  Sometimes  I 
have  a  mind  to  write  to  him,  but  there  is  no  time. 

[Addressed :]  To  the  Right  Revd.  Bishop  Brute  Vincennes 
(Knox  Cty.)  Indiana. 

Petit  to  Abel  C.  Pepper,  July  31,  1838 
[10  :  Letters  Received,  Potawatomi — C] 

Copy  Menominies  Reserve  31.  July  1838, 

Sir, 

Agreeably  to  your  letter  dated  July  28.  1838."°  I  made 
communication  to  the  Indians  of  the  information  you  were  kind 
enough  to  give  me,  of  the  determination  of  the  Executive  of 
the  State,  to  furnish  promptly  a  military  force  to  protect  the 
preemptioners  exercising  their  rights  under  the  laws  of  con- 
gress.— They  have  expressed  unanimously  and  in  the  strongest 
terms  their  determination  of  offerring  no  resistance.  I  knew 
that  such  was  their  disposition,  but  I  wanted  to  renew  it  in 
communicating  to  them  your  letter. — I  think  now  I  can  give 
yon  the  assurance,  that  no  disturbance  from  the  Indians  need 
be  apprehended,  and  that  the  settlers  can  take  possession  of 
their  preemptions  peaceably,  and  without  the  assistance  of  a 
Military  force,  the  presence  of  which  would  only  be  fit  to  cre- 
ate excitement  &  disorder. — 

I  take  also  this  opportunity  to  inform  you  that  Menominie 
is  very  sorry  for  the  words  which  escaped  from  his  lips  on  the 
day  of  the  Council ;  he  did  not  know  the  import  thereof,  and  is 
ready  to  offer  you  an  apology  for  it,  at  the  next  Council. — ^^ 

I  am,  Sir,  Very  respectfully,  Your  obt.  Srvt 

B.  Petit 

""This  letter  has  not  been  found. 

"^Petit's  optimism  was  not  justified.  On  August  4  he  held  his  last  service 
in  the  chapel  and  dismantled  it.  The  next  day  a  settler  took  possession  of 
house  and  church,  and  Petit  left  for  South  Bend.  On  August  7  Pepper  held 
a  council  with  the  Indians;  they  apologized  for  bad  behavior  at  the  last 
council,  and  Pepper  had  a  brief  hope  that  peace  could  be  maintained,  but 
there  was  soon  trouble  between  the  Indians  and  incoming  whites,  insistent 
on  their  pre-emption  rights,  who  settled  on  almost  every  quarter  section 
on  which  the  Indians  lived.  Emigration  officials,  alarmed  at  the  explosive 
situation,  implored  John  Tipton,  former  Indian  agent  and  still  influential 


88  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

To  Col.  Pepper 

I  will  leave  the  reserve  with  Miss  Campau  this  very  week. — 

Petit  to  John  Tipton,  September  3,  1838 
[ISL :  Tipton  Papers— ALS22] 

South  Bend  3d.  7ber  1838 
To  the  Honourable  General  Tipton 

General  I  Received  yesterday  your  letter  dated  2d  7ber^  to 
which  I  give  to  day  the  answer  which  you  requested  me  to  give 
you"^  It  is  not  the  least  of  the  world  in  my  power  to  satisfy 
those  whom  you  call  the  dissentients,  and  to  harmonise  the 
whole  matter,  because  it  is  not  let  to  my  choice  to  go,  or  not  to 
go  West.  I  am  under  the  dependance  of  m.y  Bishop  and  at  his 
disposal,  as  much  at  least  as  any  soldier  of  your  troops  is  at 

with  the  Indians,  to  lend  his  help  in  persuading  them  to  move.  On  August 
II  he  attended  a  council  near  Plymouth,  but  was  unable  to  break  down  the 
opposition  of  the  chiefs.  Between  August  15  and  20  a  settler's  cabin  was 
damaged  and  ten  or  twelve  Indian  homes  were  burned.  Citizens  of  Marshall 
County  and  Colonel  Pepper  urged  Governor  Wallace  to  send  an  armed  force 
to  prevent  violence.  He  visited  the  reserve,  and  on  August  27  authorized 
Tipton  to  enroll  one  hundred  volunteers.  Three  days  later  Tipton  had 
assembled  his  forces  and  stationed  them  in  five  detachments  surrounding  the 
chapel  at  some  distance.  The  Indians,  in  council  with  Colonel  Pepper,  were 
taken  by  surprise  and  were  not  allowed  to  leave  or  separate.  Another  council 
was  held  next  day,  at  which  Menominee,  Black  Wolf,  and  Peepenawah  still 
declined  removing.  These  chiefs  and  one  other,  probably  Notawkah,  were 
placed  under  guard  in  the  chapel.  Journal,  post,  p.  128;  George  W.  Ewing  to 
Tipton,  August  8,  1838,  Abel  C.  Pepper  to  Tipton,  August  8,  1838,  William 
Polke  to  Tipton,  August  8,  1838,  in  Tipton  Papers ;  Governor  Wallace's 
annual  message,  December  4,  1838,  and  his  correspondence  with  Tipton  and 
Pepper,  August  26-31,  1838,  in  Indiana  Senate  Journal,  1838-39,  pp.  713-18; 
Tipton  to  Wallace,  September  18,  1838,  ibid.,  p.  728;  Tipton's  General  Order, 
August  29,  1838,  in  Logansport  Herald,  November  8,  1838,  p.  2,  c.  4; 
Logansport  Telegraph,  September  15,  1838,  p.  2,  c.  i. 

"Printed  in  Indiana  Senate  Journal,  1838-39,  pp.  722-23. 

"'An  attack  of  fever  had  kept  Petit  at  South  Bend  until  this  time. 
Tipton,  knowing  the  young  priest's  great  influence  with  Menominee  and  the 
other  Catholic  Indians,  and  anxious  to  execute  the  removal  without  violence, 
appealed  to  him  by  letter  to  persuade  "the  dissentients"  to  go  peaceably. 
Indiana  Senate  Journal,  1838-39,  p.  722.  He  repeated  the  promise  of  the 
government  to  defray  expenses  of  the  emigration,  give  each  Indian  a  half 
section  of  land,  and  provide  for  their  support  for  one  year.  As  a  further 
inducement  to  secure  Petit's  aid,  he  promised  to  recommend  to  the  President 
that  funds  be  provided  for  a  chapel  and  house  for  Petit  or  any  other  priest 
who  might  accompany  the  Indians.     Petit  drafted  a  scathing  answer    (the 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  89 

your  disposal ;  I  wrote  to  him  for  the  subject  of  being  allowed 
to  follow  the  Indians,  in  the  case,  that  most  of  them  would  be 
willing  to  emigrate;  I  received  a  full  denial  of  my  request;  of 
course  I  must  not  think  any  more  of  going  West. 

[Was  I  at  liberty  to  go  or  not  to  go,  though  I  had  no  per- 
sonal objection,  in  the  case  the  Indians  would  be  willing  to  go, 
it  would  be  repugnant  and  hard  to  me  to  associate  in  any  way 
to  the  unaccountable  measures  lately  taken  for  the  removal  of 
the  Indians.  You  had  right  perhaps,  if  duly  authorised,  to  take 
possession  of  the  land,  but  to  make  from  free  men  slaves,  no 
man  can  take  upon  himself  to  do  so  in  this  free  country. 
Those  who  wish  to  move  must  be  moved,  those  who  want  to 
remain  must  be  left  to  themselves.  Col.  Pepper,  in  the  name 
of  the  president,  spoke  several  times  in  that  way,  and  he  said 
that  by  the  5th  of  August  those  who  want  to  remain,  would 
be  submitted  to  the  law  of  the  country.  Of  course  it  is  against 
men  under  the  protection  of  the  law,  that  you  act  in  such  a 
dictatorial  manner;  it  is  impossible  for  me,  and  for  many  to 
conceive  how  such  events  may  take  place  in  this  country  of 
liberty.  I  have  consecrated  my  whole  life,  my  whole  powers 
to  the  good  of  my  neighbours,  but  as  to  associate  to  any  vio- 
lence against  them,  even  if  it  were  at  my  own  disposal,  I  cannot 
find  in  me  strength  enough  to  do  so.  May  God  protect  them, 
and  me.  against  the  numerous  misrepresentations  which  are 
made,  both  of  them  and  of  me.] 

I  am  sorry,  General,  not  to  be  able  to  comply  any  further 
with  your  wishes. 

your  most  obedient  Servant 

B :  Petit  ptre  Mre. 

draft  is  in  the  Chancery  Office,  Indianapolis),  but  omitted  in  the  letter  that  he 
sent  the  paragraph  printed  here  in  brackets.  Tipton  meanwhile  proceeded 
as  expeditiously  as  possible  with  his  ugly  task.  By  the  evening  of  September 
2  over  seven  hundred  Indians  had  been  rounded  up  by  the  soldiers  and 
enrolled.  On  the  morning  of  September  4  the  encampment  was  leveled  and 
the  march  began,  with  rebellious  chiefs  "immured"  in  a  sort  of  cage  that 
followed  the  flag.  Logansport  Herald,  October  25,  1838.  For  accounts  of 
the  rounding  up  of  the  Indians,  see  Indiana  Senate  Journal,  1838-39,  pp. 
718  ff.;  Tipton  to  Carey  A.  Harris,  September  2  and  5,  1838,  photostats 
in  Tipton  Papers ;  McDonald,  History  of  Marshall  County,  I,  24-25,  30-33- 
The  emigrating  party  by  this  time  numbered  859.  It  was  estimated  that  only 
150  Potawatomi  were  left  in  Indiana.  Abel  C.  Pepper  to  Carey  A.  Harris, 
September  6,  1838,  photostat  in  Tipton  Papers. 


90  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Petit  to  William  Polke,  September  8,  1838 

[10:  Letters  Received,  Potawatomi — C] 

LoGANSPORT,  8th  Sept.  1838 
Sir: 

I  have  on  this  day  received  permission  of  the  Right  Rev- 
erend Bishop  to  accompany  the  Indian  Emigration  West  ;'*  on 
condition  of  you  guaranteeing  the  performing  the  propositions 
contained  in  the  letter  of  Gen.  J.  Tipton  addressed  to  me  on 
the  2nd  instant. 

I  am,  Sir,  your  most  Respectful  servant, 

B.  Petit. 

Petit  to  His  Family,  September  14,  1838 
[Translated  from  Annates,  XI  (1838-39),  No.  lxv,  393-96] 

One  morning^^  ...  I  said  Mass.  Then  my  dear  church 
was  stripped  of  all  its  ornaments,  and  at  the  moment  of  my 
departure  I  called  all  my  children  together.  I  spoke  to  them 
one  more  time ;  I  wept ;  my  listeners  sobbed.  It  was  heart- 
rending. We,  the  dying  mission,  prayed  for  the  success  of 
other  missions,  and  we  sang  with  one  accord : 
In  thy  protection  do  we  trust, 
O  Virgin,  meek  and  mild. 

The  voice  which  intoned  was  stifled  by  sobs,  and  only  a 
few  were  able  to  finish.  I  left.  It  is  sad,  I  assure  you,  for  a 
missionary  to  see  such  a  young  and  vigorous  work  expire  in 
his  arms.  A  few  days  afterward  I  learned  that  the  Indians, 
despite   their   peaceable   disposition,    had   been   surprised   and 

°'See  Petit  to  his  family,  post,  p.  92,  and  Journal,  post,  p.  129.  Said 
the  Logansport  Telegraph  of  September  8,  1838:  "The  Rev.  Mr.  Petit,  who 
has  been  with  them  for  some  time  past  and  who  has  already  succeeded  in 
teaching  them  some  of  the  arts  of  civilization  by  which  their  condition  has 
been  much  improved,  will  accompany  them.  This  gentleman,  who  has  de- 
servedly gained  their  esteem,  and  whose  remaining  was  one  of  the  principal 
obstacles  to  their  removing,  has,  by  consenting  to  go,  given  them  additional 
proofs  of  his  regard  for  their  welfare,  and  he  has  also  rendered  himself 
worthy  of  the  notice  of  the  government.  There  is  already  a  visible  change 
in  the  feelings  of  the  Indians,  and  many  who  were  averse  to  going  west 
now  express  a  willingness  to  go." 

^August  4.    See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  128. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  91 

taken  prisoners  of  war.  The  military  force,  pretending  to 
hold  a  council,  assembled  them  and  seized  eight  hundred.  At 
the  same  time  the  government  invited  me  to  accompany  them 
to  the  country  destined  for  them,  separation  from  their  priest 
being  one  of  the  reasons  which  kept  the  Indians  from  con- 
senting to  their  exile.  I  replied  that,  being  under  my  Bishop's 
orders,  I  could  not  do  anything  without  his  permission.  He 
had  refused,  in  order  to  avoid  all  suspicion  of  the  ecclesias- 
tical authority's  connivance  with  the  civil  power's  rigorous 
measures. 

Providence  wonderfully  orders  all  things.  It  willed  that 
Monseigneur  should  have  to  consecrate  the  Logansport 
church.^®  The  ceremony  was  fixed  for  September  9,  and  on 
the  7th  the  Indians  were  to  camp  a  quarter  of  a  league  from 
Logansport  on  their  road  to  exile.  One  morning,  September  5, 
Monseigneur,  returning  from  Chicago,  entered  my  room  at 
South  Bend :  "My  son,  in  an  hour  we  depart  for  Logansport." 
And  he  lavished  all  the  consolations  in  the  soul  of  a  father 
upon  me.  I  was  as  calm  as  a  man  who  is  stilled  by  a  crushing 
burden.     We  departed. 

We  learned  that  the  Indians  on  the  way,  with  bayonets 
prodding  their  backs,"  had  a  large  number  of  sick  in  their 
ranks — that  several,  crammed  into  baggage  wagons,  had  al- 

""A  small  stone  church  on  Duret  Street,  built  through  the  efforts  of 
Father  Frangois.  It  remained  in  use  until  i860.  Thomas  B.  Helm,  History 
of  Cass  County  Indiana  (Chicago,  1886),  p.  436;  Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de 
Rcmur,  p.  365. 

^The  Logansport  Telegraph  (September  8,  1838,  p.  2,  c.  i)  denied  this. 
"It  has  been  reported  that  the  Indians  were  maltreated  on  their  journey — 
that  they  were  forced  to  make  long  marches  when  it  was  not  necessary — that 
they  were  not  suffered  to  get  water  on  the  road — and  that  the  order  of 
Gen.  Tipton  was  to  drive  them  along  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  if  neces- 
sary.— These  reports,  we  believe  are  all  unfounded,  as  they  have  been  con- 
tradicted by  those  who  were  present,  and  in  whose  word  we  can  place  implicit 
confidence."  According  to  the  Journal  of  the  emigration  there  was  a 
scarcity  of  water  in  the  country,  and  the  watering  places  determined  the 
length  of  the  marches.  "Journal  of  the  Emigrating  Party  of  Pottawattomie 
Indians,  1838,"  Indiana  Magazine  of  History,  XXI  (1925),  3i7-i8-  The 
"Journal"  as  printed  in  the  Magazine,  is  attributed  to  William  Polke,  al- 
though the  entries  to  and  including  September  16  were  made  by  Tipton. 
See  Indiana  Senate  Journal,  1838-39,  p.  72"/. 


92  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

ready  died  of  heat  and  thirst.^^  These  pieces  of  news  were  like 
so  many  swords  piercing  my  heart. 

Finally,  on  the  morning  of  the  7th,  Monseigneur  gave  me 
permission  to  follow  the  emigrants,  on  condition  that  I  return 
at  the  first  order,  or  at  the  moment  another  missionary  should 
come  to  replace  me.  I  went  to  look  after  my  children.  I  did 
not  think  at  first  that  I  could  enter  the  camp  without  authori- 
zation. They  all  came  out,  approaching  me  to  receive  my 
blessing.  The  Americans,  drawn  up  in  a  line,  showed  the 
greatest  astonishment.  "This  man,"  said  the  General,^®  "has 
more  power  here  than  I."  I  was  permitted  to  come  and  go 
everywhere.  Smiles  reappeared  amidst  the  desolation  of  exile 
— once  more  the  family  was  together. 

Sunday,  September  9,  Monseigneur  consecrated  the  Lo- 
gansport  church.  I  officiated  at  the  camp.  In  the  afternoon 
Monseigneur  came  there  and  confirmed  about  twenty  of  my 
good  savages.^"    That  day  was  a  wonderful  triumph  for  the 

^On  Sunday,  September  9,  physicians  visited  the  emigrating  party  in 
camp  near  Logansport  and  found  about  300  of  the  850  sick.  A  "kind  of 
Medical  hospital"  was  erected,  and  all  but  21,  sick  and  attendants,  took  up 
the  march  on  the  tenth.  Five  children  had  died  by  the  evening  of  September 
9.    "Journal,"  Indiana  Magazine  of  History,  XXI,  317-18. 

^Probably  General  Tipton.  Tipton  later  wrote  to  Wallace  that  Petit 
had  "produced  a  very  favorable  change  in  the  morals  and  industry  of  the 
Indians,"  and  that  his  untiring  zeal  in  the  cause  of  civilization  would  be 
"eminently  beneficial"  to  the  Potawatomi  in  their  new  home.  Indiana 
Senate  Journal,  1838-39,  p.  727. 

.  ^"Brute  sent  a  report  of  the  event  to  the  Annates  which  is  quoted  in 
Godecker,  Simon  Brute  de  Remur  (pp.  365-66)  :  "In  the  afternoon  I  myself 
visited  the  good  Indians.  A  crowd  of  people  composed  of  Catholics  and 
Protestants  from  the  city,  was  in  attendance  and  no  one  grew  tired  of  ad- 
miring the  spirit  of  recollection  and  resignation  of  those  true  Christians. 
As  I  approached,  Mr.  Petit  came  first  and  knelt  for  the  blessing,  then  all 
received  it  kneeling  on  the  road  that  led  to  the  tent.  Following  this  ceremony 
they  took  their  places  very  orderly  and  some  with  books  and  others  by  heart, 
sang  Vespers  in  the  Ottawa  language.  I  recited  the  Oration  and  delivered 
a  sermon  which  a  young  interpreter  translated  with  great  intelligence  and 
piety.  Then  they  intoned  the  Veni  Creator  in  Ottawa  and  after  the  first 
verse  I  proceeded  to  administer  the  sacrament  of  Confirmation.  The  con- 
firmed numbered  twenty.  How  much  did  we  regret  that  so  many  were  de- 
prived of  the  same  grace  owing  to  their  early  departure.  I  closed  the 
services  by  giving  Benediction.  Then  whilst  we  recited  the  rosary  in  com- 
mon I  accompanied  Mr.  Petit  into  the  tents  of  the  sick,  where  one  received 
Extreme  Unction  and  another  received  Baptism;  both  died  that  night." 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  93 

Catholic  Faith :  the  whole  town  was  in  camp,  astonished  at  the 
Indians  and  edified  by  their  piety.  The  American  newspapers 
mentioned  it,  and  everywhere  people  read  with  emotion  of  the 
wonderful  sight  of  this  congregation  assembled  on  mats  before 
an  improvised  altar  under  a  great  tree. 

The  next  day  I  left  to  get  my  things  at  South  Bend,  and 
here  I  am  today  making  the  journey  of  six  hundred  miles  to 
the  other  side  of  the  Mississippi  to  establish  a  more  durable 
mission  among  the  savages,  whom  I  am  afterwards  to  leave 
in  the  hands  of  the  Jesuit  fathers.  Pray  much  that,  in  this 
remote  quest,  the  good  God  will  sustain  me  and  not  allow  me 
to  stumble. 

Petit  to  John  Tipton,  September  17,  1838 
[Indiana  Senate  Journal,  1838-39,  p.  728] 

Danville,  17^/1  Sept.  1838. 
To  HIS  Honor,  General  John  Tipton  : 

General — According  to  our  arrangements,  I  joined  the 
party  of  the  Pottawattamies  emigrating  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, to  accompany  them  to  their  new  homes.     I  inform  you 
anew  to  day  that  I  accede  to  your  proposals. 
Your  respectful  and  humble  servant, 

B.  Petit. 

Petit  to  Bishop  Rosati,  September  19,  1838 

[Catholic  Historical  Society  of  Indiana,  Bulletin  No.  2,  p.  7 
(December,  1927)31] 

Sanduskye  Camp  Near  Danville 
19  7bre,   1838 
Monseigneur  : 

Last  year  Monseigneur  Brute  sent  me  to  the  Pottowatomie 
Indians  to  replace  Monsieur  De  Seilles  whose  death  left  them 
orphans ;  that  mission,  in  full  vigor  and  growth  was  about  to 
be  destroyed  in  Indiana  by  the  policy  of  the  government  which 
seeks  to  unite  all  the  Indians  on  the  other  side  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. 

"The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Diocesan  Archives,  St.  Louis, 
Missouri. 


94  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

As  a  great  many  of  these  very  fervent  and  pious  Christians 
were  going  to  emigrate  at  the  same  time,  Monseigneur  Brute 
permitted  me  to  accompany  them  to  their  new  settlement  so 
that  I  may  re-estabUsh  their  church  and  their  mission;  as 
Vicar-General  of  your  Diocese,  he  has  given  me  temporarily 
the  faculties  and  jurisdiction  which  are  necessary;  today,  Mon- 
seigneur, I  am  asking  Your  Lordship  to  confirm  these  facul- 
ties, if  you  find  it  convenient.'' 

An  emigrant  mission,  complete  in  every  way,  (like  a  nu- 
cleus, entirely  ready  for  the  attachment  of  great  hopes  of  the 
future)  is  worthy  of  the  attention  of  Your  Lordship  and  of 
those  Jesuit  Fathers  who  are  especially  charged  with  the  Indian 
Missions. 

I  am  not  coming  to  establish  a  mission  in  the  midst  of  the 
good  Indians  for  myself,  although  I  am  attached  to  them  with 
all  the  affection  of  my  priestly  heart  (they  are  my  first  mis- 
sion) ;  I  am  coming  solely  to  hold  this  mission  together  (so 
that  these  precious  souls  may  not  be  lost)  until  I  shall  be  able 
to  place  in  your  hands  or  in  the  hands  of  the  Society  of  Jesus 
this  infant  mission  to  which  I  would  gladly  consecrate  my  life, 
if  obedience,  which  is  a  happiness  for  a  priest,  did  not  call  me 
for  another  work  on  the  mission  for  which,  indeed  I  have  a 
far  less  natural  inclination. 

The  limit  fixed  by  my  bishop  for  my  return  is  next  March. 
Before  that  time,  Monseigneur,  I  beg  you  by  all  that  God 
knows  of  the  simplicity  and  the  sincere  piety,  of  the  fervor 
and  the  zeal  and  the  good  will  in  the  hearts  of  your  new  sub- 
jects to  arrange  to  send  us  a  priest  so  that  these  Christians, 
so  eager  for  the  reception  of  the  Sacraments  which  so  many 
others  neglect,  may  not  die  of  exhaustion,  like  abandoned  chil- 
dren, deprived  of  the  heavenly  nourishment  in  which  their 
souls  find  so  many  delights. 

Your  Lordship  knows  so  much  better  than  I  can  tell  you 
how  important  it  is  for  the  subsequent  development  of  the  In- 

'  The  diocese  of  St.  Louis,  of  which  Joseph  Rosati  was  Bishop,  extended 
from  the  southern  bounds  of  Arkansas  to  a  Hne  drawn  northward  from  Fort 
Massac,  Ilhnois,  near  Cairo,  to  the  southern  bounds  of  Canada,  thence 
westward  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  following  them  southward  to  the  latitude 
of  the  southern  boundary  of  Arkansas  and  eastward.  Rothensteiner,  History 
of  the  Archdiocese  of  St.  Louis,  I,  2. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  95 

dian  missions  not  to  let  them  disperse  and  perish  by  the  aban- 
donment of  that  Christianity  fully  developed  which  Providence 
sends  today  into  the  midst  of  the  nearby  Indians. 

Our  trip  is  a  harsh  experience;  we  have  much  sickness ;^^ 
two  of  the  Indians  were  buried  today.  Monseigneur,  please 
pray  God  to  sustain  us  and  to  bless  the  christian  resignation 
of  these  good  Indians  deprived  by  force  of  their  fatherland 
and  of  all  their  notions  of  blessing,  the  Faith  excepted. 

Accept,  Monseigneur,  the  assurance  of  profound  respect 
and  of  the  humble  submission  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Of  your  most  respectful  servant 

B.  Petit 
ptre.  mre. 

P.  S.  The  migration  will  likely  cross  the  Mississippi  at 
Quincy  and  our  destination  is  the  Osage  River. 

Petit  to  Father  pRANgois,  September  23,  1838 
[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA3*] 

32  MILES  WEST  OF  Danville"^  23  September,  1838 
Monsieur  and  dear  friend. 

After  these  last  few  days  of  traveling  I  am  indeed  glad  to 
have  this  opportunity  of  informing  you  of  everything  concern- 
ing us  since  I  joined  the  emigration  at  Danville. 

^The  physicians  attending  the  sick  reported  on  September  18  that  there 
were  67  sick,  47  of  whom  suffered  from  intermittent  fever,  and  that  out  of 
the  whole  number  8  appeared  dangerously  ill.  This  was  an  improvement 
from  the  thirteenth,  when  106  cases  of  sickness  had  been  recorded.  "The 
whole  cotmtry  through  which  we  pass  appears  to  be  afflicted — ,"  reads  the 
"Journal"  entry  for  September  16 ;  "every  town,  village,  and  hamlet  has  its 
invalids.  ...  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  perhaps,  that  such  a  season  for  sick- 
ness in  this  country  is  almost  unparalleled.  In  the  little  town,  adjoining 
which  we  are  encamped,  containing  a  population  of  from  eight  hundred  to 
a  thousand  four  persons  died  yesterday."  By  the  evening  of  the  nineteenth, 
seventeen  Indians  were  reported  to  have  died  since  the  emigration  began. 
"Journal,"  Indiana  Magazine  of  History,  XXI,  316-21. 

*'The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 

^"According  to  the  "Journal,"  the  party  camped  the  night  of  September 
22  at  Sidoris'  Grove,  having  traveled  forty-four  miles  since  leaving  Dan- 
ville. The  night  of  the  twenty-third  was  spent  at  Pyatt's  Point  on  the 
Sangamon  River,  fifteen  miles  further  on.  Indiana  Magazine  of  History, 
XXI,  321-28. 


96  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

A  dozen  have  died,^"  among  them  several  Indians  who  were 
baptized  in  articulo  mortis;  exterior  alleviation  was  given  to 
the  others,  almost  the  entire  band.  Today  we  were  better 
treated  because  of  a  kind  of  authority  given  me  which  I  ac- 
cepted and  am  using  for  their  good. 

It  is  indeed  far  from  my  intention  to  find  anything  to 
regret  in  Monseigneur's  decision  regarding  me;  I  think  I  am 
where  I  should  be. 

From  time  to  time  I  can  say  Holy  Mass ;  soon  I  shall  have 
my  tent  all  to  myself  and  even  be  able  to  hear  confession. 

When  we  encamp  I  am  entrusted  with  the  sick  and  assigned 
to  the  doctor  as  interpreter.^^  On  the  march  I  have  general 
supervision  over  all  and  decide  upon  whatever  can  be  alle- 
viating. 

If  you  can  obtain  a  few  days  from  Monseigneur  to  visit 
Pokagon,  it  would  be  the  most  deserving  of  your  missions.  I 
fear  they  are  bewildered;  you  would  find  Mousse^*^  there. 
Tell  him  or  write  to  him  that  I  obtained  permission  to  leave 
his  baggage  at  Danville,  but  his  son  did  not  know  where  he 
was,  and  the  heavy  expenses  of  transportation  made  us  decide 
that  the  cost  would  exceed  the  value  of  the  contents.  He  will 
be  paid  for  his  oxen  at  the  Mississippi ;  I  shall  send  him  the 
money. 

Respects  to  everyone.  Enclose  this  letter  to  Monseigneur, 
if  you  please.  I  have  seen  nothing  of  M.  Buteaux,  to  whom 
I  wanted  to  hand  it. 

'  I  have  no  more  time.    Adieu ;  pray  for  me. 

Your  brother  and  servant  in  Jesus  Christ, 

B.  Petit 
Ptre.  Mre. 

^'The  "Journal"  records  twelve  deaths  from  the  seventeenth  to  the  eve- 
ning of  the  twenty-third,  bringing  to  twenty-four  the  total  number  of 
deaths  since  the  beginning  of  the  emigration.  Indiana  Magazine  of  History, 
XXI,  321-23. 

^Petit  was  appointed  an  interpreter  for  the  emigration  on  September  22, 
and  received  $245  for  his  services.   See  his  Journal,  post,  p.  131. 

"Alexander  Mousse,  a  Catholic  half-breed,  had  married  a  daughter  of 
Pokagon.  He  acted  as  an  interpreter  for  Father  Stephen  Badin  and  was 
with  Father  Deseille  at  his  death.  Buechner,  The  Pokagons,  p.  298,  and 
note. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  97 

[Addressed:]  To  the  Revd.  Mr.  Francois  Pastor  of  the 
Cathohc  Congregation  at  Logansport  (Ina.) 

[Endorsed  by  Father  Frangois:]  M.  Petit  having  had  an 
opportunity  to  have  this  letter  delivered  to  me,  he  asks  me  to 
send  it  Your  Reverence.  My  situation  is  very  variable,  some- 
times good,  sometimes  bad.  Each  evening  I  have  had  to 
journey  all  I  could ;  I  am  falling  ill  again.  ..." 

[Postmarked,  Frangois  to  Brute,  September  30,  1838.] 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  November  13,  1838 

[Translated  from  Annales,  XI  (1838-39),  No.  lxv,  400-8] 

Osage  River,  Indian  Country, 
November   13,   1838 
Monseigneur, 

According  to  the  promise  which  you  exacted  from  me  at 
Logansport  when  I  received  your  parting  benediction,  I  have 
now  to  give  Your  Reverence  an  account  of  our  long  and  pain- 
ful journey. 

The  day  you  left  for  Bardstown,  where  the  consecration 
of  a  new  bishop  for  our  America  called  you,^®  I  started  for 
South  Bend,  where  I  had  to  get  the  little  baggage  I  needed. 
While  I  was  awaiting  the  public  stage  at  the  hotel,  a  traveler 
came  up  to  me  and  presented  me  with  a  pencil  sketch  which 
seemed  to  me  a  good  one  and  which  represented  the  confirma- 
tion ceremony  at  the  camp,  the  altar  at  the  foot  of  the  great 
tree,  the  linen  tapestries,  Monseigneur,  M.  Mueller  and  me,  our 
young  interpreter,  and  all  the  Indians,  with  their  grave,  pious 
solemn  demeanor.  I  was  asked  several  questions  about  the 
Indians'  language,  habits,  and  traditions. 

I  departed.  I  arrived  at  South  Bend  on  the  nth  [Septem- 
ber], about  noon.  At  once  I  began  preparations  for  traveling, 
and  I  devoted  part  of  the  evening  to  hearing  the  confessions 
of  several  sick  people  who  had  asked  for  me — among  them 
was  the  old  mother  of  Black  Wolf  (Makkahtahmoway),  one 
of  the  chiefs.     The  poor  woman  had  been  so  much  frightened 

'^Father  Richard  P.  Miles  was  consecrated  first  Bishop  of  Nashville  in 
the  Cathedral  of  Bardstown,  Kentucky,  on  September  16,  1838.  Godecker, 
Simon  Bruti  de  Remiir,  p.  366. 


98  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

by  a  discharge  of  musketry  ordered  by  General  Tipton  when 
he  arrested  the  savages — who  were  in  council — that  she  buried 
herself  in  the  woods  and  remained  hidden  there  for  six  days 
without  taking  nourishment.  Finally  she  found  a  dead  phea- 
sant and  ate  it.  She  had  received  a  terrible  wound  in  her  foot 
and  could  no  longer  walk.  Fortunately  a  savage  who  was 
looking  for  his  horses,  having  noticed  something  moving  in 
the  bushes,  ran  in  that  direction  and  found  the  poor  fugitive. 
He  put  her  on  his  horse  and  transported  her  safely  to  a 
Frenchman's  house  near  South  Bend,  where  I  heard  her  con- 
fession. 

The  next  morning  I  started  out  again  for  Logansport.  I 
intended  to  rejoin  the  emigrants  at  Lafayette  at  least,  but  they 
marched  so  (juickly  that  I  did  not  see  my  Indians  again  until 
Danville. 

They  were  w^alking  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river, ^"  and 
the  line  of  wagons  continued  on  the  left.  I  tried  several  times 
to  rent  a  private  carriage  to  take  my  baggage  and  me  to  Dan- 
ville—this was  in  vain.  Finally  I  had  to  go  as  far  as  Perrys- 
ville,  where,  leaving  my  luggage  behind,  I  took  advantage  of 
the  kindness  of  a  Catholic,  M.  Young,  who  offered  me  one  of 
his  horses  and  accompanied  me  to  Danville  with  some  other 
persons  who  were  drawn  by  curiosity. 

It  was  Sunday,  September  i6.  I  had  only  just  arrived 
when  a  colonel,*^  seeking  a  favorable  place  to  encamp,  appeared. 
Soon  afterward  I  saw  my  poor  Christians,  under  a  burning- 
noonday  sun,  amidst  clouds  of  dust,  marching  in  a  line,  sur- 
rounded by  soldiers  who  were  hurrying  their  steps.  Next 
came  the  baggage  wagons,  in  which  numerous  invalids,  chil- 
dren, and  women,  too  weak  to  walk,  were  crammed.  They 
encamped  half  a  mile  from  the  town,  and  in  a  short  while  I 
went  among  them. 

I  found  the  camp  just  as  you  saw  it,  Monseigneur,  at 
Logansport — a  scene  of  desolation,  with  sick  and  dying  people 

^'The  Wabash.  The  expedition  crossed  the  river  at  WilHamsport  on 
the  fifteenth.  Article  from  Terre  Haute  Courier  reprinted  in  Niles' 
National  Register,  October  6,  1838,  No.  6,  p.  88,  c.  1-2. 

"Perhaps  Colonel  J.  R.  M.  Bryant,  Tipton's  aide-de-camp.  Tipton  to 
Governor  Wallace,  September  18,  1838,  in  Indiana  Senate  Journal,  1838-39, 
pp.  727-30. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  99 

on  all  sides.  Nearly  all  the  children,  weakened  by  the  heat, 
had  fallen  into  a  state  of  complete  languor  and  depression.  I 
baptized  several  who  were  newly  born — happy  Christians,  who 
with  their  first  step  passed  from  earthly  exile  to  the  heavenly 
sojourn. 

The  General,  to  whom  I  introduced  myself,  expressed  his 
satisfaction  at  seeing  me,  and,  with  a  condescension  I  did  not 
expect,  he  arose  from  his  chair,  which  was  the  only  one  there, 
and  offered  it  to  me.  That  night  was  the  first  I  passed  in 
a  tent. 

Early  the  next  morning  they  heaped  the  Indians  into  the 
baggage  wagons,  and  everybody  mounted.  At  our  departure 
Judge  Polke,  chief  conductor,  came  to  present  me  with  a  horse 
which  the  government  had  procured  from  an  Indian  for  my 
use  along  the  way.  At  the  same  time  the  Indian  approached 
me  and  said:  "My  father,  I  give  it  to  you,  saddled  and 
bridled." 

We  departed  for  the  next  encampment,  where  several  days' 
rest  was  granted  us.  On  my  word  the  six  chiefs*"  who  had 
till  now  been  treated  as  prisoners  of  war  were  released  and 
given  the  same  kind  of  freedom  which  the  rest  of  the  tribe 
enjoyed. 

The  order  of  march*^  was  as  follows :  the  United  States 
flag,  carried  by  a  dragoon;  then  one  of  the  principal  officers, 
next  the  staff  baggage  carts,  then  the  carriage,  which  during 
the  whole  trip  was  kept  for  the  use  of  the  Indian  chiefs ;  then 
one  or  two  chiefs  on  horseback  led  a  line  of  250  or  300  horses 
ridden  by  men,  women,  children  in  single  file,  after  the  man- 
ner of  savages.  On  the  flanks  of  the  line  at  equal  distance 
from  each  other  were  the  dragoons  and  volunteers,  hastening 
the  stragglers,  often  with  severe  gestures  and  bitter  words. 
After  this  cavalry  came  a  file  of  forty  baggage  wagons  filled 
with  luggage  and  Indians.  The  sick  were  lying  in  them,  rudely 
jolted,  under  a  canvas  which,  far  from  protecting  them  from 
the  dust  and  heat,  only  deprived  them  of  air,  for  they  were  as 
if  buried  under  this  burning  canopy — several  died  thus. 

■""See  ante,  p.  Sgn. 

^'The  procession,  according  to  the  Delphi  Oracle  (September  15,  1838), 
was  nearly  three  miles  long. 


100  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

We  camped  only  six  miles  from  Danville.  There  I  had  for 
two  successive  days"  the  happiness  of  celebrating  Holy  Mass 
among  my  good  savage  children.  I  administered  to  several 
who  were  dying  and  baptized  a  few  more  infants,  and,  when 
we  quitted  this  camp  two  days  later,  we  left  behind  six  graves 
in  the  shadow  of  the  cross.  The  General  dismissed  his  little 
army  there  and  himself  departed  from  us*^ — he  had  announced 
his  intention  of  doing  so  shortly  after  my  coming. 

We  soon  found  ourselves  on  the  grand  prairies  of  Illinois, 
under  a  burning  sun  and  without  shade  from  one  camp  to 
another.  They  are  as  vast  as  the  ocean,  and  the  eye  seeks  in 
vain  for  a  tree.  Not  a  drop  of  water  can  be  found  there — it 
was  a  veritable  torture  for  our  poor  sick,  some  of  whom  died 
each  day  from  weakness  and  fatigue. 

Soon  we  began  evening  prayers  together  again,  and  the 
Americans,  attracted  by  curiosity,  were  astonished  to  find  so 
much  piety  in  the  midst  of  so  many  trials.  Our  evening  exer- 
cises consisted  of  a  chapter  of  the  catechism,  prayer,  and  the 
hymn, 

"In  thy  protection  do  we  trust, 
O  Virgin,  meek  and  mild," 
which  I  intoned  in  Indian  and  which  was  repeated  by  the 
whole  audience  with  a  vigor  which  these  new  Christians  bring 
to  all  their  religious  acts. 

Often  throughout  the  entire  night,  around  a  blazing  fire, 
before  a  tent  in  which  a  solitary  candle  burned,  fifteen  or 
twenty  Indians  would  sing  hymns  and  tell  their  beads.  One 
of  their  friends  who  had  died  was  laid  out  in  the  tent;  they 
performed  the  last  religious  rites  for  him  in  this  way.  The 
next  morning  the  grave  would  be  dug;  the  family,  sad  but 
tearless,  stayed  after  the  general  departure;  the  priest,  attired 
in  his  stole,  recited  prayers,  blessed  the  grave,  and  cast  the  first 
shovelful  of  earth  on  the  rude  coffin;  the  pit  was  filled  and  a 

"The  expedition  reached  Sandusky  Point,  six  miles  beyond  Danville, 
on  September  17,  and  remained  there  until  the  twentieth.  "Journal,"  Indiana 
Magazine  of  History,  XXI,  321. 

"Tipton  returned  to  Logansport  on  the  twentieth,  leaving  fifteen  of  his 
volunteers  behind  at  Polke's  request  to  keep  order  and  guard  the  camp  at 
night.  Ibid.,  XXI,  321 ;  Tipton  to  Governor  Wallace,  September  18,  1838,  in 
Indiana  Senate  Journal,  1838-39,  pp.  727-30. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  101 

little  cross  placed  there.  The  curious  inhabitants,  for  whom 
everything  in  the  depths  of  these  deserts  is  a  spectacle,  moved, 
despite  their  prejudices,  by  these  poor  yet  imposing  solem- 
nities of  the  dead,  would  end  by  raising  their  hats,  and  the 
smile  of  scorn  would  turn  to  a  sort  of  grave  and  religious 
astonishment. 

Sunday  mornings,  when  the  lack  of  good  water  (more  than 
once  our  horses  refused  to  drink  water  which  we  had  left)  or 
some  other  motive  forced  us  to  continue  the  march,  I  was 
granted  a  two  hours'  delay.*^  The  Indians  would  attend  Holy 
Sacrifice,  during  which  they  astonished  the  ears  of  the  spec- 
tators by  singing  hymns,  some  of  which — for  me  at  least — 
had  a  sweet  harmony  indeed.  I  preached  briefly  on  the  Gospel 
of  the  day,  recommended  that  they  tell  their  beads  along  the 
way — then  I  folded  up  my  chapel,  the  tents  were  dismantled, 
and  everybody  mounted.  Ordinarily  we  did  not  travel  on  Sun- 
day— the  Mass  was  then  preceded  by  the  morning  prayer  and 
the  catechism,  followed  by  the  rosary.  In  the  afternoon  they 
would  again  assemble  for  the  catechism.  Vespers  were  sung 
in  Indian,  the  rosary  followed,  then  the  evening  prayer  and 
a  short  sermon,  which  once  or  twice  I  allowed  myself  to  pro- 
nounce without  an  interpreter — to  the  great  delight  of  my 
listeners. 

I  could  not  help  feeling  elated  on  the  way  at  the  attentions 
of  the  Catholics.  When  we  camped  near  a  town  where  some 
lived,  they  would  come  to  see  me  at  our  encampment,  invite  me 
to  breakfast  before  our  departure  the  next  day,  and  indeed  do 
ail  in  their  power  to  show  their  joy  at  seeing  a  priest.  A  few 
days'  journey  from  the  Illinois  River  I  was  stricken  with 
fever.  An  old  Frenchman  came  to  the  camp  and  made  me 
promise,  by  the  force  of  his  pleading,  to  take  a  few  days'  rest 
at  his  home.  The  next  morning  he  introduced  his  wife.  He 
had  brought  his  carriage  to  take  me  away,  but  the  fear  of  again 

^On  October  9,  the  chiefs  requested  that  on  Sundays  the  party  remain 
in  camp  so  that  devotional  exercises  could  be  held.  This  was  complied  with 
on  the  three  succeeding  Sundays.  On  Sunday,  November  4,  provisions  being 
scarce  and  the  journey  being  so  nearly  completed,  the  party  moved  on  after 
a  two-hour  devotional  period.  "Journal,"  Indiana  Magazine  of  History, 
XXI,  327-34. 


102  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

finding  myself  behind  the  emigration  and  the  difficulties  of 
rejoining  it  made  me  reply  with  a  definite  refusal.*'  We  had 
hardly  arrived  at  Naples,  where  we  crossed  the  Illinois,  than  a 
Protestant,  married  to  a  French  Catholic  woman  from  Vin- 
cennes.  learning  that  a  sick  priest  was  among  the  emigrants 
stationed  there  for  two  days,  came  to  offer  me  his  house. ''^  I 
accepted,  and,  thanks  to  the  care  lavished  on  me,  my  fever 
was  cut  short. 

I  took  the  public  stage  at  Naples  and  started  in  advance 
for  Quincy  in  order  to  complete  my  cure  by  a  few  days'  rest  in 
that  town.  There  I  met  a  German  priest,  M.  Brickwedde,  and 
a  German  congregation,  who  received  me  with  a  welcome  hard 
to  imagine.*''  I  was  also  well  greeted  by  some  American  Cath- 
olics and  by  several  of  the  town's  richest  Protestants,  who 
offered  me  their  hospitality.^" 

When  the  Indians  arrived  at  Quincy,  the  inhabitants,  who 
compared  this  emigration  with  previous  ones,  could  not  help 
expressing  their  surprise  at  the  modesty  of  our  Christians,  their 
calmness,  and  their  general  demeanor.  A  Catholic  lady,  ac- 
companied by  a  Protestant  friend,  made  the  sign  of  the  cross, 
symbolizing  religious  fraternity.  Immediately  the  Indian 
women  came  up  to  shake  their  hands  cordially;  the  savages 
never  fail  to  do  this  when  they  encounter  Catholics.  The 
Protestant  lady  wanted  to  do  as  much  and  tried  the  sign  of 
the  cross,  but,  betrayed  by  her  lack  of  practice,  she  could  not 
succeed.  At  once  an  Indian,  who  knew  some  English,  went  up 
to  her  and  said,  "You  nothing."    It  was  true. 

One  day  Judge  Polke,  our  principal  officer,  introduced  one 
of  his  friends,  a  Baptist  minister.  I  was  in  my  tent,  sur- 
rounded as  usual  by  Indians.     He  wanted  to  shake  hands  with 

*'See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  129. 

'"A.  M.  Craft.    Post,  p.  129. 

^"Father  Augustus  Florentius  Brickwedde  was  born  in  Hanover  in  1805, 
and  ordained  a  priest  in  the  Cathedral  of  Hildesheim,  September  20,  1830. 
He  came  to  St.  Louis  in  1837,  having  heard  of  the  great  need  for  missionaries 
among  the  German  colonists  in  America.  Bishop  Rosati  sent  him  to  Quincy 
to  found  a  German  parish — said  to  be  the  first  national  parish  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley — where  he  remained  until  1849.  Rothensteiner,  History 
of  the  Archdiocese  of  St.  Louis,  I,  615-25. 

°"See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  130. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  103 

the  Indians,  and  I  told  them  to  approach — that  he  called  him- 
self their  friend.  Then,  as  if  he  must  make  a  sensation,  this 
minister,  with  that  commanding  enthusiasm  in  which  his  kind 
are  never  lacking,  cried:  "Ah,  they  are  bone  of  my  bone, 
flesh  of  my  flesh!  I  truly  feel  here  [putting  his  hand  on  his 
heart]  that  I  love  humankind.  Young  man,  may  God  bless 
your  labors  among  them — make  them  better  than  they  are." 
When  he  had  gone,  I  told  my  Indians  that  he  was  a  Protestant 
minister.  At  this  all  who  had  shaken  hands  with  him  replied 
with  a  grimace. 

One  evening  I  was  waiting  in  my  tent  for  evening-prayer 
time  when  two  young  men  introduced  themselves  to  me — they 
were  compatriots  recently  arrived  from  France,  and  by  the 
steamboat  captain's  inadvertence  they  had  been  carried  to  In- 
dependence instead  of  New  Orleans.  They  were  now  proceed- 
ing to  their  destination.  These  gentlemen  spoke  and  understood 
very  little  English ;  this  made  their  position  difficult  in  this 
distant  land.  While  passing  along  the  road,  they  had  seen  our 
tents  and  fires.  "Perhaps  it  is  a  fair,"  they  had  said  to  each 
other,  and,  curious  as  all  Frenchmen,  they  had  come  to  see. 
Then,  very  much  surprised  to  hear  some  halfbreeds  conversing 
in  French,  they  had  spoken  to  them,  and,  learning  there  was 
a  French  priest  here,  they  had  themselves  brought  to  me.  I 
greeted  them  as  well  as  possible.  We  spoke  of  our  country; 
I  invited  them  to  supper,  following  which  they  attended  public 
prayer  with  much  edification.  They  went  a  little  way  off  to 
retire.  They  were  somewhat  frightened  by  the  state  of  the 
countryside,  which  was  all  in  arms.  The  majority  of  the 
Protestants  in  the  country  had  resolved  to  exterminate  or  at 
least  expel  certain  sectarians  called  Mormons,  who  refused  to 
submit  to  the  tax  and  the  public  charges.''^ 

^^As  early  as  183 1  the  Mormons  began  establishing  themselves  in 
Jackson  County,  Missouri.  Driven  out  in  1833,  they  set  up  their  head- 
quarters in  Caldwell  County,  and  in  1837  founded  a  town  called  Far  West. 
Another  settlement  was  made  in  Daviess  County.  On  August  6,  1838,  there 
was  an  election-day  clash  between  Mormons  and  citizens  in  Daviess  County. 
After  a  series  of  such  incidents  the  Mormons  petitioned  Governor  Lilburn 
W.  Boggs  for  protection,  while  the  Missourians  petitioned  for  their  ejection 
from  the  state.  On  September  15  militia  were  sent  to  the  scene,  suppressing 
hostilities  in  Daviess  County,  but  disorder  had  spread  into  Carroll  County, 


104  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

About  half  a  mile  from  our  camp  my  two  Frenchmen 
came  to  the  edge  of  a  prairie  fire  and  saw  a  great  number  of 
men  beating  the  ground  with  sticks  and  running  to  and  fro 
amidst  the  flames  to  keep  the  fire  from  the  fences  of  their 
fields.  They  thought  they  were  witnessing  a  frightful  battle, 
and  they  returned  to  our  camp  to  ask  if  there  was  any  safety 
for  them.  I  reassured  them,  explained  what  had  frightened 
them,  and  they  left,  still  fearing  that  they  would  be  taken  for 
Mormon  spies,  among  whom  there  were,  they  said,  many 
French. 

As  for  us,  the  next  day  we  heard  artillery  and  rifle  shots. 
We  saw  armed  troops  coming  to  formation  from  every  direc- 
tion, and  about  sixty  mules — booty  taken  the  day  before  from 
the  Mormons.  We  passed  quietly  through  this  theater  of 
fanatic  battles,  although  at  our  arrival  a  message  had  come 
asking  that  the  Indians  join  the  troops  who  were  attacking  the 
Mormons. ^'^    This  request  was  wisely  rejected. 

As  long  as  we  marched  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, the  heat  was  excessive,  the  weather  sultry,  the  water  bad. 
On  the  opposite  bank  the  temperature  was  cooler — sometimes 
becoming  even  cold — and  this  change  produced  happy  effects 
on  the  health  of  the  Indians.     After  arriving  in  Missouri,  we 

where  the  Mormons  were  holding  the  town  of  De  Witt  against  a  force  of  two 
or  three  hundred.  Because  of  food  shortage  they  surrendered  without  battle 
and  removed  to  Far  West,  arriving  on  October  12.  On  October  15  a  company 
of  one  hundred  men  organized  at  Far  West,  went  into  Daviess  County, 
plundering  and  burning  the  town  of  Gallatin.  On  October  26  the  militia  were 
again  called  out,  and  four  days  later  the  Mormons  surrendered  without  battle 
and  agreed  to  leave  Far  West  within  ten  days.  They  were  permitted  to 
winter  in  Caldwell  County,  but  had  to  leave  the  state  the  following  spring. 
They  turned  eastward  to  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  the  scene  of  the  next  chapter  of 
Mormon  history.  Rollin  J.  Britton,  "Early  Days  on  Grand  River  and  the 
Mormon  War,"  Missouri  Historical  Rcz'icw,  XIII  (1919),  112-34,  287-310, 
388-98;  XIV  (1920),  89-110,  233-45,  459-73. 

^^The  "Journal"  dates  this  incident  on  October  25 :  "Sometime  after  our 
encampment  the  Conductor  was  waited  upon  by  a  gentleman,  who  it  appeared 
had  been  delegated  by  the  citizens  of  Richmond  (a  village  near  us)  to  request 
assistance  as  they  really  anticipated  an  attack  from  the  Mormons  tonight. 
Judge  Police  informed  the  gentleman  that  such  a  step  on  his  part  would  be 
entirely  without  the  line  of  his  duty."  Indiana  Magazine  of  History,  XXI, 
332. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  105 

had  hardly  any  sick.°^  The  Indians  were  permitted  to  hunt  on 
the  way,  and  from  the  IlHnois  River  almost  to  the  limits  of 
the  Indian  Territory  they  destroyed  many  deer,  turkey  cocks, 
and  pheasants  in  a  magnificent  hunting  ground.  But  we  had 
the  misfortune  of  finding  that  in  the  outskirts  of  the  country 
assigned  to  them  game  became  scarcer  and  scarcer,  and  no 
woods  were  seen  other  than  little  clusters  on  the  banks  of 
brooks  which  flowed  far  from  each  other  in  these  vast  prairies. 

At  a  day's  journey  from  the  Osage  River  Father  Hoecken,"'* 
of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  came  to  meet  us.  He  speaks  Potawa- 
tomi  and  Kickapoo.  He  announced  his  intention  of  leaving 
Kickapoo  country,  where  he  has  resided,  to  establish  himself 
among  my  Christians. 

Thus,  Monseigneur,  your  aim  and  mine  have  been  achieved. 
This  young  Christendom,  in  the  midst  of  the  anguish  of  exile 
and  the  ravages  of  epidemic,  has  received  all  the  aid  of  religion. 
The  sick  have  been  anointed,  the  soil  which  covers  the  ashes 
of  the  dead  is  consecrated,  faith  and  the  practice  of  religious 
duties  have  been  maintained,  even  in  their  temporal  sorrows 
he  whom  these  poor  people  call  their  father  has  had  the  con- 
solation of  often  being  able  to  render  assistance.  And  now, 
left  in  the  able  hands  of  the  Jesuit  fathers,  they  need  not  regret 
the  violent  blow  which  has  torn  them  from  us — from  the  coun- 
try, as  they  say,  where  their  fathers  rest — to  leave  them  once 
more  in  the  hands  of  the  same  priests  who,  more  than  a  century 
ago,  established  traditions  so  favorable  to  Catholicism  in  the 
heart  of  these  tribes.  You  wished,  Monseigneur,  only  for  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  these  Christians.  I  looked 
for  nothing  else.   Let  us  hope  your  wishes  will  be  fulfilled. 

'"October  9  was  spent  in  ferrying  the  Mississippi.  One  death  is  recorded 
on  the  eleventh,  one  on  the  twenty-eighth,  one  on  November  5,  and  two  on 
November  6,  certainly  an  indication  that  the  health  of  the  Indians  had 
improved.    Ibid.,  XXI,  327-35. 

"Father  Christian  Hoecken  was  born  in  Upper  Brabant.  At  this  time 
he  was  only  twenty-eight  years  old — about  the  age  of  Petit.  He  had  aided 
Father  Van  Quickenborne  in  conducting  the  Kickapoo  mission,  but  de- 
spite the  good  work  of  the  fathers  it  had  not  been  successful,  and  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Potawatomi  on  the  Osage  River.  He  died  in  1851  on  a 
journey  to  the  Far  West.  Ante,  pp.  50-5 in.  Rothensteincr,  History  of  the 
Archiocese  of  St.  Louis,  I,  647,  683,  687-88. 


106  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Having  left  on  September  4,  we  arrived  November  4.  The 
number  of  Indians  at  our  departure  was  about  800.  Some 
escaped,  and  about  30*^^  died — I  do  not  think  their  number 
exceeded  650  at  their  arrival. 

Awaiting  Your  Reverence's  order,  which  will  separate  me 
from  my  children,  I  am,  Monseigneur,  with  the  deepest  respect, 

Your  Reverence's  priest  and  son  in  Jesus  and  Mary, 

B.  Petit 

Petit  to  John  Tipton,  November  26,  1838 

[ISL:  Tipton  Papers— photostat  of  ALS^^] 

Potavvatomi  creek,  Indian  Country 

26th  Qber    1838 

To  HIS  HONOUR  General  J.  Tipton  member  of  the  senate 
OF  U.  S. 

General,  Owing  to  the  encouragement  you  gave  me,  when 
I  was  honoured  with  taking  leave  from  your  honour,  I  dare 
to  day  take  the  liberty  of  reminding  you  of  the  engagements 
you  have  taken  towards  me  as  a  catholic  missionary  in  behalf 
of  the  Governement  of  U.  S.^^  It  is  not  that  I  think  you  may 
have  forgotten  them,  but  I  know  it  is  very  useful  for  us  to  call 
on  your  Credit,  for  otherwise  we  cannot  look  for  an  imme- 
diate execution  of  these  engagements,  operations,  when  left  to 
themselves,  going  on  very  slow  in  the  department  of  Indian 
affairs.  It  would  then  be  extremely  agreable  to  us,  if  you 
would  urge  the  execution  in  regard  to  building  a  church  and 
a  dwelling  house  for  the  Priest. 

Now,  I  must  also  apply  to  you  that  you  may  be  kind  to 
recommend  to  the  governement  the  propriety  of  an  allocation 
made  for  the  support  of  the  catholic  missionary  from  the 
Education  fund — similar  allocations  are  made  for  other  de- 
nominations, and  we  are  here  in  fuller  operation  than  any  one 
of  them  which  I  know  of — how  proper  is  that  allocation  can- 
not be  matter  of  doubt !  in  this  new  country,  a  man  can  live 

"The  total  number  of  deaths  recorded  in  the  "Journal"  is  43.  Indiana 
Magazine  of  History,  XXI,  317-35. 

°*The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Indian  Office,  Letters  Received, 
Schools. 

°'See  ante,  pp.  SS-Syn. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  107 

only  by  farming  but  a  catholic  missionary  cannot  be  a  farmer ; 
and  whilst  his  neighbour  the  protestant  minister  will  work, 
six  days  of  the  week,  to  the  improvements  of  his  farm  and  to 
the  support  of  his  family ;  the  Priest  will  consecrate  every 
moment  of  every  day  to  the  instruction  of  his  flock,  to  visiting 
the  sick,  or  to  prepare  himself  by  studying,  reading  and  learn- 
ing. If  of  course  the  catholic  priest  be  not  supported  by  his 
flock,  and  who  could  say  that  these  poor  Indians  are  able  to 
support  him,  he  must  necessarily  or  live  on  nothing,  or  give  up. 
Of  the  propriety  of  such  an  allocation,  it  is  not  necessary  to 
speak  any  more,  everyone  understands  it. 

An  allocation  of  300  dollars  per  annum,  had  been  made  in 
behalf  of  the  missionary  on  Yellow  river ;  when  Bishop  Brute 
applied  to  the  department  that  the  sum  would  be  paid.  It  was 
answered  that  I  had  been  reported  as  opposing  the  action  of 
the  Government,  and  that  consequently  nothing  should  be  al- 
lowed to  me;'^  now,  if  you  think,  that  I  can  get  that  money; 
for  you  know  well,  from  the  facts,  that,  in  all  that,  I  have 
been  heavily  misrepresented ;  be  kind  to  do  for  me  what  you 
can;  it  is  indeed  nothing  but  justice,  to  repay  me  my  expenses 
of  the  last  year,  during  which  I  was  supported  by  Bishop 
Brute  and  myself,  whilst  in  the  meanwhile  funds  were  appro- 
priated for  my  support.  My  conduct  must  make  you  know, 
what  were  all  these  accusations  brought  against  me. 

I  am  happy  to  inform  you,  General,  that  I  met  here  a 
Father  Jesuit^^  sent  by  the  society,  who  is  specially  intrusted 
with  the  care  of  these  Indian  missions;  he  will  make  his  resi- 
dence amongst  these  Indians ;  the  society  has  the  intention  to 
put  up  a  school,  and  to  spare  nothing  for  the  improvement  of 
these  good  Indians;  for  any  person  who  is  a  little  acquainted 
with  the  Jesuits,  it  is  no  doubt  that  they  will  be  successful  in 
their  mission  here,  as  well  as  any  where  else ;  their  preceding 
success  in  anything  of  that  kind  are  a  sure  guarantee  for  the 
future.  It  is  in  their  hands  that  I  will  commit,  with  confi- 
dence these  Christians  of  whom  God  called  me  to  be  the  pastor 
for  a  while ;  and  it  is  to  them  and  for  them  as  my  successors 
that  I  claim  the  execution  of  the  Government's  engagements, 

'^Ante,  p.  85n. 
'^''Father  Hoecken. 


108  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

and  the  allocation  for  the  support  of  the  priest,  the  promising 
prospect  of  this  mission  deserves  to  be  patronized  by  the  Gov- 
ernment.— If  by  any  chance  you  could  get  the  300  dollars  allo- 
cated for  the  mission  on  Yellow  river,  be  kind  [enough  to] 
direct  them  to  Bishop  Brute,  Vincennes. 

Hoping  that  you  will  patronize  these  our  just  claims,®"  I 
am  General,  of  your  honour,  and  with  a  high  consideration 
The  humble  servant 

B :  Petit 
ptre  mre 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  November  26,  1838 

[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA^i] 

Osage  River,  26  November,  1838 

MONSEIGNEUR, 

I  am  sending  you  herewith  a  kind  of  detailed  account  of 
our  emigration;  if,  as  you  told  me,  you  deem  it  proper  to  send 
it  to  Les  Annates  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foi,^'^  correct,  cut, 

""Tipton  forwarded  Petit's  letter  to  T.  Hartley  Crawford,  Commissioner 
of  Indian  Affairs,  on  December  29,  and  wrote:  "I  know  not  what  grounds 
there  may  have  been  to  Justify  the  opinion  given  to  your  Dept  in  1836  that 
he  Mr  P  oppose  the  removal  of  the  Indians  from  la.  [Petit  was  not  at  the 
mission  in  1836;  it  was  Father  Deseille.]  I  am  hapy  to  inform  you  that 
his  conduct  at  the  time  aiid  since  I  was  engaged  in  the  Emigration  has  been 
such  as  to  convince  every  one  that  he  entered  heartily  into  the  removal  and 
was  very  usefull  in  reconcileing  the  Indians  and  in  adminestering  to  the 
sick  &  afflicted  on  thier  Journey  west,  allow  me  therefore  to  urge  the 
subject  on  the  consideration  of  the  Dept  ...  In  relation  to  the  civilization 
fund  ...  I  suggest  the  propriety  and  the  Justice  of  allowing  four  hundred 
dollars  pr  anum  ...  to  be  expended  under  the  direction  of  the  Revnd 
Bishop  Brute  of  Vincennes."  Tipton  Papers.  The  Secretary  of  War,  to 
whom  the  matter  was  submitted,  allowed  $300  to  be  expended  by  Brute 
for  the  Potawatomi  mission,  the  expense  of  erecting  a  house  and  a  chapel 
to  be  defrayed  from  the  amount.  Six  hundred  dollars  was  allowed  by 
Congress  for  the  building  of  new  cabins  in  compensation  for  those  burned  at 
the  village  on  the  Yellow  River.  John  Tipton  to  Petit,  January  25,  1839, 
and  T.  Hartley  Crawford  to  Tipton,  March  30,  1839,  Tipton  Papers.  Ante, 
p.  88n. 

"The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 

**Petit's  letters  of  November  13  (ante,  pp.  97-106)  and  26  were  both 
entrusted  to  Polke  for  delivery.  The  first  was  published  in  the  Annales  as 
suggested.     Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  131. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  109 

or  expand  it  as  you  please :  for  example,  supply  a  brief  ex- 
planation of  the  events  which  led  up  to  it,  a  brief  description 
of  the  confirmation  at  the  camp*'^  (coming  from  you,  this 
would  make  a  good  introduction),  then  a  note  on  the  Mor- 
mons, and  finally  whatever  you  think  appropriate. 

Among  the  blessings  which  the  good  Lord  granted  me 
during  the  journey  (I  must  tell  you  everything)  were  some 
tests  of  endurance :  I  was  taken  with  fever  twice,**  and  I  had 
an  inflammation  of  one  eye  which  for  more  than  a  month 
kept  me  from  my  breviary  and  made  the  celebration  of  the  Holy 
mysteries  extremely  painful  and  difficult.  This  inflammation 
of  the  eyes  is  an  almost  inevitable  result  of  the  dust,  sun,  and 
wind  in  the  prairies;  several  Indians  even  suffered  from  it. 
Then  toward  the  end  I  came  to  a  kind  of  exhaustion — without 
strength,  without  vigor.  Today,  since  our  arrival,  I  have  been 
afflicted  with  fever  again,  and  I  cannot  get  rid  of  it,  although 
I  have  left  my  tent  for  a  house"^  somewhat  better,  but  even 
here  one  is  occasionally  too  much  exposed  to  the  wind.  The 
savages  are  going  to  build  a  hut  for  the  Father®*'  and  me,  near 
the  temporary  church  they  have  just  erected;*'^  it  will  be  more 
comfortable.  I  was  so  feverish  that  my  body  was  covered 
with  a  kind  of  boil  as  large  as  one's  thumb  and  in  a  state  of 
infection  which  tired  me  so  much  that  I  was  not  comfortable 
in  any  position.  Today  the  greater  number  of  them  are  healed, 
and  I  hope  to  be  better  soon.  The  Father,  who  is  a  doctor,  is 
treating  me,  but  I  am  extremely  weak. 

How  many  times  in  the  weakness  of  this  suffering  I  have 
thought  of  France  and  even  of  Vincennes!  I  am  a  gourmand 
in  imagination  only,  for  here  only  the  bare  necessities  are  to 

*'The  confirmation  ceremony  which  Brute  held  at  the  Indian  camp  out- 
side Logansport.    See  ante,  p.  92. 

"These  attacks  occurred  between  September  25  and  October  3  and 
October  12  and  15.     Petit's  Journal,  post,  pp.  129-30. 

'"See  Petit's  Journal,  post,  p.  131. 

"■Father  Hoecken. 

•"A  temporary  chapel  was  immediately  erected  by  the  Indians  on  the 
banks  of  Potawatomi  Creek,  a  structure  forty  feet  long  and  twenty-two 
feet  wide.  Shanties  made  of  wood,  bark,  and  canvas  were  put  up  for  shelters. 
Rothensteiner,  History  of  the  Archdiocese  of  St.  Louis,  I,  683 ;  Thomas  H. 
Kinsella,  The  History  of  Our  Cradle  Land  (Kansas  City,  1921),  p.  227. 


no  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

be  had.  Things  will  be  better,  I  hope,  and  in  a  little  while  I 
shall  take  near  you,  at  Vincennes,  the  rest  I  need  so  much  to 
prepare  myself  for  new  labors;  or  (who  knows?)  perhaps  T 
shall  recover  my  strength  here,  and  my  health  will  be  com- 
pletely restored. 

I  am  sorry  to  learn,  by  one  of  your  recent  letters,  of  Messrs. 
de  la  Hailandiere's  and  Vabret's  bad  health ;  I  hope  they  are 
better  now  and  that  I  shall  find  you  all  well. 

As  for  my  Indians,  they  are  in  general  well  and,  as  in  the 
past,  full  of  zeal.  They  are  the  consolation  of  Father  Hoecken, 
whose  mission  for  the  last  two  years  has  been  nothing  but  a 
trial,  almost  devoid  of  consolations;^**  after  the  thorns,  he  will 
have  the  rose. 

I  have  not  received  the  letters  you  mentioned  in  your  last; 
if  you  have  the  goodness  to  write  to  me,  my  address  is  B. 
Petit,  Catholic  Missionary  at  the  Potawatomi  Village  at  the 
Osage  River,  Post  Office  at  Westport,^^  Missouri. 

Accept,  Monseigneur,  my  respectful  homage  and  entire 
submission,  and  deign  to  pray  for  your  child  and  priest, 

B.  Petit 
Ptre.  Mre. 

[Addressed:]  To  the  Right  Revd.  Bishop  Brute  Vincennes 
(Knox  Cty.)  Indiana. 

Petit  to  Bishop  Brute,  January   i8,   1839 

[Translated  from  photostat  of  ALS,  UNDA'^"] 

St.  Louis,  18  January,  1839 
Monseigneur, 

I  received  your  valued  letter  dated  November  6  last  only 
on  December  23  following.     The  good  Lord  having  delivered 

"'The  Kickapoo  mission  had  not  been  successful.  Several  things  con- 
tributed to  its  failure — the  hostile  attitude  of  the  head  chief,  Pashishi,  the 
Indians'  passion  for  strong  drink  and  their  general  moral  degradation,  and 
finally  lack  of  funds  and  lack  of  co-operation  on  the  part  of  the  government. 
Rothensteiner,  History  of  the  Archiocese  of  St.  Louis,  I,  650. 

""Westport,  novir  Kansas  City,  about  forty-five  miles  northeast  of 
Pottawatomie  Creek. 

™The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis. 
A  somewhat  altered  version  is  printed  in  Annales,  XI  (1838-39),  No.  lxv, 
396-97- 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  111 

me  from  the  fever^^  three  days  previously,  the  solemnity  of  a 
recall  addressed  by  his  Bishop  to  a  priest  who  wishes  to  live 
only  with  obedience  all  his  life,  and  the  circumstances  of 
Messrs.  Vabret's  and  de  la  Hailandiere's  departure,^^  left  no 
room  for  doubt  in  either  Father  Hoecken  or  me  that  I  should 
depart  as  soon  as  possible.  January  2,  after  part  of  the  festivi- 
ties, was  the  date  settled  upon,  and  I  tried  to  prepare  myself 
for  it  as  well  as  possible  by  rest  and  light  exercise.   .    .    . 

After  a  horseback  ride  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  I 
found  it  impossible  to  continue  thus  on  the  journey :  my  weak- 
ness was  growing  worse  every  day.  I  was  accompanied  by  an 
Indian, ^^  who  is  returning  to  Logansport ;  he  sent  his  horse 
back,  and  mine  was  then  tied  behind  the  stage.  After  coming 
rather  painfully  to  Jefferson  City,  we  sojourned  there  a  day. 
Then  an  open  wagon,  ostensibly  a  stage,  carried  us  through 
rain  and  over  frightful  roads  to  St.  Louis. ^*  The  good  Lord 
permitted  me  to  make  this  journey  with  an  open  sore  on  the 
seat,  another  on  the  thigh,  and  a  third  on  the  leg — the  re- 
mainder of  the  numerous  sores  which  covered  my  whole  body 
during  my  illness  at  the  Osage  River. 

I  arrived  at  St.  Louis  exhausted  and  suffering  a  great  deal 
from  all  these  sores,  which  had  not  improved  much  during  the 
journey.  I  was  received  like  a  brother  by  the  Jesuits, ^^  of 
whom  Father  Hoecken  had  given  me  to  understand  I  could  not 
fail  to  ask  hospitality.  I  was  immediately  given  over  to  the 
medical  treatment  I  urgently  needed  at  the  hands  of  their  hos- 
pital attendant,  who  is  also  a  doctor.  Already,  after  three  days 
of  rest,  I  feel  an  improvement  which  Providence  will,  I  hope, 

"This  was  Petit's  fourth  attack,  which  lasted  from  December  12  to 
December  20.    Ante,  p.  131. 

■'"Father  Vabret,  suffering  from  lung  trouble,  had  gone  South  for  the 
winter,  and  Brute  had  dispatched  Father  de  la  Hailandiere,  his  vicar-general, 
to  Europe  to  seek  more  missionaries  and  financial  aid.  Godecker,  Simon 
Brute  de  Remur,  p.  370. 

"Abraham  Burnett.     See  postscript  below  and  ante,  p.  I2n. 

"Reached  on  January  15.  Father  John  Anthony  Elet  to  Bishop  Brute, 
February  15,  1839.  Photostat  in  University  of  Notre  Dame  Archives  from 
original  in  Chancery  Office,  Indianapolis.  Elet  was  president  of  St.  Louis 
University  at  this  time. 

"Petit  was  received  and  cared  for  by  the  members  of  the  Society  of 
Jesus  at  their  university  in  St.  Louis. 


112  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

augment  so  that  I  may  avail  myself  shortly  of  a  steamboat, 
when  the  Wabash  is  open,  to  pay  my  respects  to  you  and,  by 
my  return  at  your  first  call,  to  fulfill  that  condition  of  obedi- 
ence under  which  you  permitted  me  to  make  a  journey  so 
fruitful  in  blessings,  with  the  provision  that  I  employ  well  the 
favors  of  my  Lord. 

The  Indian  who  is  the  bearer  of  this  letter  is  one  of  my 
children ;  he  has  showered  tender  attentions  on  me  in  my  misery 
throughout  the  journey.  Welcomed  here  like  a  brother  and 
son,  he  will  doubtless  receive  the  same  consideration  from 
Your  Fatherhood.  The  horse  he  rides  is  mine  ;"'^  he  should 
leave  it  at  Vincennes,  where  he  will  take  my  old  Tom,  if  he  is 
still  there,  to  complete  his  journey.  In  case  Tom  is  no  longer 
there,  you  will  have  the  goodness  to  supply  what  money  he 
needs  to  buy  another ;  I  shall  reimburse  you  myself  later. 

I  have  been  visited  by  Mgrs.  Rosati  and  Loras,''  who, 
knowing  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  do  them  homage,  did  not 
disdain  to  call  upon  your  poor  priest  themselves.  Tomorrow 
M.  Nicolet  is  also  coming  to  see  me  in  order  to  get  informa- 
tion I  can  give  him  about  the  Indians.  I  really  feel  shamed 
by  all  these  visits;  I  am  consulted  concerning  missions,  and  I 
shrink  from  the  subject.  I  should  like  so  much  to  be  silent 
when  I  fear  that  importance  is  attached  to  my  answers. 

I  received  your  last,  Monseigneur,  at  Westport,  as  I  was 
leaving.  I  recognized  all  the  tenderness  and  solicitude  of  your 
paternal  goodness,  which  was  already  so  well  known  to  my 
heart. 

I  close,  thinking  that  I  shall  be  restored  in  a  fortnight,  and 
that,  when  the  Wabash  opens,  I  shall  have  the  long-denied 
happiness  of  receiving  your  benediction. 

While  awaiting  that  moment,  accept,  Monseigneur,  the  as- 
surance of  the  respectful  obedience  and  submission  of  your 
priest  and  son  in  Jesus  and  Mary. 

B.  Petit 
Ptre.  Mre. 

"See  Journal,  post,  p.  131. 

"Pierre  Jean  Mathias  Loras,  Bishop  of  Dubuque.  The  Catholic  Encyclo- 
pedia, V  (igog),  180;  Kempker,  "Catholic  Missionaries  ...  of  Iowa," 
Annals  of  Iowa,  X,  56-58. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  113 

Mgr.  Loras  will  soon  reply  to  your  last  letter.  Mgr.  Rosati 
would  like  you  to  send  the  plan  of  the  church  at  Frederick'^ 
which  you  have,  or  which  he  thinks  you  can  procure  for  him. 

[Addressed :]  To  the  Right  Revd.  Bishop  Brute  Vin- 
cennes  (Knox  Cty.)  Indiana.  Care  of  Abraham  Burnett,  my 
Potawatomi  companion  and  son.    B.  P. 

"St.  John's  Church  at  Frederick,  Maryland.  Brute  had  attended  consecra- 
tion ceremonies  there  in  April,  1837.  Godecker,  Simon  Brute  dc  Rcmur, 
pp.  308-9. 


CONCLUSION 

FATHER  Petit  did  not  live  to  see  his  Bishop  again.  Ex- 
hausted by  his  strenuous  journey  and  weakened  by  succes- 
sive attacks  of  fever,  he  died  at  St.  Louis  on  February  lo, 
1839.  He  was  not  quite  twenty-nine  years  old.  On  February 
18  Father  Elet  sent  an  account  of  his  death  to  Bishop  Brute  :^ 

"I  have  absolutely  no  doubt  that  Your  Reverence  has  re- 
ceived our  good  Father  Carroll's  letter  revealing  the  great  loss 
your  diocese  has  just  suffered  in  the  person  of  M.  Petit.  It 
remains  for  me  to  narrate  the  consoling  and  edifying  details 
of  his  last  moments  in  order  to  lessen  the  pain  which  such  a 
loss  must  have  caused  your  paternal  heart. 

''M.  Petit  arrived  at  St.  Louis  on  January  15  (I  believe), 
not  only  exhausted  but  reduced  by  fever,  which  he  had  had 
three  times  in  four  months,  to  a  pitiable  state.  .  .  .  God  in 
His  goodness  must  have  given  him  strength  which  his  body  no 
longer  possessed  in  order  that  he  might  have  the  consolation 
of  coming  among  his  confreres  here  to  end  his  days  and  that 
we  might  have  the  happiness  of  showing  charity  toward  a 
worthy  and  lovable  man  and  of  being  edified  by  his  virtues. 

"How  his  name  suited  him !  By  his  unalterable  gentleness, 
his  good  humor,  he  showed  himself  the  Benjamin  of  all  those 
who  could  appreciate  his  good  qualities ;  by  his  modesty,  his 
humility,  he  was  Petit  in  his  own  eyes,  although  great  in  the 
eyes  of  God  and  of  all  those  who  understood  his  true  greatness. 
What  patience,  what  resignation  in  his  suffering!  What  lively 
gratitude  for  those  who  served  him  in  his  illness!  But  espe- 
cially, what  tender  piety  toward  the  Savior's  Mother! 

'Father  L.  A.  Elet  to  Bishop  Brute,  February  18,  1839,  translated  from 
a  photostat  in  the  University  of  Notre  Dame  Archives  from  the  original  in 
the  Chancery  Office,  Indianapolis.  See  also  L.  M.  Pin  to  Bishop  Brute, 
February  7  and  24,  1839,  Father  Mathias  Loras  to  Bishop  Brute,  February 
II,  1839,  Father  James  Oliver  Van  de  Velde  to  Bishop  Brute,  March  24, 
1839,  photostats  in  University  of  Notre  Dame  Archives  from  originals  in 
Chancery  Office  at  Indianapolis;  Bishop  Brute  to  Father  Elet,  February  28, 
1839,  St.  Louis  University  Archives ;  Bishop  Brute's  sermon  on  Petit, 
February  18,  1839,  reprinted  from  Catholic  Telegraph  in  Catholic  Advocate, 
March  23,  1839. 

(114) 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  115 

"The  eve  of  the  Purification  he  asked  my  permission  to 
celebrate  Holy  Mass  the  next  day  in  honor  of  the  Mother  of 
Goodness  who  had  protected  him  from  his  earliest  youth  and 
whom  he  had  never  ceased  to  love.  The  desire  he  showed  was 
so  great  that,  although  I  felt  some  danger  on  account  of  his 
extreme  weakness,  I  granted  his  request.  I  therefore  arranged 
an  altar  in  the  room  next  to  his,  a  fire  was  made  there  early 
in  the  morning,  and  he  said  his  last  Mass  there.  .   .   . 

"If  your  Reverence  thinks  I  did  wrong  in  acceding  to  his 
request,  impose  a  penance  upon  me  and  I  shall  promptly  accept 
it.  M.  Petit,  although  very  weak,  suffered  less  and  slept 
soundly  (he  had  not  been  able  to  do  this  for  many  weeks) 
during  the  nights  of  the  3d,  4th,  and  5th,  and  he  felt  much 
relieved. 

"But  on  the  6th  the  symptoms  of  his  illness  were  such  as 
to  leave  no  room  for  hope 

"All  remedies  were  useless,  because  he  was  destined  for 
Heaven.  He  grew  worse  hourly,  and  on  the  8th  he  received 
the  sacraments  of  the  dying  with  angelic  piety.  Toward  eve- 
ning on  the  loth  they  came  to  tell  me  that  his  end  was  ap- 
proaching. I  hastened  to  him  immediately,  and,  upon  seeing 
me  come  in,  he  raised  his  head  to  greet  me ;  with  a  sweet  smile 
upon  his  dying  lips  he  nodded.  I  asked  him  if  he  was  suffer- 
ing greatly.  He  replied  to  me  only  by  casting  an  expressive 
look  upon  the  crucifix  which  hung  beside  his  bed.  'You  mean 
to  say,'  I  responded  immediately,  grasping  his  thought,  'that 
He  suffered  more  for  you?'  'Ah,  yes!'  was  his  answer.  At 
the  same  time  I  held  the  crucifix  to  his  lips,  and  he  kissed  it 
tenderly  twice.  Flis  confessor  was  busy  at  this  moment ;  I 
prepared  him  again  to  receive  absolution,  which  I  gave  him. 

"At  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  I  was  called  again:  he  was 
in  agony.  I  went  immediately  and  with  several  others  I  re- 
cited the  prayers  for  the  agonizing.  His  eyes  were  fixed 
constantly  on  us,  and  at  the  conclusion  he  asked  for  water. 
Retaining  consciousness  to  the  end,  he  quietly  expired  twenty 
minutes  before  midnight,  February  10,  1839. 

"Following  the  custom  of  our  society,  I  had  him  clothed  in 
full  sacerdotal  vestments,  and  he  was  then  placed  on  view  in 
the  library.    On  the  i  ith,  at  5  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  whole 


116  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

community  assembled  in  the  chapel  to  recite  the  office  of  the 
dead.  On  the  12th  all  the  fathers  said  Mass  for  the  repose 
of  his  soul ;  the  other  members  took  part.  At  9  o'clock  of  the 
same  day  the  service  took  place.  All  the  students  were  assem- 
bled; the  temporal  coadjutors,  the  scholastics,  the  fathers,  the 
priests  of  the  cathedral,  the  two  bishops,  the  celebrant  in  a 
cope  with  two  assistants  in  tunics  went  in  procession  with  the 
body,  which  was  borne  in  a  casket  covered  with  black  velvet 
which  was  carried  by  eight  students,  each  wearing  a  scarf  of 
mourning.  I  sang  Mass,  and  Mgr.  Loras,  at  the  request  of 
Mgr.  Rosati,  gave  absolution.  A  great  number  of  Catholics 
on  horseback  and  in  carriages  accompanied  the  body  to  the 
cemetery,  where  I  blessed  the  grave  and  performed  the  last 
rites.  .    .    . " 

Father  Petit's  body  was  brought  back  to  St.  Mary's  Lake, 
site  of  the  University  of  Notre  Dame,  in  1856. 

The  remnants  of  Petit's  little  flock  of  Catholic  Indians 
were  left  in  good  hands.  Under  Father  Hoecken's  supervision 
a  church  was  erected  at  Pottawatomie  Creek,  and  temporary 
shelters  of  bark  and  canvas  were  put  up.  In  March,  1839,  the 
tribe  moved  about  twenty  miles  southward  to  the  banks  of 
Sugar  Creek  in  Linn  County,  Kansas,  a  country  remote  from 
white  settlers  and  offering  an  abundance  of  timber  and  sugar. 
A  large  log  church  was  erected  there,  and  more  permanent 
homes  were  built.  The  arrival  of  new  missionaries  made  pos- 
sible the  opening  of  a  school.  In  1840  more  Potawatomi  emi- 
grants from  Indiana  arrived. 

In  1848  all  the  Potawatomi  in  the  West  were  gathered 
together  at  St.  Marys,  about  one  hundred  forty  miles  north- 
west of  Sugar  Creek,  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  Kansas 
River. ^  Here  they  remained  until  the  Civil  War,  when,  threat- 
ened by  the  Confederate  forces  and  by  the  western  Plains 
Indians,  they  scattered  north  and  south.  At  present  most  of 
them  are  living  on  reserves  in  Kansas  and  Oklahoma.^ 

''See  Father  Hoecken's  diary  in  Kinsella,  History  of  Our  Cradle  Land, 
pp.  225-36;  Father  M.  Gailland's  diary,  printed  in  Woodstock  Letters,  VI 
(1877),  8-18. 

'In  1937  there  were  2,667  Potawatomi  on  the  reserve  in  Oklahoma,  1,013 
on  the  reserve  in  Kansas,  and  142  in  Michigan.  U.  S.  Secretary  of  the 
Interior,  /Jmiual  Report,  1937,  pp.  254,  255,  258. 


APPENDIX 


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130 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


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TRAIL  OF  DEATH 


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132  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


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TRAIL  OF  DEATH  133 

NOTES 

No.  I.  Delphi  23. —  between  the  stage's  arrival  and  departure  I  married 
John  Oheiran  and  Ellen  Holland,  not  having  had  time  to  hear  their  con- 
fessions as  I  should  have  liked  to,  I  did  not  give  them  absolution  and  merely- 
tried  to  move  them  to  contrition,  then  married  them ;  as  I  was  much  pressed 
for  time,  or  rather  I  imagined  I  was  more  than  I  actually  was,  I  proceeded 
with  the  prayer  Deus  qui  potestate,  to  the  end  before  the  benediction — Deus 
Abraham — I  pronounced  from  about  sapiens  ut  Rebecca  to  ut  videant  ambo 
&  the  conclusion. —  I  had  the  license  and  I  took  the  declaration  of  4  witnesses 
that  they  knew  no  impediment. —  I  made  out  a  certificate  of  marriage,  which 
I  am  sending  by  M"".  Frangois  of  Logansport. 

No.  2.  This  woman  was  very  sick  and  could  not  speak;  she  tried,  but 
after  great  effort  to  pronounce  a  few  disjointed  words,  she  told  me  she 
could  not  speak;  I  told  her  not  to  worry,  I  moved  her  to  contrition  as  well 
as  I  could,  then  absolution,  then  extreme  unction. —  I  felt  worried  by  the 
words  of  absolution;  fearing  not  to  have  administered  it  well,  I  conditionally 
readministered  it  to  her  upon  departing — si  tu  non  es  absoluta,  &c.  thinking 
it  was  better  to  do  thus  than  to  run  the  risk  of  her  dying  without  absolution. 

No.  3.  I  was  extremely  hurried  while  performing  this  baptism,  the  old 
Presbyterian  mother  came  to  the  door  and  said :  dinner  is  served,  the  stage 
was  about  to  depart ;  so,  being  a  little  disturbed,  I  was  not  sure  of  my  baptism, 
and  immediately  after  having  pronounced  the  service  once,  I  began  again  si 
non  es  baptista  &c.  I  am  not  even  sure  the  condition  was  not  merely  mentally 
expressed. — I  did  not  have  time  to  dine,  and  the  stage  departed  without  me,  I 
was  obliged  to  run  after  it.  the  child  was  about  six  weeks  old,  the  daughter 
of  the  eldest  son  of  Michael  Brouillet,  and  MUe.  Chamberlain  of  rochester. 

No.  4.  Mr  Frangois  paid  the  debts  with  the  money  that  was  found, — 
according  to  the  testimony  of  Charron  and  another  man  who  attended  M'' 
Deseilles  in  his  illness  with  him,  it  appeared  that  Mr  Deseilles  gave  him 
his  oxen,  it  also  appeared  that  M""  Frangois  paid  15  piasters  on  a  debt  on 
which  partial  payments  to  be  deducted  from  that  sum  had  already  been 
received. — all  that  being  doubtful,  I  think  it  wise  to  leave  everything  as  it  is 
without  offending  anyone.  Mr  Muller  took  away  a  cassock,  a  cloak,  a 
coat,  and  two  albs. — 

No.  5.  Mile.  Campeau  having  asked  me  for  a  few  pocket  handkerchiefs, 
an  old  used  cloak,  some  worn  stockings  which  she  had  put  aside  for  herself. 
I  did  not  think  I  could  refuse  her  these  things,  which  were  of  no  use  and 
which  will  be  so  good  for  the  respectable  missionary  lady.  At  the  same  time 
I  took  some  of  Mr  Badin's  rosaries  for  the  savages — quite  worthless. 

No.  6.  Taxes  were  owing  for  1836  and  1837.  the  details  of  this  account 
are  as  follows : 


134  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

1836  tax  $20,251 

50%  penalty  for  delinquency  10.125 

100%  interest  per  year    in  our 

case  the  interest  has  run  i  year 

3  months,  22  days   26.68 

1837  tax    26. 

fee  paid  to  the  town  clerk  for  receipt 0.25 

Total  83.30 

No.  7.     I  lent  to  David  Morlin $4.00 

more  to  the  same,  100  pounds  flour 4.00 

more  to  the  same,  200  pounds  flour 3.00 

To  Joseph  Morlin27  on  flour  .90 

more  [to  the  same]  30  pounds  of  flour 

at  $4  a  hundred  1.20  paid 

more  to  the  same  for  flour,  100  pounds 2.00 

Lent  to  Sissiak 3.00 

to  Mechganii  2.00  paid 

to  Mousse    10.00 

to  Mme.  B  : S.oo 

to  the  old  Noi'akouteau   i.oo 

to  Meksabi    i.oo 

to  the  woman  whose  daughter  died    i.oo 

Total  38.00  [38.10] 

*'The  sums  lent  to  Joseph  Morlin,  Mechgami,  and  old  Noi'akouteau  are  crossed  out, 
indicating  that  they  had  been  paid  back. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  135 

FATHER  PETIT'S  ENTRIES  IN  THE  BAPTISMAL  REGISTERi 

[unda] 

I  have  baptized  to  day  theresa  daughter  of   Mr   Philip  Molegan  and 
Mary  Riley.     Godfather,  Patrick  Molegan  and  Godmother  Mary  Cinquome. 
Lake  S*  Mary  near  Southbend  25  March  1838       B  :  Petit  ptre.  rn^e. 

I  have  baptized  today  Alexandre,  son  of  M"".  Gabriel  Proux  and  Mar- 
guerite Paget,  born  on  March  17,  1837.  Godfather  Michel  Paget  and  god- 
mother Marianne  Navarre. 

Lake  S*.  Mary  near  Southbend  25  March  1838.     B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 


I   have  Baptised,   standing  as  her   Godfather,   Mary  Wallace   wife   of 
Mr.  Joseph  Andre. 

At  the  lake  St.  Mary  Dec^re,  24,  1837  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  have  Baptised,  standing  as  her  Godfather,  Mathilda  daughter  of  Mr. 
Rousseau  from  Lisburg,  4  years  old. 

Turkey  creek  prairie  29th  March  1838  B  :  Petit  ptre   ni''e. 

I  have  baptised  Marianna  daughter  of  M^.  John  Wurster  and  of  Mari- 
anna  Gardner,  born  on  the  22^.  March  1838. 

Goshen  30th.  March  1838.  B  :  Petit  p^e.  mre. 


I  have  Baptised  thomas  son  of  James  Kelly  and  of  Emmy  Underwood, 
born  on  the  9th.  of  april  1836. — Godfather  Edward  Molegan. 

Lake  S*.  Mary  8th  april  1838.  B :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  have  baptised  Maria  daughter  of  M^.  John  Folly  and  Mary  Binn  his 
wife — Godfather  Edmond  Kenny. 

Lake  St.  Mary  8th  april  1838  B :  Petit  ptre.  m^e. 

I  have  baptised  Elias  son  of  Joseph  Metzger  and  of  Eliza  Harris,  15 
months  old — Godfather  Arbogaste  Zendly. 

Lake  St  Mary  8th  april  1838  B :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I   have   baptised    Rosa   daughter   of    Mr    Arbogaste   Zendly   and    Rosa 
Pinder — Godfather  Joseph  Metzger. 

Lake  St.  Mary  8th  april  1838.  B  :  Petit  ptre.  m^e. 

I  have  baptised  theresa,  daughter  of  Mr.  Pierre  Navarre  and  of  angelique 
Kichoueckouay  his  wife,  eleven  years  old. 

Lake  St.  Mary,  5th  april  1838  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

^Part  of  the  entries  in  the  Baptismal  Register  are  in  French  and  part  in  English. 
In  the  translation  and  transcription  Petit's  style  has  been  followed  as  closely  as  possible. 


136  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

I  baptised  Catherine  Alexandrine  daughter  of  Mr  Pierre  Nadeaux  and 
Marie  Rousseau. 

Bertrand  24  Dec'^e.  1838  [1837]  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

This  day,  Dec'^'^.  24,  1838  [1837],  I  baptized  at  bertrand  also,  Frangois 
Ashkepi — Jean  baptiste  Cagoneshe — Pierre  Mendoca — Pierre  son  of  Jean 
Bte.  Bertrand — Angelique  Papshe — Joseph  Nannie  Keckshe — Indians  from 
Pocagon's  village.  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  have  baptised  to  day  Denys  son  of  John  MacEllen  and  of  Mary  MacPit. 
Godfather  Philip  Molegan. 

Lake  S*  Mary  24*11  june  1838  B  :  Petit  ptre.  tnre. 

I  have  baptised  to  day  thomas  son  of  Henry  Mac  Nally  and  of  Anne 
MacGraham.    Godfather  John  Cannon. 

St  Mary's  Lake  24  june  1838  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  have  baptized  today  Solomon  timothee  son  of  Leandre  Metay  and 
Marianne  Mouton.    Godfather  Joseph  Bertrand,  Jr. 

Lake  St.  Mary  24  june  1838  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  baptized  today  Caroline  Zelina  daughter  of  Patrick  Maranthile 
[Marantette?]  and  Fanny  Mouton,  I  viras  godfather. 

Lake  St  Mary  24  june  1838  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  have  baptized  to  day  Magdalen  daughter  of  John  Mayer  and  of  Barbara 
Redis;  Godfather  Jacob  Mayer. 

St.  Mary's  Lake   24  june  1838  B:  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  have  baptised  to  day  Margaret  daughter  of  John  Guilen  and  of 
Catharine  Dougherty.    Godfather  James  Develin. 

St  Mary's  lake  24  june  1838  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  have  baptised  to  day,  Sophia  Daughter  of  Mr  Jacob  Mayer  and  of 
Mrs.  Catharine  Bab. — Godfather  and  Godmother  Mr  and  Mrs.  Ferdinand 
Metzger. 

Harris's  Prairie  24  june  1838  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  have  baptised  to  day,  James  Wallace  11  years  old  son  of  Mr  Robert 
Wallace  and  of  Rachel  Taylor ;  I  stood  his  Godfather ;  and  Misses  Mary 
Clarke  his  sister  his  Godmother. 

Lake  St  Mary   i  July  1838.  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  baptized  to  day  Andrew  son  of  Mr.  Frederic  Reimer  and  Marianne 

Zindley.  Godmother  and  Godfather  Mr.  Arbogaste  Zindley  and  Mrs. 
Metzger. 

St  Mary's  Lake    i  July  1838.  B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH 


137 


Novbre. 
same 


I    baptized   to   day    Therese    Tachouay   daughter   of    Wabekaickaik   of 
Pepiah's  village.    Pepiah's  wife  was  godmother. 

Lake  St  Mary    i  July  1838.  B  :  Petit  ptre.  rtire. 

I  have  baptized  during  the  month  of  November  1837  at  the  mission  of 
Chichipe  Outipe 

Novbre.     5    Marianne  Neshaup  daughter  of  Neshaup 
7    Louis,  son  of  Louison  ] 

Angelique  daughter  of  NeowtonaJ  "^^'""^^  °"  ^^^  ^^'"^  ^^^ 

8.  Joseph  son  of  Tchiikouaine 

9.  Chariot  Necouteauckah  son  of  Wapkonia 
same  Joseph  Tebocks  son  of  Kissis 

Pierre,  son  of  Me  Mantowa 

12.  Marie  Ashaue  daughter  of  Misheupuckay. 

13.  Marie  Mjeuckouoisse  daughter  of  Maimantouai 
same  Pierre  son  of  Autackouaine) 
same  Pauline  daugster  of  PekanseJ'"^^"^^  °"  ^he  same  day 

15.  Jean  Baptiste  Senatchauen  son  of  Ashkum 

16.  Jean  Baptiste  Wakakoushek  son  of  Chaktossah. 
19.  I  married  Pierre  Caumite  and  Marie  Panousmockouay 
19.  Jean  baptiste  Skabego 

B :  Petit  ptre.  nire. 


I  have  baptized  during  the  month  of  December  and  January  1838  at  the 
mission  at  Chichipe  Outipe 

Dect>re_    30  Frangois  son  of  Mucksabay. 

January  2     Marie  Toppai  daughter  of  Nautawkoushai 

same  Elizabeth  Nashkouaibeus  daughter  of  Wassmikeseau. 

same  8  Marianne  Menanckoway  daughter  of  Oussikosse 

Marie  Mamiai  daughter  of  Comosussep 
same         10  Marie  Pammockaway  daughter  of  Joseph  Mikeshouak  and 

Marie  Toppai 
January  10  Josette  Watchickoway  daughter  of  Mickeshouak  and  Toppai 
same  Marie    Nanawknah    daughter    of    Pitowanawbah    and    of 

Toppai 
same  Frangois  Shkesh  son  of  Wishkepai 

same  Joseph  Koossac  son  of  Wackomuckay 

same  Angelique  Pacco  daughter  of  Mandjioussah. 

same  Josette  Chockoussay  daughter  of  Kekathemeau 

same  Therese  Kouaimi  daughter  of  Kotaipkene 

same  Magdeleine  Michaiwackouay  daughter  of  Nashkikto 

16.  T.  Marie  Namcomgockouay  daughter  of  Minjuck 
same  Jean  Baptiste  Nackautano  son  of  Pembetto 

21.  Marianne  Piiwa  daughter  of  Noneshkum 

B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 


138 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


I  have  baptized  during  the  months  of  February  and  March,   1838,  at 
the  mission  of  Chichipe  Outipe. 

February  28.  Joseph  Nanimimukshko  son  of  Kawpi 
same  Benjamin  Kakakshi  son  of  Mishewash 

March    i.        Antoine  son  of  Hyacinthe  Lasselle 
same  Jean  Baptiste  Clermont. 

same  Pierre  Neschah  son  of  Kouaitnain 

2.        Jean  Baptiste  Wackeshmen  son  of  Nanimimuckshkuck 
same  Marianne  Kockouaiwai  daughter  of  Tchiikouah 

4.        Joseph  Wassai  son  of  Maitchuk 
same  Marianne  Paishko  daughter  of  Ashkum 

same  Angelique  Outchiickouay  daughter  of  Ashkum 

same  Marie  Messah  daughter  of  Wassato 

same  Marianne  Aiah  daughter  of  Akinotteko 

March   4         Marie  Gosselin,  daughter  of  Gosselin  and  Messah 
same  Marie  Genisskouay  daughter  of  Poimshah 

March   8         I   married  Jean  Baptiste  Assaschkuck  and  Josette  Wat- 
chickouay 

B :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  baptized  during  the  months  of  April,  May,   1838  at  the  mission  of 
chichipe  Outipe 

April    16.  Elizabeth  daughter  of  Naishkicketo 

17.  Jean  Baptiste  Waibenemoit  son  of  Comesi 
Marie  Wishaiweckouay  daughter  of  Pempshia 
Marie  Wabenemesickouay  daughter  of  Mashkki|  married  on 
Francois  Kiockum  son  of  Chaptona  j  the  same  day 
Marie  Demoskikiague  daughter  of  Okaitji 

18.  I  married  Etienne  Benake  and  Anne  Otawackouay 
Baptized  Pierre  son  of  Commowah 
Pierre  Kiounem  son  of  Nanawmi 
Marie  Assepockenomkouay  daughter  of  Medjissah 
I  married  Pierre  Pamtecoche  and  Elizabeth  Nemabem 
Marie  Micheketockouay  wife  of  Mjeuckouissee 
Elizabeth  Annoinekay  daughter  of  Packouchek. 
Jean  Baptiste  Pinache  son  of  Wa  Wasso 

29.  Marie  Tchakoussaik  daughter  of  Matchikki 
Therese  Kouaiskouische  daughter  of  Pemtackouitchek 

30.  Josette  Jabouepkouay  daughter  of  Sagienetche 
May       4    Marie  Godin  daughter  of  Bisaillon 

May       5    I  married  Pierre  Kiounem  and  Angelique  Kechnouckouay 
May       6   I  have  baptized  Josette  daughter  of  Chaketo 

7.  Marie  Mockouay  daughter  of  Muckosse 
same           Marie  Montchouasse  daughter  of  Katchkomi 
same           Joseph  Mjeuckouisse  son  of  Kou'iknowa  (married  to  Micheke- 

tock  [MS  illegible]) 
same  I  married  David  Morlin  and  Josette  Annecathouay   [?]*!* 

8.  Antoine  Catot  son  of  Mikessis 


same 
same 
same 
same 
same 


same 
same 


19. 


26. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH 


139 


same 
same 
same 


same 
same 


Joseph  Chaketo  son  of  Chakemain 

Joseph  Mjeuckanah  son  of  Aikahouah  married  Konetchek. 
I  married  Andre  GosseHn  and  Marie  Messah^ 
9.  same  Pierre  Catot  and  Marguerite  P  Kishnonckouay 
10.  Baptized  Marie  Niipa  daughter  of  Matchki 
13.  Benjamin  Pashpoho  son  of  Wainemek  |  married  on 

Anne    Kipowaikkouay    daughter    of    Maisko      ( the  same  day 
Marie  Miskoinonckouay  daughter  of  Waimikon 

B  :  Petit  ptre.  xn^^. 
I  baptized  at  Pokagon's  in  May  1838. 
May     19.  Alexis  Kebaskuk  son  of  Paiwah 
same  Antoine  Antwaicki  son  of  Onamouche  Kouay 

same  Pierre  Kaneki  son  of  Shpetto 

same  Archange  Messinagockouay  daughter  of  Wassato 

same  David  Joseph  Sakeman  son  of  Mijebneshwesh 

23.  Paul   Mijewidah   son  of   Kshejek    (and  married  to   Angiue. 

Tchiikais) 
same  Jean  Baptiste  Pikouakousay  son  of  Kshejek 

same  Marie  Etienne  Kepemissen,  and  Marianne  Naudnonckouay 

May     2S    Pierre  Beauti  son  of  Mijebneshwish    ~| 

Agatha   Psheupshickouay  daughter  of  I  "^^"^^d  «"  the 

Minguasheckay  J  ^^™^  ^^^ 

same  I  married  Jean  Baptiste  and  Angelique  Wabashnockouay 

24.  Baptized  Louis,  son  of  Taikemesmeau 
same  Marie  Tchiagay  daughter  of  Saackouait 
same           Marianne  Nopmickouay  daughter  of  Misnonsi 
same           Marianne  Sakapinsckouay  daughter  of  Soackouait 
same  Marie  Outchahonne  daughter  of  Misnonsi 

25.  Jean  baptiste  Maishkuk  son  of   Nockay    (married  to  Kouai 

Kouaish 
same  Antoine  Ashtaickouait  son  of  Nemkouaitto 

B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  baptized  in  the  month  of  June  1838  at  the  mission  of  Chichipe  Outipe 
on  the  yellow  river. 

June      I.  Jean  Baptiste  Wawassuck  son  of  Kiouckem 
same  Alexis  son  of  Wiskickouay 

same        Pierre  Nibackouay  son  of  Nantouay 

2.  Pierre  Wabenem  son  of  Pawppi 
same  Joseph  son  of  Anssuck 

same  Josette  Mettiah  son  of  Quickouneau 

5.  Abraham  Joseph   Burnett  son  of  Wijiakoupai    (married  the 
same  day  to  Marie  demos  Kikiague) 
same  Joseph  Aikenin  son  of  Osaomuck  )     married 

same  Marianne  Oketchi  daughter  of   Nakomuck   j  the  same  day 

same  Marianne  Nashkounan  daughter  of  Maijuck 

same  Pierre  Chaikanai  son  of  Miasckouek 

same  Joseph  Woabackouay  son  of  Wabenem 


140 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


same  Joseph  Kakekaimek  son  of  Maiwah 

June    5     Joseph  Metouaishmen  son  of  Tassouack 
Marie  Outackay  daughter  of  Miguesis 
Jean  Baptiste  M'damene  son  of  Winnekis 
Pierre  Wipekonni  son  of  Aiskopakki 
Josette  Kassbi  daughter  of  Mousseau-paini 
Ehzabeth  Messagickouay  daughter  of  Aiskopakki 
Jean  Baptiste  Pappouawi  son  of  Wainainemucksi 
Louis  son  of  Mousseau  paini 
same  Pierre  Nesswabmi  son  of  Nantwai 

AngeHque  Piwaickouay  daughter  of  Mejissah 
Marie  Kaiwah  daughter  of  Mejissah 
Pierre  son  of  Aiowai 
same  Marie  Nannecy  daughter  of  Sucksi  (Reed) 

Antoine  Kiockem  son  of  Onancksi 
AngeHque  Migo  daughter  of  Onancksi 
Jean  Baptiste  Patchkeche  son  of  Chouaka 
6.  AngeHque  Nanantouaickouay  daughter  of  No'iacouteau 
Marianne  Jishickouay  daughter  of  Kouashkouay 
Paul  Kouic  Kounon  son  of  Kouic  Kounon  (married  to  Ma"e. 

Nash  Kounon 
Louis  Aiowai  son  of  Koui  Kounon  (married  to  Josette  Zumo.) 
I    married    Jean    Baptiste    Wabenemet    and   Elizabeth    Attai- 
buckouay 

same      Joseph  Jacketeau,  and  Wimtegoche  Kouay 
Marianne  Kiawai  daughter  of  K'tawane,  married  to  Frangois 

K'tawane 
Josette  Wishpuckouay  daughter  of  Kapi 
Marie  Kipuckutt'kouay  daughter  of  Osaoutep 
same  Pierre  Nikeso  son  of  Naioussai 

8.  Pierre  Manido  son  of  Medjissah 
June     8    Marie  Kiwanaiskai  daughter  of  Wainememokousset 
Marianne  Ackounan  daughter  of  Nenanko 
AngeHque  Suckani  daughter  of  M'damene 
Monique  Ackounan  daughter  of  Papouawi 
Marie  Pittanockouay  daughter  of  Naoussai 
Josette  Mouaickouay  daughter  of  Muckatah-oussi 
12    Joseph  Niscomso  son  of  Patshkeche 
same  AngeHque  Osahouiam  daughter  of  M'damen 

14    Sabien  Kiwaionuck  son  of  Mnesnonesi- 
Magdeleine  daughter  of  Piaishwah 

Antoine  Neshah  son  of  Nainanteau  )  married  on 

AngeHque  Autchickouay  daughter  of  MigoueskiC  the  same  day 

-The  baptism  of  Sabien,  Magdeleine,  Antoine  Neshah,  AngeHque  Autchickouay, 
and  James  Nichkatunnemen  and  the  marriage  of  Alexis  Delisle  and  Magdeleine 
Ducharme  took  place  "at  Louison's  village,  Eal  River,"  according  to  Petit's  marginal 
note. 


TRAIL  OF  DEATH  141 

I  married  M""  Alexis  Delisle,  and  Magdeleine  Ducharme. 
15.  James  Nichkatunnemen  son  of  Kijekpouamen 

18.  Jean  Baptiste  Aiatekuchek  son  of  Patshkeche 

19.  Married  Louis  Skinoek,  and  Magdeleine  N'daussay. 
Frangois  Katate  son  of  Muckatahaspen 

20.  I  married  Jean  Baptiste  Cha'iano  and  Therese  Kitappah 

same  Jean  Baptiste  Wabekekik  and  Marie  Autenonckouay 

same  Jean  Baptiste  Papawi,  and  Anne  Aickouaiwait 

B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  have  baptized  to  day  John  son  of  Michel  Wede  and  of  Anne  Kirnen. 
I  stood  his  Godfather,  and  Sophia  Rousseau  was  the  Godmother.  Wanekick 
on  the  St  Joseph's  river.    7  July  1838  B  :  Petit 

I  have  that  same  day  baptised  at  the  same  place  Mary  M'chiiwah 
daughter  of  Stouikichek,  and  Marguerite  Osawah  daughter  of  Mitcheko. — 
Godmother  Agatha  Tchemonekkouay. 

B  :  Petit  ptre.  mre. 

I  baptized  during  the  months  of  July  and  August  1838  at  the  mission 
of  Chichipe  Outipe 

Marie  daughter  of  Angeniss 
July     16   Therese  daughter  of  angelique  Kiwaikoutchi  and  Mianneko 

17    Therese  Sipickouay  daughter  of  Mucksabay 
same  Marie  Piiwah  daughter  of  Kawpi. 

same  Angelique  Comisauckouaw  daughter  of  Kawpi 

23    Jean  Baptiste  Joubenet  son  of  Saubetuck 
Jean  Baptiste  Chakouteau  son  of  Nanawmi 
Elizabeth  daughter  of  Sinagowah 
Marie  daughter  of  Kanekuck 
Moyse  son  of  Kanekuck 
28    I  married  Joseph  OKimans  and  Marianne  VVatchki 
same  same        Jean    baptiste    Joubenet    and    angelique    Comi- 

sockouay. 

30  Baptized  Marianne  Peshiwah  daughter  of  Namankoushkuck 

31  Marianne  Kakimi  daughter  of  Sennebenem 
August  3  Marie  Ouiwatso  daughter  of  Mijekanna 
same  Pierre  Wanemack  son  of  Pashpoho 

same  Angelique  Pukechinonckouay  daughter  of  Wawatso 

The  5th  of  the  month  the  government  took  possession  of  my  house  and 
chapel,  pre-empted  by  an  American. 

B  :  Petit  ptre.  m^e. 

I  have  baptized  today  Benjamin  Ferdinand  son  of  M^  Charles  Chan- 
donnay  and  Luce  Pelletier  his  legitimate  wife.  I  was  godfather  and  M^e. 
Chandonnay  godmother. 

Lake  S*  Mary  23  August  1838  B  :  Petit  ptre.  nT-e. 


INDIANA 

HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

PUBLICATIONS 

VOLUME  14 

NUMBER  2 


Copyright,  1942 

BY  THE 

Indiana  Historical  Society 


1 


i 


THE  DIARIES  OF 
DONALD  MACDONALD 

1824-1826 


With  an  Introduction  by 
CAROLINE  DALE  SNEDEKER 


INDIANAPOLIS 

INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

1942 


PREFACE 

MRS.  Caroline  Dale  Snedeker,  a  daughter  of  New  Har- 
mony, has  found  in  the  home  of  her  childhood  an  ever 
stimulating  field  for  exploration.  A  long  search  for  material 
about  one  childhood  idol.  Captain  Donald  Macdonald,  led  her 
at  last,  as  she  writes  in  her  Introduction,  to  members  of  the 
Macdonald  family  in  County  Carlow,  Ireland.  In  their  hands 
she  found  the  manuscript  Diaries  kept  by  Captain  Macdonald 
on  his  two  journeys  to  the  United  States  and  to  New  Harmony. 
Through  her  great  interest  and  the  generosity  of  Mrs.  Helen 
Macdonald  and  other  members  of  the  family,  there  was  secured 
a  photostat  copy  of  the  Diaries.  From  this  photostat,  now  in 
the  files  of  the  Indiana  State  Library,  the  manuscript  was 
transcribed  for  publication. 

Captain  Macdonald's  spelling,  punctuation,  and  capitaliza- 
tion have  been  preserved.  To  facilitate  printing,  a  number  of 
marginal  annotations  have  been  transferred  to  the  text.  They 
are  enclosed  in  brackets.  The  end  of  each  page  of  the  original 
record  is  indicated  by  an  asterisk  enclosed  in  brackets.  In 
other  respects  the  transcription  follows  the  original  as  faith- 
fully as  possible. 


(147) 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction  151 

I.     Journey  to  America,  1824-25 159 

The  voyage — New  York — Albany — Shaker  settlement  at 
WatervHet — Newburgh — Fishkill — Philadelphia — Balti- 
more— Washington,  D.  C. — stagecoach  through  Mary- 
land and  Pennsylvania — Pittsburgh — Rapp's  settlement 
at  Economy — steamboat  down  the  Ohio — Cincinnati — 
Louisville — Rapp's  settlement  at  Harmonic — English 
settlement  near  Albion — departure  of  Rappites  from 
Harmonic — recruits  for  Owen's  community — Prince- 
ton— Vincennes — return  to  Pittsburgh — stagecoach  to 
Meadville,  Erie,  and  Buffalo — Niagara  Falls — boat  and 
stagecoach  to  New  York — Hartford — Boston — return 
to  England 

n.     Second  Journey  to  America,  1825-26 307 

The  voyage — New  York — Pliiladelphia — Baltimore — 
Washington,  D.  C. — Charlottesville — Monticello — Har- 
per's Ferry — return  to  Washington — Pittsburgh — Econ- 
omy— Cincinnati — Louisville — Owen's  New  Harmony 
Community — steamboat  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
to  New  Orleans — Havana — Charleston — return  to  Eng- 
land 


(149) 


INTRODUCTION 

WHEN  I  was  a  little  girl  my  grandmother  (Mrs.  David 
Dale  Owen)  used  to  tell  me  stories.  She  had  the  very 
modern  and  Pestalozzian  point  of  view  that  a  child  should 
never  be  told  fairy  tales.  Only  the  scientific  truth  so  far  as  it 
was  known  to  the  narrator  should  be  told  to  a  child.  Hence, 
when  I  begged  her  for  a  story,  it  was  always  some  tale  of 
New  Harmony's  early  days  that  she  related.  She  was  ten  years 
old  when  in  1824  she  was  brought  to  New  Harmony,  and  she 
remembered  vividly  the  pioneer  days. 

New  Harmony  was  never  a  pioneer  town  in  the  ordinary 
sense.  It  was  inhabited  by  university  men,  writers,  theorists, 
humanitarians,  and  naturalists.  They  had  come  from  London, 
Edinboro',  Paris,  and  had  brought  with  them  their  scholarly 
world.  The  town  while  it  still  had  a  good  many  log  houses 
had  been  bought  outright  by  Robert  Owen.  It  had  large 
public  buildings  of  brick  and  stone,  a  church,  a  tavern,  resi- 
dences, all  ready  for  the  doors  to  be  opened. 

"Other  towns,"  said  my  grandmother,  "were  founded  for 
gain  or  because  the  people  were  unsuccessful  at  home,  but  ours 
was  founded  for  an  ideal — for  the  good  of  humanity." 

I  was  very  proud  of  this.  It  made  me  feel  better  than  my 
neighbor — aristocratic — a  reaction  which  would  have  been 
most  undesired  by  Robert  Owen  for  his  little  great-grand- 
daughter. 

The  men  of  New  Harmony  became  my  heroes.  No  child 
of  old  could  have  felt  more  inspired  by  King  Arthur  or  the 
Black  Prince  than  I  was  by  these  brilliant  persons.  I  almost 
wished  I  could  have  been  born  in  the  olden  time  so  that  I 
could  have  seen  them.  Many  of  them  stayed  in  New  Harmony 
for  years,  long  after  the  Social  Experiment  had  died.  They 
pursued  their  life  work,  left  descendants,  portraits  of  them- 
selves so  that  they  were  easily  to  be  pictured  as  part  of  the 
town. 

But  one  of  them  came  and  went  like  a  meteor,  leaving  no 
descendants  nor  any  trace.     And  he  was  my  favorite,  as  I 

(151) 


152  INDIANA  HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

think  he  was  my  grandmother's.  "Young  and  very  handsome,"' 
she  said  he  was  (at  least  that  was  the  impression  I  carried  with 
me),  "very  noble  of  nature  and  a  gentleman."  He  was  Donald 
Macdonald,  Lord  of  the  Isles  and  Earl  of  Skye.  "Others," 
said  my  grandmother,  "might  claim  that  title,  but  he  was 
really  Lord  of  the  Isles." 

The  name  and  strange  title  took  the  fancy  of  the  little 
Posey  County  girl.  I  would  say  it  over  and  over.  Lord  of  the 
Isles — what  isles  and  how  many?  It  sounded  as  though  he 
ruled  all  the  islands  of  the  seven  seas.  And  Earl  of  Skye. 
Of  course  my  grandmother  told  me  that  this  did  not  mean  the 
sky  and  was  even  spelled  in  a  different  way.  But  somehow 
the  arch  of  the  azure  was  in  it  as  I  said  the  word. 

As  I  grew  older  I  read  accounts  of  this  Donald  Macdonald 
in  Robert  Dale  Owen's  book,  Threading  my  Way.  Macdonald 
had  come  over  in  the  same  ship  with  Robert  Ow^en  and  Robert 
Dale  Owen  when  they  came  to  take  possession  of  New  Har- 
mony in  the  autumn  of  1825.  Robert  Dale  Owen's  anecdotes 
were  witty  and  romantic.  In  the  same  ship  were  Manuel 
Garcia  and  his  family,  sailing  to  America  to  found  the  opera 
in  New  York.  The  opera  singers  sometimes  gave  concerts  on 
the  deck  when  the  weather  was  good.  The  voyage  took  six 
weeks.  Plenty  of  tiine  for  the  young  people  to  grow  well 
acquainted.  Plenty  of  time  for  Macdonald  to  fall  in  love  with 
the  charming  Maria  Garcia.  She  was  very  young,  a  beautiful 
singer  even  then  and  destined  to  become  famous  all  over 
Europe.  Her  father  was  cruel  to  her,  making  her  work 
terribly  hard  all  through  the  voyage,  correcting  and  abusing 
her  in  public  so  that  at  one  time  the  beautiful  Maria  fainted 
in  Robert's  arms.  And  the  Captain  told  Garcia  that  if  he  were 
not  more  gentle  with  his  family  he  would  put  him  in  irons  in 
the  hold.  Robert  said  that  Macdonald  was  completely  in  love 
with  the  abused  heroine  and  wished  to  marry  her,  but  the  cruel 
father,  true  to  the  romantic  type,  refused. 

In  spite  of  the  fame  that  came  to  her,  Robert  felt  that 
Maria  Garcia's  life  would  have  been  much  happier  had  she 
married  the  fine  young  man  Macdonald  rather  than  Count 
Malibran,  who  treated  her  as  badly  as  did  her  father. 

The  Owen  party  arrived  at  New  York,  where  they  met 
all  the  important  folk  of  the  city.   But  among  those  who  called 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  153 

upon  them  was  a  man  clothed  completely  in  green.  His  name 
was  Page.  "I  am  the  page  of  Nature,"  he  announced.  "I  wear 
her  livery,  as  you  see."  He  had  long  manuscripts  which  he 
wished  to  read  aloud,  full  of  wild  theories.  The  Owen  party 
discovered  to  their  chagrin  that  they,  with  their  New  System 
of  Perfect  Living,  were  being  compared  with  him.  He  called 
upon  Macdonald  at  the  City  Hotel,  aired  his  theories,  and 
pirouetted  in  his  light  green  clothes.  Macdonald  afterward 
said  ruefully,  ''Are  we  all  crazy,  do  you  think,  Robert?" 

This  was  the  last  I  could  gather  about  Macdonald  for  some 
years.  Then,  during  the  repairing  of  a  house  in  New  Har- 
mony, the  diary  of  William  Owen  was  discovered  between  the 
walls. 

This  diary  was  full  of  references  to  Macdonald,  for  he 
seemed  to  have  been  William's  special  companion  during  the 
earlier  voyage  of  1824-25  when  Robert  Owen's  party  were 
coming  out  to  view  New  Harmony  for  the  first  time  and  per- 
haps to  buy  it.  William  tells  the  events  great  and  small,  day 
by  day.  He  describes  the  voyage  down  the  Ohio.  Once  while 
the  steamboat  was  laid  up  for  the  night  the  two  young  men 
went  ashore  in  Kentucky  to  join  a  frolic  of  the  woodsmen.  An 
enormous  pile  of  brush  had  been  gathered,  astonishing  to  the 
eyes  of  the  two  young  Scotsmen.  This  brush  was  set  against 
a  magnificent  tree  and  then  lighted.  William  and  Macdonald 
had  never  seen  such  a  conflagration.  When  the  great  tree 
succumbed  and  fell,  a  shout  of  joy  went  up  from  the  whole 
party.  William  Owen  and  Macdonald  from  tree-starved  Scot- 
land must  have  thought  it  a  terrible  waste,  but  they  enjoyed 
the  spectacle. 

The  Owen  party  made  their  long  journey,  arrived  at 
Harmony,  visited  the  Rappites,  bought  the  town  and  thirty 
thousand  surrounding  acres.  Then  Owen  went  back  to  Scot- 
land, leaving  the  nineteen-year-old  William  in  charge.  Mac- 
donald joined  Owen  at  New  York  and  went  back  to  Scotland. 

By  this  time  Donald  Macdonald  had  grown  clearer  in  my 
mind.  I  was  so  charmed  with  him  that  I  put  him  into  both 
the  books  which  I  wrote  about  New  Harmony.  I  studied  about 
the  Isle  of  Skye  everything  that  I  could  find  in  the  encyclo- 
pedia, so  as  to  understand  Macdonald  better.  I  came  across  a 
description  of  Duntulm,  the  ancestral  Macdonald  castle.     I 


154  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

came  to  be  in  love  with  the  Isle  of  Skye,  which  seemed  as  far 
distant  as  Madagascar  and  as  magical  as  the  lost  Atlantis. 

When  in  1929  I  went  for  the  first  time  to  Europe,  1  carried 
with  me  the  hope  that  I  might  see  the  Isle  of  Skye.  It  was 
hardly  a  hope,  for  I  saw  no  way  to  get  there — my  party  was 
not  going  to  the  Isle  and  surely  I  could  not  travel  to  so  remote 
a  place  alone — but  a  wish  harbored  as  long  and  as  intensely  as 
this  one  has  a  curious  way  of  being  fulfilled. 

Into  our  hotel  in  Geneva  one  day  came  a  party  of  Scots  to 
meet  with  some  of  their  kin  just  arrived  from  China.  Very 
happily  they  met.  and  gaily  and  excitedly  they  chatted  in 
the  lobby. 

My  friends  said,  "If  you  are  so  anxious  to  go  to  Skye, 
why  don't  you  ask  those  Scottish  people  about  it.  They  ought 
to  know." 

I  approached  a  lady  on  the  edge  of  the  circle  and  timidly 
asked  if  she  knew  of  any  way  that  one  could  go  to  the  Isle  of 
Skye.  I  shall  never  forget  the  intense  blue  of  her  eyes  as  she 
looked  up  at  me  and  said.  "Why  do  you  ask  me  about  my 
beloved  home?" 

"Because  all  my  life  I  have  wanted  to  go  there,"  I  an- 
swered. 

"Do  you  hear  this?"  She  turned  to  her  friends.  "This 
lady  has  always  loved  Skye  and  wants  to  go  there." 

Immediately  she  was  enthusiastic  about  helping  me. 

"I  will  see  that  you  get  a  wee  roomy.  Skye  will  be  crowded 
in  July,  but  I  will  see  that  you  get  a  wee  roomy.  And  you  must 
meet  my  friends,  so  they  will  show  you  the  real  Skye." 

Thus  it  was,  that  a  few  weeks  later  I  was  traveling  across 
the  Highlands  from  Inverness  to  Kyle  of  Lochalsch.  From 
there  I  took  a  boat  on  the  Minch.  It  w^as  the  strangest  feeling 
of  unreality — of  sailing  into  a  dream.  Here  was  that  Isle  that 
had  been  a  dream  in  my  mind  almost  ever  since  I  could  re- 
member. But  now  the  basalt  mountains  soared  from  the  tide 
into  the  clouds.  Oh,  far  more  beautiful  and  terrifying  than 
any  imagination  of  them !  Skye  never  did  become  anything 
but  magic  to  me.  Did  I  not  see  a  fairy  lake  tinged  blue  because 
"the  lady  fairies  wash  their  dresses  in  it?"  Did  I  not  see  the 
groove  in  the  rocky  shore  where  the  viking  ships  had  been  drawn 
up?    Did  I  not  see  Dunvegan  Castle,  where  one  of  the  McCleods 


MACDONALD   DIARIES  155 

had  married  a  fairy?  Here  was  the  bridge  where  she  had  said 
goodbye  to  him ;  here  was  the  fairy  flag  she  had  given  him ; 
and  the  babies  in  that  castle  were  still  sung  to  sleep  with  the 
old  Gaelic  tune  the  fairy  mother  had  sung. 

But  when  I  asked  for  my  Macdonald,  they  laughed  me  to 
scorn.  I  must  know  that  everyone  in  northern  Skye  was  named 
Donald  Macdonald  except  a  few  Ronald  Macdonalds  and  An- 
gus Macdonalds.  The  Lord  of  the  Isles  had  never  gone  to 
America,  neither  now  nor  a  hundred  years  ago. 

Just  as  I  was  giving  up,  a  kind  Skye  lady  suggested  that  I 
write  to  a  certain  Captain  Alan  Macdonald  who  lived  on  the 
far  flung  Cape  of  Waternish  and  who  was  very  wise  in  the 
history  of  Skye. 

This  I  did,  but  I  came  away  feeling  that  T  had  been  on  a 
very  delectable  fool's  errand. 

Some  time  after  I  reached  home  I  received  a  ten-page 
letter  from  Alan  Macdonald  telling  me  that  he  was  unable  to 
find  my  Macdonald.  A  few  weeks  later  I  received  a  twenty- 
page  letter  telling  me  that  he  had  found  him. 

The  only  clue  that  I  had  been  able  to  give  Captain  Mac- 
donald was  that  in  the  i86o's  two  men  had  visited  Harmony 
who  were  sons  of  Macdonald.  Their  father,  an  old  man  now, 
and  living  in  London,  had  said  that  when  they  came  to  Amer- 
ica they  must  surely  visit  New  Harmony.  They  gave  their 
names  and  their  rank  in  the  Indian  Army.  From  this  the 
clever  genealogist-soldier  of  Skye  had  found  the  name  and 
rank  of  my  Macdonald.  This  Macdonald  had  never  been  of 
Skye,  and,  alas,  was  never  the  Lord  of  the  Isles.  He  had  lived 
in  Edinboro'.  He  was  Captain  Donald  Macdonald  of  the 
Royal  Engineers,  was  appointed  ensign  on  September  12, 
1808;  lieutenant,  on  June  24,  1809;  captain,  on  October  20, 
18 1 3.  He  was  placed  on  half  pay  on  September  28,  1824 
(this  coincides  with  the  time  when  he  started  out  on  the  jour- 
ney with  Robert  Owen).  He  was  in  receipt  of  half  pay  until 
the  time  of  his  death  in  October,  1872 — at  the  age  of  eighty- 
one  years. 

Macdonald  was  born  on  September  2,  1791.  near  Preston- 
pans.  He  served  in  the  ill-conducted  expedition  to  the  Island 
of  Walcheren  in  1809,  under  the  Earl  of  Chatham.  It  was  one 
of  the  most  disastrous  military  failures  recorded  in  the  history 


156  INDIANA    FilSTORICAL  SOCIETY 

of  Great  Britain.  The  object  was  to  take  Antwerp  and  weaken 
the  French  infkience  in  Belgium,  but  much  precious  time  was 
wasted  in  the  reduction  of  Fhishing  and  in  the  meantime  the 
French  garrison  was  considerably  reinforced  while  the  British 
were  carried  off  in  hundreds  by  a  malignant  marsh  fever  and 
ague.  The  original  idea  of  capturing  Antwerp  had  to  be  aban- 
doned, but  it  was  thought  advisable  to  retain  possession  of 
Walcheren  in  order  to  compel  the  French  to  maintain  a  large 
force  in  Belgium  and  thus  weaken  their  power  elsewhere. 
Accordingly,  fifteen  thousand  men  were  left  for  that  purpose. 
But  the  epidemic  continued  its  ravages  and  those  who  survived 
had  to  be  withdrawn  quickly,  many  of  them  with  their  consti- 
tutions shattered.  About  seven  thousand  soldiers  perished. 
Alacdonald  also  served  in  the  defense  of  Cadiz. 

"Donald  Macdonald  R.  E.  was  married  to  Lady  Ramsey 
Maule,  by  whom  he  had  six  sons." 

T  have  quoted  from  my  Skye  informant  at  length  because 
these  are  all  the  facts  I  have  about  Donald  Alacdonald.^  They 
are  enough  to  make  a  fairly  clear  picture.  He  was  only  eighteen 
at  the  time  he  went  through  the  dreadful  fighting  at  Wal- 
cheren. We  do  not  know  whether  he  was  of  the  number  held 
there,  but  if  he  were,  he  evidently  did  not  suffer  tragically 
from  the  epidemic,  for  there  is  no  indication  of  ill  health  any- 
where in  the  diaries.  Indeed  he  seems  to  have  endured  a  great 
deal  as  a  traveler.  He  twice  walked  the  fifteen  miles  from 
Mount  Vernon  to  New  Harmony  in  preference  to  riding  the 
baggage  wagons,  remarking  that  the  trip  reminded  him  of  sol- 
diers on  the  march.  He  was  thirty-three  at  the  time  of  the 
first  journey. 

His  diaries  record  two  journeys  to  New  Harmony,  one  in 
1824-25  and  one  in  1825-26.    He  writes  in  a  clear  fine  English 

'Alacdonald  supplies  a  little  additional  information  in  a  letter  of  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1826,  to  the  Editors  of  the  New  Harmony  Gazette  (I,  173-74)- 
While  stationed  in  Edinburgh  in  i8ji  he  became  interested  in  Robert 
Owen's  theories  and  in  the  work  that  he  had  done  at  New  Lanark.  He 
associated  himself  with  a  small  group  called  "The  Practical  Society" — out 
of  this  came  the  Orbiston  Community  in  Lanarkshire — and  began  work 
among  the  families  of  mechanics  and  laborers.  How  he  and  Robert  Owen 
met  does  not  appear,  but  some  months  later  he  "accompanied  Mr.  Owen 
when  he  visited  Ireland."'  This  was  in  the  autumn  of  1822.  Macdonald 
was  afterward  on  military  duty  in  Ireland  "for  nearly  two  years." — Ed. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  157 

Style — not  too  fine  to  be  vivid.  The  diaries  are  on  122  folded 
sheets  of  beautiful  old  paper,  running  in  a  narrow  cohimn  down 
the  sheet,  with  room  on  the  left-hand  side  for  dates  and 
notes.  They  are  written  in  a  readable  hand — with  the  old- 
fashioned  long  letter  S — hard  to  decipher  only  where  a  newly 
sharpened  quill  pen  makes  the  script  faint  and  hairlike. 

For  long  periods  the  record  misses  scarcely  a  day.  It 
mentions  the  thermometer,  the  weather  at  sea,  the  kind  of  soil 
and  the  livableness  of  the  country  through  which  the  party 
traveled.  It  describes  in  particular  every  move  of  Robert 
Owen,  every  argument  on  shipboard  (and  there  were  heated 
ones!),  every  call  in  New  York.  There  is  a  vivid  picture  of 
that  busy  little  city — not  well  paved  and  somewhat  countrified. 
Prominent  people  called  at  the  hotel  to  see  them ;  they  returned 
the  calls,  evidently  afoot. 

The  party  took  a  boat  on  the  Hudson  and  voyaged  to  Al- 
bany, much  annoyed  by  the  sparks  and  cinders  which  showered 
the  deck.  Macdonald  was  never,  however,  a  complaining  trav- 
eler :  he  was  too  much  interested  in  the  new  country  and  the 
establishing  of  the  New  System.  At  Albany  the  Owenites  met 
De  Witt  Clinton;  near  Trenton,  Joseph  Bonaparte,  at  whose 
villa  they  stayed;  at  Boston,  the  elder  Adams;  at  Washington, 
Adams  the  president.  They  dined  with  each,  and  INIacdonald 
left  a  good  description  of  each.  Later  he  described  the  aged 
Thomas  Jefferson.  The  party  stayed  all  night  at  Monticello 
because  Jefferson  did  not  think  it  safe  for  them  to  return  after 
dark  over  the  mountain  roads.  In  the  early  morning  Mac- 
donald walked  on  the  heights  and  later  he  described  what  he 
had  seen. 

During  the  first  part  of  the  journey  the  group  traveled  an 
astonishing  amount  by  water.  One  realizes  that  New  York  is 
on  an  island,  that  Philadelphia  is  a  seaport.  Then  came  the 
Ohio  and  the  wilderness,  the  Rappite  Harmonic,  which  they 
examine  with  meticulous  care.  The  most  emotional  entry  in 
the  diaries  covers  the  departure  of  the  Rappites  from  their  home. 
They  had  built  the  town,  they  had  lived  there  for  ten  years, 
and  they  were  leaving  it  forever.  Weeping,  praying,  singing 
choruses,  the  band  playing  appropriate  music,  they  waved  a 
final  goodbye  from  the  steamboat  as  they  disappeared  down 
the  Wabash.    "I  never  in  mv  life  returned  home  after  parting 


158  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

with  friends,  with  so  sad  a  feehng  as  that  melancholy  after- 
noon," says  the  poor  young  man  of  his  return  to  the  tavern 
through  the  deserted  town. 

Then  comes  the  year-later  second  journey — the  long  voy- 
age and  the  second  arrival  at  New  York.  Macdonald's  account 
is  a  companion  piece  to  Robert  Dale  Owen's  Threading  my 
Way.  Macdonald  called  twice  upon  the  Garcias  but  there  is  no 
indication  in  the  diary  that  he  was  in  love  with  the  young 
Spanish  singer.  To  be  sure,  at  Washington  he  bought  some 
Spanish  books  and  determined  to  study  Spanish  because  it 
was,  "next  to  English  .  .  .  the  most  important  language  in 
the  New  World."     One  might  suspect  a  different  motive. 

The  party  arrived  the  second  time  at  New  Harmony,  and 
Macdonald  put  into  his  diary  a  brief  description  of  the  stormy 
founding  of  the  Community — the  daily  meetings  and  argu- 
ments, the  forming  of  one  Community  after  another  to  try  to 
promote  peace.  Macdonald  was  not  in  accord  with  all  the  pro- 
visions of  the  Constitution  that  was  finally  adopted,  and  at  last 
severed  his  connection  with  the  Owenites.  "I  left  Harmony 
on  the  4^1^  March,"  he  says  simply,  ''at  w^hich  time  a  proposi- 
tion was  under  discussion  to  request  Mr.  Owen  to  become  sole 
manager  for  some  time.  .    .    . " 

There  was  no  word  of  criticism,  not  one  note  of  the  chagrin 
and  regret  which  he  must  have  experienced  after  having  started 
out  so  hopefully  as  a  follower  of  the  New  System,  and  after 
having  spent  almost  two  years  in  its  service.  That  is  what  I 
call  a  loyal  gentleman. 

,  The  remainder  of  the  diary  is,  if  anything,  more  vivid  than 
the  early  part.  The  journey  down  the  Mississippi  in  flood  is 
well  and  scientifically  described.  Macdonald  went  to  New 
Orleans,  Havana,  Charleston,  and  thence  by  ship  home,  finish- 
ing his  story  with  a  poem  to  a  hawk  w^hich  had  alighted  on 
deck  off  the  Scilly  Isles. 

So  Donald  Macdonald  disappears  from  our  view,  though 
his  own  family  in  Ireland  doubtless  have  many  more  recol- 
lections of  him  and  of  his  long  life  of  eighty-one  years.  I  still 
think  it  remarkable,  since  he  left  no  trace  in  New  Harmony, 
that  I  should  have  discovered  his  diaries  in  County  Carlow, 
Ireland,  through  the  kindness  of  Captain  Macdonald  of  Skye. 

Caroline  Dale  Snedeker 


JOURNEY  TO  AMERICA.  1824-25 


AT  SEVEN  o'clock  oti  the  morning  of  the  2"^  October  we 
sailed  from  Liverpool  for  New  York  in  the  New  York, 
a  ship  of  520  tons,  Captn.  Maxwell.  The  wind  was 
high  &  against  us  when  we  came  off  Holyhead,  and  we  beat 
about  with  the  Isle  of  Mann  to  leward  of  us. 

The  wind  still  contrary.  We  continued  tacking  in  the 
same  situation. 

The  weather  calm  and  to  the  east  of  south  which  enabled 
us  to  lay  our  course  down  the  Irish  channel  with  little 
wind.  This  evening  some  conversation  relative  to  education 
took  place  between  the  passengers  &  M^".  Owen,  in  which 
the  latter  supported  the  position  that  under  a  natural  system 
of  tuition  by  sensible  signs  children  in  masses  would  at  10 
years  of  age  possess  more  useful  knowledge  than  young 
men  at  present  do,  on  coming  from  college. 

Early  this  morning  we  passed  the  Tuscan  light  on  a  small 
island  off  the  county  of  Wexford,  laying  our  course.  After 
breakfast  a  long  discussion  took  place  relative  to  the  nature 
of  Ml".  Owen's  system.  [*]  The  conversation  was  carried  on 
principally  by  M^.  Flower,  D"".  Strachan,  M"".  Roy,  & 
Mr.  Wolsey.     Light  winds. — 

Light  winds  from  the  south  &  rain.  We  lay  a  great  part 
of  this  evening  &  night  without  wind  from  20  to  30  miles 
south  of  Cape  Clear.  Conversing  relative  to  the  effect  of 
circumstances  in  forming  the  opinions  &  habits  of  society  was 
the  general  subject  of  conversation.  Whist,  Picket,  &  chess 
the  amusements ;  and  reading  German  on  Mi".  Hamilton's 
plan,  a  partial  occupation  of  two  of  the  passengers. 

Becalmed  this  morning  to  the  southward  of  Cape 
Clear.     A  northwesterly  breeze  sprung  up  this  evening. 

Westerly  winds.  MJ".  Owen  explained  the  views  which 
he  had  relative  to  the  best  social  arrangements,  to  unite  the 
advantages  of  a  private  and  public  education,  of  private 
families  in  the  country  and  in  towns,  and  the  employment 
of  agriculture   united  with  manufactures.     The  union  of 

(159) 


1824 
October  2nd 
Saturday- 


Sunday  yd 
4th 


5'^ 
(5th  contd.) 

Wednesday  6^^. 


Thursday  7th. 
Friday  8th. 


loO 


IXDI.AXA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Saturday  9th. 


Sunday  jo''^. 


Monday  ii'^. 


Monday   ii'l^. 
Continued 


Tuesday   12''^. 


from  600  to  2000  persons,  he  [*]  considered  capable  of 
effecting  this  arrangement.  He  added  that  while  individual 
l)roperty  &  private  interests  were  made  the  groundwork  of 
social  institution,  mankind  could  never  attain  the  degree  of 
improvement  which  would  arise  from  a  union  of  interests,  by 
which  means  the  greatest  aljundance  would  be  quickly 
produced  &  by  which  practices  the  way  would  be  opened 
easily  to  give  good  dispositions,  good  habits  and  a  great 
extent  of  knowledge  to  every  human  being.  D>".  Stewart 
objected  that  Mann  was  naturally  corrupt  &  had  fallen  from 
original  goodness.  This  brought  on  a  discussion  relative  to 
the  cause  of  Sin,  which  ended  in  D^.  Stewart  maintaining  that 
Deity  was  omnipotent,  good  &  wise,  and  yet  that  Man  made 
himself  bad.     This  night  was  squally  with  the  wind  ahead. 

A  fine  morning,  wind  westerly.  After  breakfast 
Mr.  Owen  stated  that  the  first  public  infant  schools  were  com- 
menced four  or  five  [*]  years  back  in  London  in  consequence 
of  his  coming  before  the  Public  with  the  New  Views. — 

All".  Flower  showed  a  ground  plan  of  his  colony  between 
the  Great  &  Little  Wabash  rivers.  D^.  Strachan  showed  the 
surveys  of  the  School  lands  in  Upper  Canada.  These  lands 
are  given  as  a  fund  for  the  parish  schools,  &  are  divided  into 
portions  of  200  acres,  accompanied  by  the  surveyor's  notes, 
who  is  allowed  to  draw  for  a  certain  number  of  lots  in 
payment  of  his  labour.  This  evening  the  wind  came 
round  to  the  North. 

The  wind  northerly  &  the  sea  running  high,  in  consequence 
of  which  divine  service  as  proposed  by  D^s.  Stew^ard  & 
Strachan,  could  not  be  performed.  \Ye  kept  our  course 
westerly  going  from  9  to  1 1  knots  an  hour. 

Wind  moderate  from  North  east.  After  breakfast, 
Mr.  Owen  shewed  the  ground  plans  &  elevations  of  the 
community  residences  proposed  by  him.  He  gave  some 
papers  which  explain  some  of  his  views. — We  passed  this 
morning  the  ship  Dorset  going  east.  This  afternoon  we 
spoke  another  ship  bound  to  Liverpool  ['^]  This  afternoon 
at  6  o'clock  we  had  prayers  by  Dr.  Stewart,  who  proposed 
to  have  them  every  morning  at  8  o'clock  &  every  evening 
at  6  o'clock. 

The    wind   easterly   and    fresh      We    kept    our    course 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  161 

west,  going  from  8  to  lo  knots  an  hour.  Our  ship  rolled 
a  great  deal  in  consequence  of  the  wind  being  aft  &  without 
any  side  wind  to  steady  it.  The  inconvenience  attending 
this  motion  during  the  time  of  meals  was  overcome  in  a 
great  measure  by  the  table  &  benches  being  fastened  to  the 
floor,  and  two  long  boxes  with  holes  in  them  for  glasses 
being  fixed  along  the  middle  of  the  table,  thus  securing  the 
dishes  between  them  &  leaving  room  outside  for  the  plates. 
The  duty  on  board  the  ship  was  carried  on  by  watches  of 
four  hours  each,  bells  at  both  ends  of  the  ship  being  struck 
every  half  hour.  We  breakfasted  daily  at  1/2  past  8,  lunch- 
eoned  at  12,  dined  at  4  &  drank  tea  at  7  o'clock.  Our 
passengers  were  M^.  Flower  a  settler  on  the  Wabash  river, 
and  his  neice  Miss  Ronalds,  a  M^s.  Blackburn  from  Leeds 
going  [*]  to  her  husband  in  New  York,  the  Rev^.  Doctors 
Stewart  &  Strachan  from  Canada,  of  the  established 
church,  ]\Ir.  Peterson  a  Danish  gentleman  residing  at 
Charleston,  Mr.  Davis,  M^.  Brown,  Mf.  Wolsey.  &  M^.  Mal- 
lard, gentlemen  apparently  merchants,  Mf,  Roy  a  Virginian 
Proprietor  M^.  Day  &  his  nephew  M^.  Fergusson,  New  York 
Merchants,  M^.  Owen  &  his  son,  &  myself. — I  induced 
Di".  Strachan  to  learn  German  on  the  Hamiltonian  plan,  and 
daily  gave  him  a  lesson  in  translating  the  testament  from 
that  language  into  English.  I  daily  took  one  from 
Wm.  Owen  in  a  book  of  German  Fables.  Miss  Ronalds 
who  knew  something  of  the  language  begged  to  join  the 
class,  as  well  as  D^".  Strachan  ultimately.  M^.  Owen  read 
Mr,  Hodgson's  tour  through  the  United  States  &  Captain 
Halls  voyage  to  South  America.  We  lived  remarkably  well 
on  board,  the  Captain  having  a  large  stock  of  live  animals, 
a  [*]  cow  to  give  us  milk,  and  good  wines. 

This  morning  after  prayers  D^".  Stewart  commenced  an  \Veclnesday  13^!'. 
argument  with  Mr.  Owen  on  responsibility  &  Man's  power 
to  change  his  own  beliefs  which  was  continued  for  a  couple 
of  hours  after  breakfast.  M^.  Owen  maintained  that  he 
was  compelled  to  belief  as  circumstances  made  him. 
Dr.  Stewart,  in  which  he  was  joined  by  Dr.  Strachan,  held 
that  he  could  choose  his  belief.  The  argument  terminated 
by  Dr.  Stewart  agreeing  to  support  Mr.  Owen's  plans  to 
remove  bad  circumstances  &  introduce  good  ones  to  influ- 


162  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

cnce  Human  Nature,  as  far  as  they  were  consistent  with  his 
own  opinions.— The  wind  came  to  the  southward  this  evening. 

Thursday  i4»h.  This  morning  the  wind  freshened  up  and  after  noon  blew 

a  fresh  gale  in  squalls  from  the  South  East.  It  fell  calm  in 
the  evening  and  suddenly  sprung  up  from  the  north.  This 
morning  after  breakfast  D^.  Stewart  read  extracts  from  the 
printed  papers  [*]  relative  to  Mr.  Owen's  first  pubUc 
meetings  in  London,  Mr.  Owen  having  given  several  copies 
to  the  passengers,  and  a  variety  of  comments  were  made 
relative  to  the  bold  declarations  therein  contained  concerning 
the  irrationality  &  universal  error  of  Social  arrangements. 
Dr.  Strachan  strenuously  contended  from  Man's  free  agency 
&  responsibility,  on  the  grounds  that  though  he  did  not 
create  the  motives  of  his  own  actions  yet  that  he  had  the 
power  to  investigate  them  and  choose  among  many. 

Friday  15th.  This  morning  fine  with  a  pleasant  side  wind  from  the 

north.  At  Breakfast  Dr.  Strachan  opposed  Mr.  Owen's 
opinions  on  the  ground  of  their  tendency  to  destroy  con- 
science which  he  maintained  to  be  an  innate  principle  of 
right  &  wrong,  while  Mr.  Owen  contended  that  in  practice 
no  two  nations  had  the  same  conscience  &  that  every  human 

(Friday  15^^.        being  could  be  given  a  conscience  quite  [*]  at  variance  with 

Ocf  Cont<i)  his  neighbour's.    Dr.  Stewart  read  a  quotation  in  manuscript 

to  explain  that  conscience  resulted  from  a  sincere  &  judicious 
mind  being  enlightened.  The  general  opinion  to  which  the 
company  appeared  to  come  was  that  Conscience  was  in  the 
outset  of  life  instinctive  but  that  this  instinct  might  be  so 
misled  in  early  training  as  to  render  it  difficult  to  decide  as 
to  the  direction  or  manner  in  which  its  uninstructed  nature 
would  lead  us.  It  fell  calm  this  evening  &  in  the  course  of 
the  night  a  breeze  sprung  up  from  the  S.  E. 

Saturday  i6th.  The  wind  changed  this  forenoon  to  the  northward  with 

heavy  rain.  A  long  conversation  ensued  after  breakfast  on 
the  question  of  Free  Will.  Dr.  Stewart  opposed  Mr.  Owen's 
views  because  he  believes  Man  to  be  a  Free  Agent.  Mr.  Owen 
endeavoured  to  contrast  the  opinions  originating  from  such 
a  belief.  He  observed  that  [*]  it  appeared  extremely 
inconsistent  to  think  that  an  Almighty,  wise  &  beneficent 
God,  who  was  omniscient  &  foresaw  all  things,  should  make 
a  being  who  could  at  any  time  be  a  free  agent  and  independ-- 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


163 


ent  of  him.  D^.  Stewart  thought  the  ideas  not  at  all  incon- 
sistent, but  did  not  see  how  that  position  tended  to  elucidate 
his  system.  M^.  Owen  maintained  that  it  did,  as  the 
banishment  of  all  rewards  &  punishments  was  a  necessary 
part  of  his  practice ;  and  he  held  that  it  shewed  how  absurd 
it  was  to  believe  that  an  omniscient  &  wise  &  good  Deity, 
should  create  beings  to  punishment  &  misery,  foreseeing  as 
he  did,  before  their  birth  what  they  would  do  all  the  days 
of  their  lives.  D^.  Strachan  still  objected  to  M^.  Owen's 
principles,  but  approved  of  his  system  of  communities,  which 
he  thought  in  no  way  connected  with  them.  This  afternoon 
it  blew  hard  from  the  N.  West,  and  split  the  fore  &  main 
sails.     The  Night  was  windy.   [*] 

This  morning  fine  but  the  wind  directly  against  us  from  Sunday  17th. 
the  West.  At  Breakfast  D^.  Stewart  stated  that  on  one 
voyage  which  he  made,  there  were  on  board  another 
clerg}'man  &  a  quaker,  and  while  crossing  the  Fishing  Banks 
a  question  arose  whether  it  was  proper  to  fish  on  a  Sunday. 
He  and  the  quaker  were  in  support  of  the  propriety  of 
it,  while  the  Captain  of  the  vessel  &  the  other  clergyman 
were  against  it.  He  added  that  he  &  his  friend  brought 
their  opponents  round,  principally  by  the  argument  that 
fish  were  frequently  beneficial  to  the  crew  of  a  ship  from 
the  W.  Indies.  At  one  o'clock  Divine  service  was  per- 
formed in  the  Cabin,  all  the  crew  attending.  The  greater 
part  of  the  evening  was  spent  by  the  passengers  in  read- 
ing &  conversation. 

This  morning  the  wind  was  blowing  steadily  from  the  Monday  i8^h. 
S.  westward.  After  breakfast  the  conversation  was  renewed 
relative  to  Mr.  Owen's  denial  of  Man's  Free  agency. 
Dr.  Stewart  asked  [*]  a  variety  of  questions  tending  to 
elucidate  his  opinions,  and  it  appeared  that  Mi".  Owen 
considered  every  thing  in  existence  to  be  as  good  as  it 
could  be  at  present,  if  God  were  all  wise,  good  &  omnipotent. 
[Mr.  Flower  remarked  that  if  every  thing  were  perfect, 
there  could  be  no  motive  to  induce  any  one  to  strive  for  a 
change.  M^".  Owen  replied  that  the  state  of  things  had  a 
progress  from  infancy  to  manhood  like  the  growth  of  the 
human  being.  The  proof  of  things  being  at  present  in  the 
best  possible  state  was  their  producing  the  perception  of  a 


164  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

beneficial  change,  which  was  likewise  a  sufficient  motive 
to  produce  a  change.]  D^.  Stewart  was  surprised  at  his  not 
alKnving  the  existence  of  Sin;  M"".  Owen  allowed  much  to 
be  that  men  wished  to  alter  and  he  contended  that  his 
practice  alone  would  effect  the  change.  Dr.  Stewart  rose  & 
maintained  he  could  keep  his  eyes  open  or  shut  them. 
M''.  Owen  said  he  could  not  shut  them.  The  Doctor  shut 
his  eyes  &  it  then  became  evident  that  the  cause  of  his 
shutting  his  eyes  did  not  evince  his  free  will,  but  arose  from 
external  impressions.  D^.  Strachan  held  that  such  opinions 
&  arguments  destroyed  all  reasoning  &  the  foundations  of 
right  &  wrong.  Mr.  Owen  replied  that  we  should  never 
(Monday  iS'''.  understand  &  know  [^=]  the  motives  &  causes  of  human 
C^ntd.)  actions  or  how  in  practice  to  remove  the  evils  we  felt  &  com- 

plained of,  if  we  did  not  perceive  that  Man  was  necessarily 
compelled  to  think  feel  &  act  as  he  did,  and  adopted  the 
practice  towards  human  nature  which  such  perception  would 
suggest.  The  evening  was  passed  at  cards  &  chess,  &  read- 
ing. I  finished  Hodgson's  Tour  through  the  U.  States  & 
began  Capt".  Hall's  voyage  to  Chili.  We  were  all  this 
day  on  the  Banks  &  passed  one  Brig. 
Iiiesday  ic/h.  jj^jg  j^-,orning  the  wind  came  from  the  Northward  and 

we  kept  our  course  over  the  Bank  with  a  light  wind.  We 
saw  a  Brig  at  a  distance.  After  breakfast  conversing  on 
the  subject  of  the  advantages  of  Union,  M"".  Flower 
expressed  a  fear  that  mankind  would  not  be  contented  in 
pommunities.  It  was  remarked  that  Pride  of  Heart  made 
men  restless,  &  that  this  was  in  consequence  of  a  belief  in 
individual  merit — [*]  The  Duke  of  Wellington  who  had 
risen  higher  in  distinction  than  any  one  of  his  day  was 
restless,  and  more  subject  to  discontent  than  persons  who 
had  remained  in  obscurity.  Mr.  Flower  did  not  consider 
him  a  distinguished  man  beyond  the  limits  of  a  military 
view,  and  thought  that  his  permitting  in  silence  the  treaty 
of  Paris,  which  secured  the  lives  of  the  supporters  of 
Bounaparte,  to  be  violated  in  the  execution  of  IMarshall  Ney 
would  be  a  blot  on  his  character  sufficient  to  obscure  his 
excellencies  in  the  eyes  of  the  admirers  of  social  liberty  &  se- 
curity. No  man  of  sense  or  prudence  would  ever  trust  his 
life  or  fortune  to  the  word  of  a  man  who  in  the  face  of  the 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  165 

world  had  once  so  glaringly  broken  it. — After  breakfast  the 
Captain  was  sorting  the  Bags  of  letters  for  the  U.  States — 
During  tea  this  evening  some  remarks  were  made  relative 
to  smuggling  in  the  United  States,  and  it  appeared  to  be 
the  opinion  [*]  of  some  of  the  company  that  it  is  carried 
to  a  less  extent  in  North  America  &  considered  more  dis- 
repatable  than  in  Great  Britain,  ^^''hile  we  must  acknowledge 
that  it  is  wrong  &  prejudicial  to  the  tranquility  &  morals  of 
society  to  transgress  the  laws  of  a  country,  yet  we  may 
question  the  wisdom  of  any  laws  which  are  found  at  all 
times  at  variance  with  apparently  very  general  &  innocent 
inclinations.  There  is  not  a  country  a  Traveller  returns 
from  with  a  commodity  either  prohibited  or  oppressed  by 
a  high  duty,  which  is  not  badly  governed  when  a  free 
exchange  of  productions  is  prevented.  This  afternoon  being 
calm,  fishing  lines  were  let  down  in  above  30  fathoms 
water,  &  in  less  than  5  minutes  some  fine  &  large  cod  were 
caught.  The  night  was  squally  and  rainy,  wind  southerly 
with  lightening.  For  a  few  seconds  previous  to  a  heavy 
shower  a  bright  ignis  fatuus  like  [*]  a  lanthorn  appeared  at 
the  end  of  the  Main  Top  Gallant  yard  to  lighten  our  darkness. 

This  morning  the  wind  was  northerly  blowing  a  pleasant  Wednesday  20th. 
breeze  with  flying  clouds.  The  conversation  at  breakfast 
related  to  Sir  John  Malcolm's  account  of  Central  India,  by 
which  it  appeared  that  the  Hindoos  experienced  many 
advantages  from  living  in  villages  united  in  many  respects 
as  if  each  village  were  but  one  family.  M"".  Flower  censured 
the  establishment  of  the  Holy  Alliance.  Dfs.  Stewart  & 
Strachan  &  M^.  Owen  considered  that  it  had  its  good  effect 
in  causing  security  in  the  mean  time  while  the  population  of 
Europe  had  time  to  study  the  subject  of  liberty  and  learn 
to  understand  its  nature  \^•ith  which  they  were  not  yet 
sufficiently  acquainted  in  order  to  be  able  to  apply  the 
theory  in  practice. —  [*] 

In  the  afternoon  it  fell  calm  and  so  continued  until  early  on 
the  morning  of  Thursday  2ist. 

when  a  S.E.  wind  gradually  arose  till  it  blew  us  along  at  the 
rate  of  8  or  9  knots  an  hour.  After  breakfast  Mr.  Owen 
read  to  the  company  an  extract  of  M^.  Thompson's  work  on 
the  Distribution  of  Wealth  in  which  he  explains  the  System 


166 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Thursday  21  st. 
Contd ) 

Friday  22"d. 


Saturday  2y^ 
Latitude 
40 '-22' 
Longitude 
60  &  a  half. 


(Saturday  2y^. 
Contd.) 


Sunday  24'h. 


of  Union  in  Communities.  I  read  some  of  Capt".  Hall's 
account  of  Lima,  and  remarked  that  the  custom  of  the 
Ladies  drawing  a  black  hood  over  the  head,  face  shoulders 
&  arms,  when  they  went  abroad  was  exactly  similar  to  that 
of  the  Tarifa  Ladies  on  the  shores  of  the  Straits  of  Gibral- 
tar.— This  custom  seems  thus  to  be  traced  to  the  Moors,  but 
why  it  should  only  remain  in  one  town  in  the  Old  Country 
&  be  carried  to  but  one  city  &  that  the  Capital  of  the  New, 
is  not  so  easily  accounted  for.  [*]  This  evening  the  wind 
came  round  again  to  the  West. — 

A  westerly  wind  prevaild  the  whole  of  this  day.  In  the 
evening  during  a  conversation  on  the  expences  of  govern- 
ment Dr.  Strachan  maintained  that  the  U.  States  were  fully 
as  expensively  governed  as  the  British  Dominions.  This 
subject  was  continued  after  breakfast  on  the  following  day, 
when  M^.  Owen  took  occasion  to  refer  to  his  plan  presented 
to  a  Committee  of  the  House  of  Commons  for  employing 
and  educating  the  Irish  labouring  classes.  In  reply  to  some 
remarks  from  D"".  Stewart  with  respect  to  the  little  progress 
he  had  as  yet  made,  he  stated  that  the  Higher  ranks  &  rich 
were  opposed  from  seeing  the  great  changes  which  it  would 
lead  to  &  not  being  equally  sensible  of  the  benefits  they 
themselves  would  reap.  Then,  said  the  Doctor,  America  is 
your  place  and  we  will  support  you  as  far  as  our  principles 
will  lead  us.  This  day  the  wind  was  [*]  blowing  steadily 
&  briskly  from  the  West.  About  1 1  oclock  a.  m.  we  were 
in  the  Gulf  stream,  the  sea  water  being  at  74  degrees  of 
temperature ;  we  therefore  tacked  &  stood  to  the  N.  West,  to 
get  out  of  the  Gulf  stream  which  runs  eastward.  The  day 
was  warm  &  fine  though  the  clouds  looked  stormy.  In  the 
afternoon  a  sudden  thunder  storm  with  violent  squalls 
came  on  from  the  N.  West  and  a  hard  cold  [wind] 
continued  blowing  all  night. 

About  10  o'clock  this  morning  the  wind  encreased  &  con- 
tinued blowing  with  very  great  violence  for  some  hours.  The 
sea  ran  extremely  high  &  was  frequently  carried  in  clouds 
along  the  surface  by  the  squalls.  The  ship  lay  too  under 
a  storm  stay  sail  and  close  reefed  fore  sail,  and  drifted 
considerably  to  leeward  though  few  seas  were  shipped.  Many 
of  the  passengers  remained  in  the  round  house  occasionally 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  167 

going  out  on  deck  to  admire  the  movements  of  the  troubled 
elements.  D^s.  Stewart  &  Strachan  performed  [*]  Divine 
service  in  the  cabin  to  the  Passengers,  &  D^.  Strachan 
preached  on  contentment.  In  the  evening  the  wind 
moderated  &  took  down  the  sea  at  the  same  time.  During 
the  day  many  of  the  little  dark  feathered  birds  followed 
in  the  wake  of  the  ship.  I  observed  that  they  frequently 
resisted  the  violence  of  the  storm  by  resting  for  a  second  or 
two  on  the  surface  of  the  water  in  the  hollow  seas.  Our  ship 
proved  an  excellent  sea  boat,  riding  easily  on  the  waves  and 
with  comparatively  slight  motion  rising  over  their  curl- 
ing &  foaming  tops. 

This  morning  the  wind  shifted  to  the  N.  N.  West,  and  Monday  25^11. 
the  [ship]  was  tacked  &  stood  nearly  west.    The  temperature 
of  the  sea  was  found  to  be  66°.     In  the  course  of  conversa- 
tion at  &  after  breakfast,  the  Captain  mentioned  that  the 
sea  serpent  was  believed  to  exist,  for  [*]  two  clergymen  &   (Monday  25^*1. 
several   respectable  persons  had  given  their  affidavits   of  ^°"*  -^ 
having  seen  it.     Light  winds  this  evening. 

The  wind  continued  northerly  all  this  day.  In  the  Tuesday  26th. 
evening  it  being  calm  we  had  a  little  dance  upon  deck,  the 
cook  of  the  ship,  styled  Doctor,  was  our  musician.  After 
tea  American  Politics  were  the  subject  of  conversation. 
Some  of  the  Passengers  contended  that  it  was  injudicious 
in  the  President  to  assume  in  his  last  Message  to  Congress 
that  the  Nations  of  the  Western  Continents  would  not  suffer 
any  European  interference  in  their  proceedings.  To  this 
it  was  replied  that  it  rather  seemed  a  fine  manly  step  as 
First  ruler  of  the  Oldest  Independent  Power  to  speak 
openly,  to  express  his  real  sentiments  derived  from  the  most 
extensive  information  and  to  nourish  [*]  liberal  sentiments  (Tuesday  26th. 
in  place  of  those  which  characterise  the  governments  of  Contd) 
Europe.  By  such  plain  proceedings  he  would  lead  the  way 
to  a  close  union  between  all  the  Nations  of  the  two 
Americas,  and  it  did  not  seem  absurd  to  declare  that  the 
United  States,  Mexico.  Columbia,  Peru,  Chili  and  Beunos 
Ayres,  would  not  in  future  consider  any  portion  of  those 
continents  subject  to  colonization  by  European  Powers  as 
formerly. — About  midnight  we  were  going  9  knots  an  hour 
before  a  southerlv  wind. — 


168  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Wednesday  -'7'*'-  The  wind  increased  this  morning  and  we  some  times 

advanced  at  the  rate  of  12  knots.  The  temperature  of  the 
atmosphere  was  66°.     The  ship  rolled  so  much   that  we 

( Wednesday  J8ti'.   shipped  seas  on  both  sides.    In  the  Ladies'  cabin  a  sofa  [*] 

|.'7tiii  Confi)  ^,pQj^  which  two  ladies  and  two  gentlemen  were  sitting,  gave 
way,  upset  a  table,  breaking  it  in  pieces  and  throwing  the 
ladies  &  gentlemen  violently  to  the  ground.  In  the  evening 
it  calmed,  and  the  wind  gradually  went  round  to  the  North. 

'riuirsday  -vS'''.  This  morning  was  beautiful,  and  during  the  forenoon 

a  wind  sprung  up  from  the  South  West,  which  enabled  us 
to  steer  our  course  nearly.  Our  latitude  was  40°-55'  and 
longitude  66°-3o'. — After  breakfast  a  religious  discussion 
was  commenced  by  D"".  Stewart,  and  he  on  his  own 
offer  read  to  me  two  chapters  from  the  works  of 
Bishop  [MS  blank],  being  the  introduction  to  a  treatise 
upon  the  Truth  of  the  Bible  and  intended  to  shew  that  if 
a  candid  inquirer  after  l'-^]  Truth  were  not  convinced  of 
the  authenticity  of  the  Old  &  New  Testaments  by  the  amount 
of  Evidence  in  its  support,  no  proof  of  any  historical  facts 
could  ever  be  handed  down.  M^,  Owen  replied  to  the  Doctor 
that  the  Bishop  seemed  unacquainted  with  Human  Nature, 
which  could  not  help  believing  the  strongest  evidence ;  that 
failing  conviction,  the  individual  evidently  had  not  sufficient 
evidence  before  his  mind.  He  continued  that  Young  Persons 
were  all  over  the  world  taught  every  variety  of  doctrine,  and 
when  grown  up  were  in  a  state  of  mind  which  unfitted  them 
'  for  judging  equally  from  the  same  evidence.  Hence  he 
argued  the  inconsistency  of  resting  so  much  upon  the  J\lerit 

(Thursday  28^''.  ^f  belief,  as  [*]  that  depended  upon  early  instruction  and 
the  force  of  evidence.  The  Doctors  did  not  see  the  justness 
of  this  reasoning.  I  remarked  to  Di".  Stewart  that  the  truth 
of  Histories  of  Natural  events  might  be  estimated  by  the 
amount  of  evidence ;  but  that  those  which  related  miracles, 
mysteries,  &  supernatural  concerns,  would  not  be  rendered 
the  more  credible  from  the  encrease  of  similar  evidence.  Of 
course  the  natural  events  of  those  histories  would  in 
proportion  to  the  quantum  of  good  evidence  be  more 
authentic,  but  the  supernatural  occurences  and  statements 
would  always  require  supernatural  evidence  for  every  person 
in  every  age,  as  well  as  explanation.  .  Failing  such  evidence 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  169 

belief  would  be  a  sort  of  infatuation  of  which  some  minds 

are  more  susceptible  than  others.   [*]   M*",  Owen  observed   (Thursday  28th. 

that  he  considered  the  value  of  discussion  to  be   for  the  contd.) 

purpose  of  acquiring  information  &  for  improvement ;  he 

held  the  Bible  to  contain  the  most  valuable  practical  precepts, 

and  he  was  always  desirous  that  every  one  should  be  left  in 

full  enjoyment  of  his  conscientious  opinions  while  all  united 

to  carry  into  effect  the  parts  in  which  all  were  agreed.     He 

rather  wished  to  bring  into  notice  &  examination  a  new 

combination  of  advantageous  practices,  than  to  continue  the 

worn  out  method  of  contesting  points  of  Faith.  The  Doctors 

cordially  agreed  with  him.    M"",  Owen  shew'ed  a  tartan  dress 

such   as    the    boys    at    New    Lanark    wear.      Dr.    Stewart 

questioned  the  advantage   of   very  little    [*]    dress,   upon   (Thursday  28^^ 

which  a  discussion  took  place  that  shewed  persons  lightly  cont^) 

clad  from  infancy  to  be  much  healthier,   stronger  &  less 

susceptible   of   cold.      Mf.    Owen   remarked    that    hitherto 

Society  had  never  investigated  in  a  practical  manner,  the 

questions  what  are  the  best  food,  clothing,  and  domestic 

arrangements.     D^",  Strachan  exclaimed  that  this  was  going 

too    far,   and   becoming   rather   too    practical. — The   wind 

came  round  this  evening  to  the  N.  West. 

This  morning  the  wind  was  easterly  and  the  weather  '^^^^^y  ■^^'• 
fine.  Df.  Stewart  returned  Alf.  Owen  the  copy  of  his  son's 
outline  of  the  Instruction  given  in  the  Lanark  schools,  and 
observed  upon  the  passages  where  it  was  stated  that  the 
children  had  no  emulation  &  were  only  taught  what  they 
could  understand,  that  many  things  must  be  taught  them 
before  their  minds  [*]  could  estimate  them,  and  that  it  ^^^^^y  3o*'- 
was  too  nice  a  distinction  to  say  that  children  would  be 
emulous  advancing  in  knowledge  in  company  of  their 
comrades  and  not  out  stripping  them.  M^.  Owen  replied 
that  we  should  state  in  a  clear  manner  facts  which  the  minds 
of  children  would  percieve  like  ourselves  though  they  could 
not  further  explain  them :  and  that  the  fact  at  New  Lanark 
was,  that  children  being  instructed  from  the  first  without 
praising  or  blaming,  rewarding  or  punishing  them,  but 
merely  by  kind  behaviour  and  caressing  them  all;  had  no 
emulation  to  surpass  their  comrades,  but  only  an  active 
desire  to  acquire  information  &  by  mutual  aid  a  communica- 


170 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


tion  of  ideas  to  keep  together,  the  quick  &  clever  delighting 
(Friday  20ti-.  to  assist  the  dull  &  slow.— [*]  After  breakfast  Mr.  Owen 
cont«i.)  shewed  a  tartan  dress  such  as   the  girls  at   New  Lanark 

wear.     It  was  made  to  come  lower  down  the  legs  than  that 
for  the  boys.     The  Doctors  were  much  pleased  with  it,  and 
wished  to  have  the  pattern.    In  the  evening  we  had  a  dance 
in  the  Ladies  Cabin. 
Saturday  30'^.  This  morning  we  were  standing  West  by  south  with 

a  N.  westerly  wind.  The  day  was  dry  &  cold,  and  the 
atmosphere  extremely  clear.  We  spoke  a  small  vessel  from 
the  State  of  Maine  bound  to  Charleston.  Long.  7i°-45' 
Lat.  39.25. — After  breakfast  there  was  a  short  discussion 
on  the  subject  of  baptism,  in  which  M^.  Flower  argued  that 
it  was  at  no  age  required  for  the  children  of  Christians,  as 
they  are  born  in  the  spirit,  whereas  in  the  early  age  of 
(Saturday  30^^'-  Christianity  &  in  the  [*]  Heathen  nations,  a  public  solemn 
contd.)  ceremony  was  necessary  to  separate  and  permanently  fix  the 

condition  of  the  converted. — In  the  evening  we  had  a 
dance,  which  proved  good  exercise,  agreeable  in  the  cold 
frosty  feel  of  the  air,  and  particularly  amusing,  it  being 
somewhat  difficult  to  dance  in  a  ship  in  motion.  Conversing 
with  Mr.  Brown  I  found  that  he  had  travelled  a  good 
deal.  He  informed  me  that  there  is  very  little  difficulty  in 
getting  into  Society  in  the  U.  States,  as  the  Americans  are 
extremely  glad  to  meet  with  foreigners.  He  travelled 
through  Ohio  &  Kentucky  in  the  middle  of  winter,  and 
though  it  was  very  cold  and  from  the  snow  being  on  the 
(Saturday  3otii.  •  ground  a  bad  time  to  see  the  country,  he  found  [*]  no 
contd)  difficulty  in  getting  along.     In  Ohio  you  can  always  find 

good  fare  and  a  night's  lodging  every  5  or  10  miles  &  at 
a  moderate  expense.  Lexington  the  capital  of  Kentucky 
is  situated  in  one  of  the  most  beautiful  &  fertile  parts  of  the 
States,  and  there  he  said  he  visited  some  time  and  found  a 
great  deal  of  agreeable  &  polished  Society.  In  Charleston 
the  best  Society  is  considered  the  most  refined  of  the  whole 
of  the  Union.  In  Washington  he  recommended  our  being 
at  the  Inauguration  of  the  New  President  on  the  4th.  March, 
and  a  few  days  before  in  order  to  attend  some  of  the 
debates.  During  the  sitting  of  Congress,  members  bring 
up   their   families,   live    [in]    large  hotels   and  keep  much 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


171 


company.     Batchelors    [*]   live  in  boarding  houses,  where    (Saturday  30^^. 
are  sometimes  to  be  met  a  dozen  of  the  cleverest  members  Contd.) 
of  Congress  &  judges  from  the  distant  States. — M^.  Brown's 
father  is  a  rich  merchant  in  Providence  in  the  State  of 
Rhode    Island. — M*".    Roy    a    Virginian    gentleman    was 
describing  to  me  the  state  of  society  in  his  state.     General 
Washington,  Mr.  Jefferson,  Mr.  Madison,  &  a  few  others,  he 
described  as  having  fine  estates  and  living  in  a  superior 
manner.     At  Salem  there  is  a  interesting  Moravian  Estab- 
lishment.— Mr.  Day  a  New  York  Merchant  described  to  me 
the  direction  of  the  ranges  of  the  Alleghany  &  Blue  moun- 
tains, the  latter  being  a  smaller  ridge  running  parallel  to  the 
former  on  the  Eastern  side  from  the  Northern  limits  of 
N.  Carolina  up  into  the  States  of  New  York  [*]  Vermont  &   (Saturday  30*. 
New  Hampshire  being  cut  through  by  several  rivers,  rising     ^"^ 
in    the    Alleghany,    &    running    through    the    intervening 
valleys.     These  abrupt  openings  and  valleys  he  described 
as  rich  and  romantic. 

This  morning  the  wind  was  N.  West,  the  air  mild  &  Sunday  31st. 
clear,  and  the  clouds  having  a  character  peculiar  to  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic.  M^.  Owen  believed  the  distance  seen,  to 
be  perceptibly  greater  than  he  had  observed  at  home.  At 
one  o'clock  we  had  Divine  service  in  the  cabin.  D^".  Stewart 
preached  a  sermon  with  much  feeling  &  earnestness.  The 
afternoon  was  extremely  calm  &  the  atmosphere  mild  &  clear. 
From  the  deck  of  a  vessel  at  sea  the  eye  of  an  observer  is 
elevated  from  10  to  15  ft.  above  the  water,  and  from  the 
medium  height  [*]  of  12  1/2  ft.  he  can  in  calm  weather  see  (Sunday  31st. 
about  4  3/4  miles  every  way;  but  In  rough  weather  this  contd.) 
extent  is  shortened  by  the  elevation  of  the  waves  hiding  the 
horizon.  On  land  we  are  apt  to  imagine  that  when  mariners 
are  out  of  sight  of  land  they  see  around  them  an  immense 
expanse  of  ocean,  whereas  the  view  is  limited  to  a  circle 
whose  diameter  rarely  exceeds  10  miles  when  no  vessel  is 
in  sight. — Conversing  with  Mr.  Roy,  he  mentioned  the  name 
of  an  old  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Divers  residing  near 
Richmond,  who  keeps  the  best  establishment  in  the  State  of 
Virginia.  He  mentioned  that  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme 
court  are  for  the  most  part  simple  &  unassuming  men ; 
Chief  Judge  Marshall  frequently  travelling  on  horseback  by 


172 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


(Sunday  31*1. 
Cont<3.) 

Monday 
Nov^  IS*. 


(Sunday  31^'-        himself  with  saddlebags.     Passing  an  inn  on  the  [*]  road- 
cont<i.)  ^ij^^  tjig  hostler  called  to  him  Well  Master  Marshal  wont 

you  alight  &  take  refreshment.  He  stopt  his  horse  and 
asking  a  few  familiar  questions  added,  I  believe  Jack  I  must 
make  haste  on  to  my  destination.  After  dinner  M^.  Flower 
t-ntered  into  discussion  relative  to  the  principles  &  views  of 
the  English  Radicals,  and  argued  that  since  the  time  of  their 
disturbances  the  government  had  adopted  many  of  their 
propositions.  It  is  true  that  there  were  many  changes 
required  &  improvements  to  be  made,  which  the  radicals 
could  in  many  respects  trace  out  as  well  as  their  oponents, 
but  the  feeling  with  which  they  advocated  them,  and  the 
manner  in  which  they  proposed  to  effect  them,  tended  to 
disgust  the  most  enlightened  &  amiable  characters;  for  it 
is  the  most  difficult  &  injurious  method  to  reform  by 
censuring,  abusing  and  punishing  [*]  one's  opponents. 

This  morning  the  wind  was  N.  West.  Bottom  was 
found  with  40  fathoms.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon 
Mr.  Wolsey  read  to  me  part  of  a  German  tale  called  Mimili. 
In  the  evening  we  danced  &  played  at  chess.  The  wind 
continued  from  the  same  quarter,  and  the  night  was 
beautifully  calm.  During  the  last  two  or  three  days  we  had 
several  small  birds  &  two  owls  at  different  times  about  the 
ship.  The  lead  was  often  heaved,  &  at  night  w^e  were  in  20 
fathoms  and  60  miles  to  the  southward  of  Sandy  Hook, 
Tuesday  2»^.  This  morning  we  were  favored  with  a  gentle  southerly 

breeze  &  stood  for  Port  N.  N.  W  by  compass,  expecting 
(Tuesday  2^^  'soon  in  the  day  to  behold  land.  This  [*]  was  the  topic  of 
^<^^^'^-)  conversation  at  breakfast,  and  the  sensations  experienced 

when  coming  in  sight  of  New  York.  Some  of  the  passengers 
well  acquainted  with  that  place,  compared  its  bay  to  that  of 
Naples,  and  spoke  of  the  animating  thoughts  which  the  first 
sight  of  the  New  World,  the  nursery  of  independence  would 
naturally  give  rise  to ;  while  others  recurred  to  the  historical 
events  of  the  ancient  kingdoms  of  the  world,  in  which  the 
first  principles  of  every  science  Religious,  Moral  &  Political, 
came  into  being,  and  where  the  first  heroes,  legislators, 
philosophers,  and  artists  were  born, — in  short  where  were  to 
be  found  the  oldest  remains  &  records  of  w-hatever  we  most 
admire  &  value.     After  breakfast  D^.   Stewart  called  the 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  173 

attention  of  the  gentlemen  Passengers  ( 14  in  number)  [*]  to  (Tuesday  2nd. 
the  consideration  of  a  remuneration  to  the  Steward,  &  ^°"*  -^ 
Cook  &  their  assistants.  It  was  decided  that  Mr.  Day  should 
be  requested  to  be  treasurer,  and  receive  30s.  from  each,  & 
divide  the  whole  thus,  13-4  to  Stewart,  6-8  to  his  asst.,  6-8  to 
Cook,  3-4  to  his  do.  It  was  further  agreed  to  give  the 
Captain  a  dinner  at  the  City  Hotel,  the  day  after  our  landing 
at  5  o'clock,  Mr.  Owen  in  the  chair  &  Mr.  Roy  vice  Presi- 
dent. A  committee  of  three  consisting  of  M"".  Brown, 
Davis  &  Mallard,  were  chosen  to  order  the  dinner. — The 
two  reverend  clergymen  to  invite  the  Captain. — The  weather 
was  extremely  mild,  and  the  sea  quite  smooth.  While  we 
glided  through  the  water  with  imperceptible  motion  at  the 
rate  of  from  7  to  9  knots  an  hour,  we  came  in  sight  of  four 
or  five  vessels.  About  11  o'clock  we  saw  land  from  the 
deck,  a  long  low  streak  [*]  of  wooded  land  on  the  western  Tuesday  2nd 
horizon.  While  we  were  rising  the  land  the  passengers  ^*^"*  • 
stood  on  deck  observing  the  coast  we  were  approaching, 
which  proved  to  be  the  woodlands  and  never  sink  point  near 
the  lighthouse  at  Sandy  Hook.  These  shores  are  covered 
with  fir  trees,  at  this  season,  looking  brown,  and  resembles 
the  views  of  the  scenery  of  the  islands  in  the  South  Seas  as 
pictured  in  the  works  published  by  Emigrants.  Mr.  Owen 
looked  with  delight  upon  the  New  World  considering  it  the 
field  for  great  improvements  in  Society;  &  Mr.  Flower 
viewed  it  as  the  nursery  of  independence.  I  could  not 
wander  far  in  the  delightful  regions  of  fancy;  for  my 
recollections  of  its  history  always  led  me  to  the  expectation 
of  seeing,  Society  much  as  I  had  seen  at  home;  habits, 
dress,  language,  &  customs,  nearly  the  same  in  the  Union  as 
in  Great  Britain. — About  two  o'clock  being  in  sight  of 
Sandy-hook  lighthouse,  signal  was  hoisted  for  a  pilot  who 
came  on  board  about  four  o'clock.  From  him  we  got  two 
New  York  Papers,  giving  an  [*]  account  of  General  Tuesday  2»d 
La  Fayette's  visit  to  the  tomb  of  Washington,  and  a  report  contd. 
of  Bolivar's  having  gained  a  victory  over  Canterac.  The 
election  of  governor  of  the  State  of  New  York  was  going 
on,  and  the  last  day  tomorrow.  The  yellow  fever  had  been 
severe  at  Charleston  &  Savannah. — Soon  after  the  pilot 
came  on  board  the  wind  came  to  the  N.  West,  and  we  were 


174 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Wednesday    3"^- 

( Wednesday  3'"<1 
cont<*.) 


Thursday  4**'. 


(Thursday  4*'' 
cottt<l. ) 


obliged  to  anchor  in  the  mouth  of  the  channel.  Four  of  the 
passengers  determined  to  go  up  to  town  in  the  Pilot 
boat.  New  York  is  20  miles  above  the  Hook.  The  Captain 
sent  his  Papers  by  the  boat. — We  learnt  that  the  Diamond 
merchant  ship  which  had  left  Liverpool  with  us,  had  not 
arrived;  nor  the  Packet  which  sailed  the  w^ek  before. — At 
night  it  blew  very  hard. — 

This  morning  the  wind  was  blowing  hard  from  the  same 
(luarter,  directly  in  our  teeth. — About  12  o'clock  the  tide 
being  favoralile  the  ship  was  got  [*]  under  weigh  and  we 
passed  the  Hook,  and  after  several  tacks  passed  the 
shoals  &  anchored  on  the  western  side  of  New  York  Bay 
opposite  to  Fort  La  Fayette.  The  evening  was  extremely 
clear  &  fine  though  cold,  the  shores  were  covered  with  pine 
wood,  and  a  few  small  houses ;  the  land  looked  rather 
poor,  consisting  of  ridges  of  low  hills. 

About  6  o'clock  this  morning  we  were  again  under 
way.  The  morning  was  calm  and  clear,  the  thermometer 
standing  at  31  after  the  Sun  had  risen  far  above  the 
horizon.  A  gentle  breeze  aided  the  flood  tide,  and  carried 
us  up  the  bay.  On  our  right  lay  Staten  Island,  a  low  hilly 
isle  covered  with  firs.  We  had  the  quarantine  ground  & 
Hospital  pointed  out  to  us ;  as  likewise  a  square  stone  house 
on  the  projecting  point,  belonging  to  the  Vice  President.  It 
stood  in  a  bleak  situation  w'ithout  trees,  and  inclosed  within 
a  a  formal  w^all.  Further  on  [*]  lay  a  small  island  with  a 
fort  upon  it.  To  our  right  was  Long  Island  and  governor's 
Isle  with  a  square  fort  upon  it.  As  we  approached  the  City 
we  beheld  the  Battery,  a  public  walk  so  called,  extending 
across  the  point  of  land  which  divides  the  Bay,  and  separates 
the  Hudson  from  East  river.  Numerous  vessels  lay  along 
the  wharfs,  of  all  sizes  &  descriptions,  and  steam  &  harbor- 
boats  were  crossing  &  re-crossing  from  the  city  to  Long 
Island.  The  shores  of  this  Island  immediately  opposite  to 
the  City  are  hilly,  and  in  order  to  prevent  a  bombardment 
during  the  last  war  a  line  of  defence  inclosing  the  hills  was 
constructed  at  which  the  population  worked.  We  were  along 
the  wharf  about  9  o'clock.  As  soon  as  the  ship  was 
fixed,  we  landed  and  proceeded  to  the  City  hotel.  The  town 
at  this  hour  was  in  considerable  bustle.     The  streets  are 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  175 

rather  narrow,  and  the  houses  of  red  brick  with  very  high 

roofs,  though  of  small  dimensions.     We  next  went  to  the 

custom  house  a  new  building  [*]  or  at  least  one  which  they   (Thursday  4*1'. 

were  enlarging.     Two  statements  of  the  articles  composing  '^^"td.) 

our  baggage,  with  a  form  of  oath  were  made  out,  which 

we  signed  &  swore  to,  and  then  received  an  order  to  land 

them.  The  Building  appeared  small  &  of  plain  materials ;  and 

all  the  persons  in  it  seemed  as  though  they  were  of  the  same 

rank.     Business  seemed  to  go  on  quietly  &  civilly.     Our 

concerns  were  finished  there  in  about  an  hour,  and  at  the 

cost  of  75  cents  each. — We  then  returned  to  the  ship,  opened 

our  trunks  which  w^ere  slightly  looked  over  &  passed,  and 

thence  brought  them  in  carts  to  the  Inn.    One  box  belonging 

to    Mr.    Owen,    containing    a    few    books    relative    to    his 

views,  and  some  drawings  were  stopped.   [*] 

Mr.  Owen  went  to  the  custom  house  &  got  an  order  to  (Thursday  4A 
have  the  box  sent  to  the  Public  Store,  where  he  attended  and  ^°^'-  ^^'^***) 
after  a  great  deal  of  trouble  &  delay,  got  it  passed  upon 
payment  of  a  few  shillings  duty  upon  the  books. — Orders 
had  been  given  for  the  Dinner  to  be  given  to  our  Captain 
at  the  Hotel  at  5  o'clock ;  Previous  to  which  we  looked  over 
some  papers  &  a  pamphlet,  which  had  been  given  to 
Mr.  Owen  in  the  custom  house,  by  a  Quaker  Dr.  president 
of  a  small  society  established  for  the  purpose  of  forming 
Communities.  The  President  invited  Mr.  Owen  to  one  of 
their  meetings  at  8  o'clock  in  the  Evening,  and  promised  to 
call  for  him.  While  passing  his  baggage  out  of  the  ship,  a 
Mr.  Page  introduced  himself  to  Mr.  Owen  and  gave  him  [*] 
some  papers,  respecting  rules  for  a  community  &  his  petition 
to  Congress  for  lands  to  establish  it  on. — After  reading 
these  papers,  we  walked  to  the  Battery,  a  fine  shady  walk 
overlooking  the  Bay,  and  along  Greenwich  Street.  I 
remarked  that  no  one  put  Mr.  before  his  name  on  his 
door.  The  houses  look  clean  outside,  and  being  built  of  red 
brick  very  smart;  but  the  street  pavement  is  irregular  &  not 
properly  swept.  There  is  a  decidedly  smart,  quick  man- 
ner &  appearance  among  the  people,  and  the  females 
particularly. — Our  dinner  was  well  served,  by  quick  waiters, 
though  they  were  not  what  we  should  at  home  consider  neat 
in  their  dress.     The  dishes  contained  every  sort  of  game.  & 


176  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

fine  venison  but  being  all  put  on  the  table  at  once  overloaded 
it  and  were  cold  before  they  could  be  tasted.  Our  party 
was  very  sociable,  [*]  but  I  left  it  at  8  o'clock  with 
Mr.  Owen,  his  son  &  Mr.  Flower,  to  accompany  the 
President  of  the  commonwealth  Society  as  they  call 
themselves  to  their  meeting  room  in  a  private  house,  where 
we  found  about  a  dozen  middle  aged  persons  almost  all 
(juakers.  A  short  conversation  took  place  in  which  Mr.  Owen 
was  informed  that  they  had  formed  themselves  into  a  society 
for  the  purpose  of  establishing  themselves  in  communities 
when  their  funds  might  permit.  Mr,  Owen  asked  whether 
any  of  the  leading  people  favored  them.  The  President 
replied  that  on  the  contrary,  they  discountenanced  the  idea 
of  communities,  and  one  of  his  friends  had  written  a  long 
letter  against  them.  He  added  that  Mr.  Jefferson  favored 
them  in  a  confined  manner,  as  the  Harmonists,  Mora- 
vians, &c,  but  opposed  the  idea  as  a  state  proceeding. 
Mr.  Flower  stated  that  he  had  visited  New  Lanark  &  been 
much  delighted,  and  that  Mr.  Owen  was  on  his  way  [*]  to 
visit  the  back  settlements.  Mr,  Owen  hoped  that  on  his 
return,  he  should  be  able  to  give  them  more  precise  &  useful 
information.  We  then  wished  them  success  &  returned 
to  our  Inn. 
Friday  5^.  Nov''.  We  went  at  1/2  past  8  to  breakfast  at  Griscomb's  a 
quaker,  in  Grand  street,  who  had  been  visiting  Mr.  Owen's  & 
published  some  account  of  it  in  a  work  entitled  a  year  in 
,  Europe.  We  walked  along  Broad  Way.  The  weather  had 
quite  changed  from  a  cold  frosty  N.  West  wind  to  a  South 
Easterly  warm  breeze  with  rain.  There  are  trees  here  & 
there  along  the  street  &  some  large  handsome  houses,  and 
two  fine  churches  which  give  a  pleasing  appearance  to  this 
part  of  the  City. — At  Griscombs  we  met  Harvey  the  son 
of  a  Limerick  Quaker,  &  Collins  brother  of  a  quakeress 
who  interests  herself  much  about  schools.  Miss  Griscomb 
(Fnday  5th.  was  frank  in  her  manner,  &  intelligent. —  [*]  After  breakfast 

Nov^  contd.)  an  elderly  quaker  came  in,  and  we  set  out  with  him  to  see 
some  of  the  schools.  The  first  was  a  large  building 
belonging  to  the  Female  Association  which  educates 
about  600  poor  girls  at  an  annual  cost  of  from  $1500 
to  $1800.     The  children  were  very  clean  &  seemed  to  be 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


177 


kindly  treated.  In  the  upper  room  we  found  a  large  school 
of  boys  of  colour  belonging  to  the  Manumission  Society 
established  25  years  back.  The  teacher  said  that  he  thought 
he  found  the  darker  the  colour  of  the  skin,  the  cleverer  the 
children.  Among  them  we  remarked  some  with  straight 
black  hair.  These  we  were  told  were  of  N.  American 
Indian  Parents. — They  went  through  their  lessons  in 
accounts  &  geography  with  great  quickness.  From  thence 
we  went  to  one  of  the  Schools  belonging  to  the  New  York 
Association.  This  consisted  of  two  floors  90  ft.  by  45 ;  the 
upper  for  boys  &  [*]  the  lower  for  girls.  There  are  seven  (Friday  5*. 
of  these  free  schools  in  this  city.  The  children  are  all  taught  Novf.  contd.) 
geography. — On  our  way  from  this  school  we  passed  a  large 
building  three  stories  high,  which  IM"".  Griscomb  informed 
us  the  Society  of  Friends  were  erecting  for  a  school  in 
which  he  was  to  take  an  active  part  as  teacher. — It  was 
settled  that  about  11  o'clock  tomorrow  Mf.  Owen  was  to 
meet  a  dozen  of  the  Intelligent  &  Philanthropic  gentlemen 
of  the  city,  at  the  Infirmary. — We  then  returned  to  the 
Hotel,  &  after  looking  over  some  of  his  letters  of  Intro- 
duction Mr.  Owen  went  out  with  M^.  Griscomb  to  deliver 
them. — He  received  two  letters  from  Hunter  the  American 
Indian,  stating  that  he  was  confined  at  Philadelphia  by  ill 
health,  and  was  longing  to  see  him.  William  Owen  wrote 
to  say  that  we  hoped  to  be  with  him  in  three  or  four 
days.  Our  dinner  [*]  yesterday  cost  $5 — 14  cents  each. 
Mr.  Owen  called  on  Mf.  Ludlow  in  Warren  S*.  and 
Mr.  Charles  King  Editor  of  the  New  York  Evening  Post 
and  son  of  Rufus  King  who  was  once  ambassador  in 
England.  From  thence  he  went  and  saw  Judge  Irvine  at 
the  City  Hall. — We  dined  at  three  o'clock  at  the  Table 
D'Hote  where  from  50  to  80  persons,  principally  merchants, 
sat  down  to  a  good  dinner  provided  with  a  variety  of 
game.  After  dinner  we  called  on  M"".  Flower  at  a  Boarding 
House  near  the  hotel.  He  had  arranged  to  set  off  the  next 
morning  at  6  oclock  in  the  Steam  boat  for  Philadelphia.  We 
met  a  M^.  Sampson  there.  On  our  return  at  6  o'clock  we 
found  tea  on  the  table.  After  tea  M^.  Owen  wrote  to 
Hunter  &  Df.  Price's  father,  &  William  Owen  &  myself 
went  to  the  theatre.     The  house  is  of  moderate  size,  and 


(Friday  5*. 
Novf.  contd') 


178 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


plainly  fitted  up.     The  majority  of  the  company  of  players 
(Friday  5th  are  English.    The  performance  was  indifferent  [*]  and  as 

Nov.  contd.)         ji^g  house  was  almost  empty  we  had  but  little  opportunity  of 
observing  the  inhabitants  of  the  City  who  are  in  the  habit  of 
frequenting  theatres.     At  the  city  hotel  supper   is  on  the 
table  from  9  to  1 1  o'clock. 
(Saturday  6*^.  Breakfast  is  on  the  table  every  morning  from  8  till  10.   A 

^'ov^)  bell  rings  half   an  hour  before  and  at  8   o'clock.      After 

breakfast  we  went  to  Mr.  Day's  counting  house  to  change 
our  money  which  I  shall  describe  hereafter.  We  were 
introduced  to  his  Partner,  and  told  to  have  our  English 
letters  ready  by  nine  on  Monday  morning.  We  met 
Mr.  Brown  &  Wolsey,  &  engaged  to  go  to  what  is  called  a 
Game  dinner,  at  which  is  served  every  sort  of  American 
game,  at  Syke's.  Between  10  &  1 1  we  went  to  Mr.  Bayard  & 
Co.  with  Mr.  Peterson.  Mr.  Owen  had  a  letter  for 
Saturday  6th.  ^[^ — ^^  j  j  o'clock  we  went  to  the  City  Hospital  where  [*] 
'^•^"^''-  in    the    governor's    room    Mr.    Owen    shewed    his    Plans 

and  gave  a  short  statement  of  his  views  to  Judge  Irvine, 
Dr.  Hosack,  Mr.  Charles  King,  Mr.  Dwight,  Mr.  Morse,  and 
friends  Eddy,  Griscom,  Collins,  and  another  old  man.  Friend 
Thomas  Eddey  questioned  relative  to  religious  instruction 
to  orphans,  &  Mr.  Dwight  relative  to  the  state  of  religion 
at  New  Lanark. — Dr.  Hosack  who  is  President  of  the 
College  of  Medicine,  invited  Mr.  Owen  and  his  son  &  myself 
to  his  literary  society  which  meets  from  7  till  10  every 
Saturday  evening. — Mr.  Morse  is  Editor  of  the  New  York 
Observer,  and  Mr.  Dwight  has  a  paper  at  Boston. — On  our 
return  we  were  much  pleased  with  the  fineness  of  the 
day,  lively  scenery,  and  smart  females,  in  Broad  Way.  Many 
old  Dutch  customs  still  subsist,  and  I  remarked  a  great  deal 
of  Spanish  costume. — We  next  called  at  the  custom  house, 
(Saturday  6th  and  sat  for  a  few  minutes  with  Mr.  Ferguson  [*]  of  the 
contd)  Naval    branch    of    the    Establishment.      He    is    a    pleasing 

middle-aged  man,  and  seemed  interested  with  Mr.  Owen. — 
We  called  again  on  Mr.  Ludlow,  but  missed  him,  as  he  had 
called  at  the  Hotel  while  we  were  out.  We  then  went  to  the 
City  Hall,  as  Mr.  Owen  had  a  letter  for  Judge  Edwards,  but 
he  was  out  of  town.  We  met  Judge  Irvine  who  politely 
shewed  us  the  building  built  of  grey  marble  brought  down 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  179 

Hudson  river.  The  large  room  was  covered  with  Portraits 
of  the  Mayors  of  the  City,  and  several  Military  &  Naval 
officers  who  had  distinguished  themselves  during  the  late 
war.  I  remarked  one  of  General  Jackson.  The  fringes  of 
the  window  hangings  were  ornamented  with  Eagles  &  stars. 
Another  chamber  was  the  City  Council  room,  handsomely 
and  conveniently  arranged.  There  we  saw  four  fine  por- 
traits of  Washington,  Clinton,  Hamilton  &  Clay.  [This 
Clinton  was  a  revoluy  general  &  uncle  of  the  present 
De  Wit  Clinton.]  Washington's  countenance  displayed 
mildness  &  intelligence.  From  the  top  of  the  building  [*]  we 
had  a  good  view  of  the  City.  To  the  South  lies  the 
bay;  East,  the  Sound  &  Long  Island,  West,  The  North  or 
Hudson's  river  with  its  wooded  &  rocky  banks ; — and 
North,  an  extent  of  low  country.  The  town  looked  well,  and 
the  church  spires  handsome.  I  remarked  a  horizontal 
windmill  &  was  informed  that  there  are  3  or  4  in  the 
City.  As  we  w^ere  rather  late,  we  gave  up  going  to 
Syke's  &  at  3  dined  at  the  Table  d'Hote.  After  dinner  the 
general  conversation  seemed  to  be  about  the  Elections. — Be- 
tween four  &  five  a  M^.  Woodridge  from  a  Deaf  &  Dumb 
Institution  at  Hartford  called  with  a  letter  to  Mr.  Owen 
from  Mr.  Goodridge.  He  stated  he  was  proceeding  to 
Europe  to  visit  the  various  Establishments  for  Education 
previous  to  continuing  his  labours  in  some  new  works  on 
that  subject  which  he  is  publishing.  He  gave  M"".  Owen 
a  copy  of  his  work.  [He  afterwards  sent  Mr.  Ow^n  an 
Atlas  &  a  work  on  geography.  Mr.  Owen  gave  him  names 
of  persons  to  call  upon  in  England.  He  sailed  in  the 
Liverpool  packet  on  the  8th.]  Mr.  Dufief  the  teacher  of 
french  [*]  on  a  new  system  called.  He  had  been  at  Saturday  6th. 
New  Lanark.  He  said  that  he  thought  Mr.  Owen  would  contd. 
find  the  Americans  difficult  to  regulate  or  confine  to  any 
system,  as  they  were  fond  of  roving,  and  might  be  called 
a  migratory  race.  At  five  o'clock  a  Mr.  Houston  called  & 
took  Mr.  Owen  to  see  Dr.  Mitchell  a  very  scientific  &  singu- 
lar character. — A  Mr.  Grut  who  had  kept  a  store  in  the 
State  of  Ohio  called  &  gave  us  a  long  account  of  New 
Harmony  where  [he]  had  often  been. — Between  8  &  9 
o'clock   we   went   to   Dr.    Hosack's    soiree,    where   we   met 


180 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Mrs.  Rush  wife  of  Df.  Rush  of  Philadelphia  the  brother 
of  the  Envoy,  his  sons  &  daughters  and  about  twenty  of  the 
principal  people  of  New  York.  M^.  Owen  at  their  request 
sent  for  his  Plans  &  gave  some  [*]  explanation  of 
them.  Several  questions  were  put  to  him  by  a  Mr.  Colden 
one  of  this  State's  Public  men,  relative  to  the  ambition  & 
restlessness  of  Man;  Df.  Hosack  asked  laughing  whether 
Mr.  Owen  did  not  intend  to  do  away  with  his  Profession. 
Among  the  company  were  the  Rev^.  Mf.  W'ainwright. 
Dr.  Harris,  Professor  Griscomb,  &  other  Professors  of  the 
College.  I  was  received  with  much  attention  as  I  was 
acquainted  with  Captain  Sabine  R.  A  who  staid  in  this  town 
for  some  time.     The  Party  broke  up  at  lo  o'clock. 

Before  Breakfast  we  began  some  letters  to  go  by  the 
Packet.  [Mr.  Baldwin  &  Mr.  Bird  a  lawyer  married  to  a 
french  woman  whom  he  has  left  in  France,  took  us  after 
Breakfast  through  the  house,  into  the  Ball  &  concert 
rooms,  and  to  the  top  of  the  house,  whence  we  had  an 
extensive  view.]  At  ten  o'clock  Mr.  Day  &  Mr.  Ludlow 
called.  Mr.  Owen  went  to  Trinity  church  with  Mr.  Ludlow, 
and  W.  Owen  and  [*]  myself  accompanied  Mr.  Day  to 
Grace  church,  considered  the  most  fashionable  in  New  York. 
I  remarked  that  the  congregation  were  very  attentive,  but 
I  did  not  observe  much  fashion. — There  are  no  clerks  seated 
under  the  public  as  in  England. — In  the  service  a  few 
alterations  have  been  made.  'Those  who'  is  put  as  a 
correction  for  Them  that' ;  Selections  are  placed  before  the 
Psalms  of  the  day;  and  Prayers  are  read  for  the  President 
of  the  U.  States,  &  sick  persons  &  persons  travelling  by 
sea. — After  church  we  left  our  cards  at  Dr.  Hosack's,  and 
Jeremiah  Thompson's.  The  latter  is  one  of  the  Owners  of 
the  Liverpool  Packets. — We  dined  at  the  Hotel  ordinary,  and 
wrote  letters  in  the  [*]  afternoon  &  evening.  A  Mr.  Todd 
from  Lanark  and  some  others  called. — Mr.  Owen  went  to 
tea  at  Mr.  Thomas's,  where  he  met  IMrs.  Thomas,  Judge  & 
Mrs.  Ogden  who  have  property  on  the  North  river  on  the 
borders  of  Canada,  and  General  Moore.  He  had  an 
agreeable  &  interesting  evening. 

This  morning  we  finished  our  letters.  I  wrote  to  my 
uncle,  Aunt  Annie.  Wn\  Crawford,  my  mother,  Mr.  Keni- 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  181 

mis  &  to  Skene,  a  little  after  9  o'clock  we  called  at 
Mr.  Ogden  &  Day's  counting  house,  and  went  down  to  the 
east  end  of  the  battery  to  see  the  steam  boat  start  at  10 
o'clock  to  take  the  letter  bags  and  passengers  on  board  the 
Packet  which  was  laying  too  in  the  bay. — A  bell  rings  to 
give  notice  &  the  steam  boat  starts  precisely  at  10  oclock. — We 
thence  [*]  went  to  Pearl  Street  &  saw  Mf.  Marsh  a  Monday  S^\ 
merchant  for  whom  M^.  Owen  had  a  letter.  We  called  <=o"t^- 
likewise  at  the  New  York  Bank,  where  Mr.  Owen  had  5 
minutes  conversation  with  M^.  Wilkes  (descended  from  the 
famous  Wilkes)  cashier  of  the  bank.  He  called  by  desire 
of  Hunter  M^.  Wilkes  is  a  tall,  stout,  intelligent  looking 
elderly  man.  We  then  went  to  the  British  consul's 
(Buchanan)  Office  in  Nassau  St.  near  the  custom  house.  He 
had  called  upon  M^,  Owen  the  day  after  his  arrival.  He  told 
Mr.  Owen  that  it  was  not  customary  for  British  consuls  to 
make  the  i^t.  call,  but  as  for  some  years  he  had  entertained 
the  highest  opinion  of  him  &  of  the  utility  &  benevolence  of 
his  views,  he  considered  it  the  duty  of  every  man  who  wished 
to  benefit  [*]  his  fellow  creatures  to  step  forward  to  receive  Monday  8*^. 
him.  He  engaged  us  to  dine  with  him  tomorrow  at  four  cont^. 
o'clock.  Thence  we  went  to  M^.  Ludlow  office  where  he 
met  Mr.  Thomas.  We  then  returned  to  the  Hotel,  and  went 
thence  to  Dr.  Hosacks  who  shewed  us  his  Library  and  the 
portraits  of  some  of  their  patriots.  Mr.  Owen  gave 
Miss  Hosack  for  Mrs.  Rush  his  letter  to  her  husband.  We 
then  called  at  Mr.  Thomas's  80  Chamber  Street,  where  we 
saw  Mrs.  Thomas  to  whom  the  Lanark  children's  dresses 
had  been  sent.  She  seems  a  very  intelligent  [person]  :  We 
called  on  General  Moore,  a  short  good  humoured  old 
gentleman,  thence  we  went  to  Grand  S*.  &  saw  Miss  Griscom. 
We  were  then  puzzled  finding  the  house  of  Mr.  Hunter 
of  Hunter's  Island  in  [*]  Broadway.  He  had  not  yet  come 
to  town.  [We  met  Judge  (MS  blank)  &  Dr.  Mitchell  in 
the  street.  The  Judge  is  a  shrewd  looking  man.  Dr.  Mitchell 
is  a  fat  jovial  fellow,  and  expressed  great  interest  in 
Mr.  Owen's  plans.  He  begged  to  be  remem^  to  Mr.  Clin- 
ton, &  to  tell  him  to  give  his  attention  to  the  new  views.]  At 
1/4  past  one  we  called  at  Dr.  Mc Vicar's  at  the  Columbia 
College.     As  Mr.  Owen  decided  to  go  up  to  Albany  for  a 


182 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


day  to  see  De  Wit  Clinton,  W"i.  Owen  returned  to  the 
Hotel  to  write  to  Hunter  at  Philadelphia  to  say  that  he 
should  not  reach  that  place  for  3  or  4  days.  The  boat  goes 
out  at  2  o'clock.  D"".  M^Vicar  took  us  into  a  class  room 
where  Professor  Kent  was  giving  his  introductory  lecture 
on  law,  in  which  he  gave  a  brief  review  of  the  U.  States 
Constitution. — After  the  lecture  Mr.  Owen  was  introduced 
to  several  of  the  Professors.  I  was  introduced  to  the 
Professor  of  Mathematics.  We  saw  the  library  and  were 
introduced  to  the  Librarian.  The  library  is  at  present  of 
small  extent.  Dr.  M^Vicar  invited  us  to  his  house  for  [*] 
tomorrow  evening — .1  then  returned  to  the  hotel  for 
Wi".  &  we  dined  at  Jeremiah  Thomsons  where  we  met 
Mr.  Marshall,  Mr.  Clibborne,  Young  Harvey,  Professor 
Griscom  &  some  others.  [It  was  at  Mr.  Marshall's  house.] 
After  dinner  Mr.  Thompson  made  a  few  objections  to 
Mr.  Owen's  plan  on  the  grounds  of  independence,  liberty  to 
pursue  schemes  of  improvement,  and  having  a  stimulus  for 
exertion.  Mr.  Owen  engaged  to  go  w-ith  him  between  8  &  9 
tomorrow  morning  to  see  Mr.  Hall's  school,  some  way  out 
of  town. — On  our  return  to  the  hotel,  Mr.  Owen  found  a 
note  from  Mr.  Ludlow  inclosing  letters  to  friends  in 
Philadelphia  &  elsewhere.  Mr.  Grut  brought  letters  for 
Harmony  &  we  conversed  about  the  western  settlement  & 
Mr.  Owens  plans.  Mr.  Owen  went  out  to  tea  at 
Dr.  McNiven  [*]  Mr.  Houston,  Editor  of  the  Minerva  & 
[MS  blank],  called  in.  He  had  been  Editor  of  the 
Statesman,  &  was  2  years  confined  in  Newgate  for  publishing 
his  opinions.  He  brought  a  letter  of  intro"  for  Mr.  Clinton. 
Judge  Ogden  &  his  nephew  called.  He  came  to  offer  his 
nephew's  services  to  shew  us  the  city.  At  supper  he  came  in 
again  with  some  friends,  and  had  a  long  chat  with 
Mr.  Owen.  He  seems  disposed  to  wish  Mr.  Owen  settled 
in  his  neighbourhood,  or  to  sell  his  lands. — 

After  breakfast  Mr.  Owen  went  to  Jeremiah  Thompson's 
while  Wm.  Owen  &  myself  remained  to  write  our  Jour- 
nals.— While  we  were  writing  a  gentleman  called  who  said 
that  as  he  under  stood  Mr.  Owen  wished  to  purchase  land,  he 
came  to  offer  to  sell  him  some.  He  was  recommended  to 
call  when  Mr.  Owen  was  in.   [*]  Judge  Edwards  called  to 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  183 

acknowledge  the  receipt  of  a  letter  of  introduction.  He 
remained  till  Mr.  Owen  returned  with  Mr.  Marshall.  He  is 
a  very  intelligent  middle  aged  man,  and  seemed  to  have 
many  of  Mr.  Owen's  opinions.  He  hoped  to  see  us  on  our 
return. — Mr.  Owen  had  been  with  Mr.  Marshall  to 
Mr.  Hall's  school.  Mr.  Hall  is  a  very  intelligent  person,  and 
adopts  the  system  of  tuition  by  sensible  signs.  Mr.  Owen 
took  his  plans  to  Mr.  Marshall's  house,  where  he  shewed 
them  to  him,  to  Mr.  Hall  &  J.  Thompson.  When  he  had 
finished  the  latter  said  'Now  I  begin  to  see  my  way.' 
Mr.  Owen  returned  with  Mr.  Hall  whom  he  left  with  W"^.  to 
converse  on  the  subject  &  talk  about  Fellenberg's  &  Pesta- 
lozzi's  school,  and  went  with  me  to  Col.  Willot's  to  call  upon 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  De  Wi[n]t. — Mrs.  Dewi[n]t  is  sister  to  a 
Mr.  Smith  who  is  attached  to  Mr.  Rush's  Embassy  in 
London.  She  is  also  grand  daughter  [*]  of  the  late 
President  Adams.  Col.  Willots  lives  in  a  distant  part  of 
the  town  near  the  East  River.  We  found  Mr.  Dewint  a 
clean  agreeable  person,  and  the  Col.  an  old  officer 
above  80  years  old.  He  was  full  of  the  extraordinary 
changes  which  he  had  witnessed  during  his  lifetime  in 
New  York,  and  said  that  he  expected  mail  coaches  would 
in  40  or  50  years  cross  the  whole  continent  of  America. — On 
our  way  back  we  called  at  Mr.  Hunter  of  Hunter's  Island 
in  Broad  Way.  He  had  gone  out  for  the  purpose  of  calling 
upon  Mr.  Owen.  We  then  went  to  Dr.  Blacheley,  the 
gentleman  with  whom  we  went  the  first  evening  of  our 
arrival,  to  his  society  of  commonwealth.  The  Doctor  keeps 
an  apothecary's  Shop  at  467  Greenwich  St. — He  shewed  us 
Mr.  Jefferson's  letter  to  him  in  1822,  approving  of  com- 
munities individually,  but  disapproving  of  them  for  a 
State,  as  he  thought  we  should  always  have  brambles  &  thorns 
among  mankind,  and  not  expect  to  have  all  men  vines  and 
olives.  [*]  We  went  at  four  o'clock  to  dine  at  the  British 
consul's  Buchanan.  There  we  met  Mr.  Manners,  consul 
at  Boston  &  related  to  the  English  Archbishop,  and  his 
daughter,  and  Mrs.  Buchanan  &  a  large  family.  Mr.  Buchanan 
is  an  Irishman  a  strong  head  &  enthusiastic  heart.  He  is  full 
of  religious  feeling.  The  young  ladies  were  much  interested 
with  the  description  of  Lanark  schools.     Mr.  Buchanan  has 


184  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

some  plans  for  civilizing  the  Indians.  Mr.  Manners  is  a 
pleasing  man.  At  8  o'clock  we  went  to  Dr.  Mc Vicar's 
where  we  met  a  few  ladies  &  some  of  the  Professors. 
Dr.  Hosack's  son  told  me  that  on  Hunter's  return  from 
Europe,  he  was  not  so  much  at  his  ease  in  society  as  before 
he  crossed  the  Atlantic.  He  had  the  peculiar  habit  of  the 
Indians  of  never  keeping  his  eyes  fixed,  but  wandering  with 
them  from  object  to  object.  Mr.  Owen  conversed  for  some 
time  with  some  of  the  gentlemen.  On  our  return  the  Driver 
of  the  Coach  required  Seven  Dollars  [*]  for  his  fare. — At 
the  hotel  supper,  I  had  a  long  conversation  with  a  Col  M^Leod 
who  said  he  was  a  descendant  from  Macleod  of  Macleod.  He 
knew  Macleod  of  Colbecks. 
Wednesday  loth  ^^  Breakfast  Mr.  Baldwin  &  Mr.  Griswold  recommended 

us  to  proceed  to  Albany  by  the  morning  steam  boat  at  lo, 
instead  of  the  5  o'clock  p.  m.  boat.  We  therefore  packed 
up  a  change  of  dress,  and  started  by  the  10  o'clock  boat.  Just 
before  we  set  out,  Jacob  Harvey  called  &  gave  Mr,  Owen 
a  letter  to  Mr,  Clinton,  and  expressed  his  regret  that  his  friend 
Mr.  Muller  was  not  to  set  out  till  the  evening  boat.  He  gave 
me  the  following  list  of  the  dinner  party  at  J.  Thompson's 
on  the  8th,  jerh  Thompson,  Benj"  Marshall,  John  Griscom, 
Joshua  Clibborn,  Joseph  Walker,  Samuel  Thompson,  Jonas 
Marshall,  David  Crowther,  John  Grimshaw,  Jacob  Harvey. — 
We  had  70  or  80  persons  on  board  the  Steam  boat.  The 
front  cabin  was  for  gentlemen,  the  after  one  for  ladies.  The 
fare  to  Albany  3  dollars  including  dinner  and  tea.  This 
(Wednesday  was  the  opposition  boat  set  up  last  summer.  The  original  [*] 

lotii  contd)  company   was   Leviston   &   Fulton   who   had   a   monopoly 

granted  by  the  State.  Those  gentlemen  who  wished  to  dine 
with  the  ladies  had  to  apply  to  the  captain  for  tickets.  The 
rest  without  distinction  occupied  the  deck  &  fore  cabin. 
Every  body  appeared  disposed  to  be  accommodating,  and 
although  there  were  rich  and  poor,  yet  little  inconvenience 
was  experienced.  There  was  a  stove  in  each  of  the  cabins 
which  with  the  heat  of  the  Engine  &  smell  of  the  oil,  produced 
a  hot  &  close  air  and  disagreeable  smell.  As  there  were 
few  ladies  on  board,  one  half  of  their  cabin  was  shut  out  by 
folding  doors,  and  in  this  part  we  got  quiet  and  very 
clean  &  comfortable  births  at  night. — The  day  was  very 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  185 

clear  &  fine,  and  the  weather  mild.  A  great  number  of 
vessels  were  under  weigh,  and  several  sloops  beating  up 
the  river.  The  whole  day  excepting  about  1/4  of  an  hour 
we  were  upon  deck,  passing  forward  &  aft  &  from  side  to 
side  admiring  the  scenery.  Both  banks  of  the  Hudson 
river  [*]  are  well  wooded.  The  left  bank  consists  of  round 
hills  and  undulating  lands,  thickly  covered  with  country 
houses  &  farms  for  several  miles.  We  saw  the  opening  of 
the  river  which  makes  the  island  of  Van  Hatten  on  which 
New  York  stands.  The  right  bank  is  for  several  miles  up 
the  river  high  &  rocky  with  a  vertical  stratification,  In  some 
places  from  5  to  600  ft.  high  crowned  with  pines.  [The 
rocks  are  called  the  Pallisadoes]  In  places  the  river  opens 
to  the  breadth  of  4  or  5  miles.  At  West  Point  it  is 
about  3/4  of  a  mile  wide  with  a  high  ridge  of  mountains 
on  either  side  through  which  it  seems  to  have  forced  its 
way.  Some  of  the  highest  &  most  remarkable  points  have 
peculiar  names. — On  an  elevated  flat  where  the  river  makes 
an  elbow,  stands  the  Military  academy  and  a  number  of 
houses  of  persons  attached  to  this  department  of  the 
government.  On  a  lofty  point  above  stands  a  castle,  over- 
looking [*]  the  academy,  and  commanding  both  up  &  down 
the  river.  It  was  here  that  during  the  revolutionary  war 
a  chain  was  drawn  across  the  river,  which  British  men  of 
war  sailed  up  to  &  cut  through.  During  the  last  war,  this 
castle  was  nearly  lost  by  treachery.  The  scenery  through 
these  highlands  was  magnificent.  Though  none  of  the  hills 
could  be  above  15  or  1800  f*.  high,  yet  their  forms  were 
fine  and  their  descents  abrupt.  Covered  with  native  forests 
they  seemed  at  times  so  to  shut  in  the  magnificent  river  we 
were  gliding  over  at  the  rate  of  10  miles  an  hour,  that 
we  were  puzzled  to  guess  in  which  direction  we  should  pass 
through  them.  Every  here  &  there  a  sudden  turn  would 
open  to  our  view  a  long  reach  of  the  river,  displaying  a 
landscape  difficult  to  exceed  any  where  in  beautiful  com- 
bination, Mountains,  wood,  meadow  or  water.  On  some 
of  the  rocky  banks,  were  mills,  farms,  and  the  [*]  houses 
of  wood  cutters. — Our  boat  was  abundantly  supplied  with 
pine  wood,  and  at  night,  the  sparks  might  be  seen  flying  off 
in  great  quantities.     The  awning  over  the  boat  was  drilled 


186 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


contd.) 


Thursday  ii*''. 


with  holes  burnt  through  by  the  sparks  of  wood  falHng  upon 
it.  This  might  be  remedied  by  putting  some  composition 
upon  it.  There  is  a  great  advantage  in  burning  wood  as  it 
is  so  free  from  smoke  and  dust.  In  the  evening  we  came 
to  Newburg  on  the  right  bank.  A  straggHng  place  built 
chiefly  of  wood,  about  60  miles  above  New  York.  The 
river  is  here  about  2  miles  wide.  Opposite  is  Fishkill,  where 
Mr.  Dewint  resides.  After  the  night  set  in  we  could  see 
but  little,  but  the  banks  did  not  appear  very  high, — They 
were  well  wooded. — The  boat  landed  and  took  in  passengers 
at  several  places.  This  was  done  without  stopping  the 
steam.  A  small  boat  was  lowered,  and  a  rope  fastened  to 
(Wednesday  lot''.  jt  was  let  [*]  out  sufficiently  to  allow  it  to  reach  the  landing 
place,  while  at  the  same  time  it  was  drawn  forward.  When 
it  stopped,  rope  was  continued  to  be  let  out  from  the  steam 
boat  till  the  fresh  passengers  had  got  into  it,  and  then  the 
whole  was  drawn  up  to  the  vessel.  We  retired  to  our 
births  about  10  o'clock. 

At  4  o'clock  this  morning  we  reached  the  landing  place 
at  Albany.  Here  the  river  is  not  above  1/2  a  mile  wide,  and 
the  channel  in  the  center  very  narrow.  It  sometimes  happens 
that  thick  fogs  come  on,  &  on  such  occasions  vessels  are 
obliged  to  come  to  anchor.  The  land  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  slopes  gradually  down  to  the  water's  edge,  with  forests 
of  oak  &  yellow  &  white  pine  mixed.  A  great  part  of  the 
land  has  been  cleared  and  presents  a  great  quantity  of 
cultivated  Country.  About  1/2  past  5  a  bell  was  rung  to 
rouse  the  passengers  [*]  and  at  6  o'clock  a  second  one  for 
those  going  in  the  coach  up  to  the  Canal  which  crosses  the 
country  to  Lake  Erie.  The  difference  of  level  between  the 
Hudson  river  at  Albany  &  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie 
is  662  ft.  This  Canal  was  executed  by  the  State  of 
New  York,  at  the  instigation  of  Mr.  Clinton. — We  landed 
and  went  to  the  Eagle  Hotel  where  we  were  accommodated 
in  a  fine  large  bedroom.  Here  we  found  an  ordinary  well 
arranged  and  attended  by  40  or  50  persons,  at  which  we 
breakfasted  at  Eight — After  breakfast  Mr.  Owen  went  out 
to  call  on  Mr.  Clinton  while  W^  &  myself  remained  to  write 
our  journal.  In  1/2  an  hour  he  returned  to  take  a  coach  to 
visit  the  Shakers  establishment  of  Watervliet  near  Niskayuna. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  187 

He  had  seen  M^.  Clinton  and  engaged  to  be  with  him  to- 
morrow at  lo  o'clock. — The  coaches  have  rounded  tops.  &  the 
sides  [*]  are  made  of  leather  to  roll  up  in  hot  weather.  This 
construction,  however,  renders  them  cold  in  winter.  Albany 
is  the  capital  &  seat  of  the  government  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  is  a  large  town,  originally  a  dutch  settlement,  built 
in  a  very  irregular  straggling  manner  along  the  right  bank 
of  the  river  on  the  side  of  the  hill.  The  streets  are  extremely 
muddy  and  the  pavement  very  bad.  Much  business  appeared 
to  be  doing.  On  the  northern  skirts  of  the  town  stands  the 
house  of  Major  General  the  Hon'^'e  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer, 
called  Patron,  proprietor  of  a  large  extent  of  country,  and 
the  last  of  the  entail.  The  Shakers  of  Watervliet  rent  their 
lands  from  him  at  8  bushells  of  wheat  for  every  lOO  acres. 
We  called  upon  him  and  were  shewn  into  a  very  good  house 
kept  remarkably  clean.  He  is  a  tall  thin  [*]  old  gentleman 
remarkably  polite  &  polished  in  his  manners.  He  talked  of 
the  state  of  the  country,  and  his  desire  to  improve  it,  and 
presented  M^.  Owen  with  3  books  of  a  geological  &  agri- 
cultural survey  of  Rensselaer  county  &  the  land  adjoining 
the  Canal.  He  engaged  us  to  dinner  tomorrow  be- 
tween 3  &  4  o'clock.  He  spoke  of  a  cotton  mill  in  the 
neighbourhood,  which  he  said  from  some  mismanagement 
was  not  thriving,  while  those  in  some  other  states  were 
showing  a  dividend  of  from  20  to  30  per  cent. — From  the 
Patron's  house  we  ascended  in  a  south  westerly  direction,  a 
sandy  road  through  an  oak  &  pine  wood  over  a  ridge  of 
small  hills.  From  this  road  we  could  see  the  vale  of  the 
Hudson  and  a  part  of  the  town  of  Albany  which  we  were 
leaving;  and  before  us  lay  in  the  distance  the  Catskill 
Mountains  near  which  we  had  passed  in  the  night,  bounding 
an  extensive  [*]  vale  covered  with  wood,  looking  beautiful  (Thursday  nth 
with  its  varied  tints  and  evergreen  timber.  The  day  was  contd. ) 
mild  &  clear,  while  scattered  clouds  cast  picturesque  shades 
over  the  extended  landscape.  We  soon  got  into  a  bad  road 
through  the  wood,  and  as  the  coach  could  not  go  fast  on 
account  of  the  stumps  of  trees,  we  got  out  and  walked.  The 
fences  are  simple  consisting  of  pallisades  laid  one  upon  the 
other,  the  ends  being  supported  on  two  stakes  fixed  in  the 
ground  &  crossed  near  the   top.      Each  length   forms  the 


188  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

face  of  a  zigzag  thus  W  W  W  .  In  the  wood  we  passed  a 
farm  with  some  dozen  acres  cleared  around  it. — The 
Establishment  of  Shakers  at  Watervliet  contains  near  one 
hundred  persons,  nearly  equally  divided  into  males  and 
females.  It  is  situated  on  a  flattish  piece  of  land.  The 
houses  though  neatly  built  and  looking  very  clean,  are  [*]  not 
arranged  in  any  regular  form.  Some  are  made  of  wood  & 
some  of  brick.  We  drove  up  to  one  of  the  houses,  and 
were  received  at  the  door  by  a  respectable  elderly  female 
dressed  in  a  brown  coloured  dress.  Mr,  Clinton  had  given 
Mr.  Owen  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the  Society,  which  he 
delivered  and  was  led  into  a  small  neat  room,  with  small 
woolen  carpets  on  the  floor,  the  walls  white,  the  wood  work 
stained  a  brownish  red  colour  &  the  chairs  of  stained 
wood,  the  seats  of  them  of  strips  of  ash  wood,  and  the 
window  blinds  of  a  blue  stuff.  The  room  was  warmed  by 
a  neat  stove  made  for  boiling,  &  washing.  It  was  manu- 
factured in  Albany.  To  ventilate  the  room  there  was  an 
opening  in  the  wall  near  the  floor.  We  sat  and  conversed 
some  minutes  with  this  sister  who  had  a  chair  with  the  feet 
so  made  as  to  rock  back  &  forward.  An  old  decent  looking 
man  dress  [ed]  in  drab-coloured  coat  &  wai[s]tcoat  &  brick 
coloured  trowsers  came  in  &  sat  conversing  with  us  while 
the  female  handed  round  a  pleasant  sweet  liquor  made  [*] 
with  honey  [called  methylin]. — The  male  then  conducted 
us  into  the  building  where  the  workshops  were.  The  first  a 
.small  room  was  for  carpenters  &  joiners  work.  The  room 
was  warmed  by  a  stove.  Here  we  found  one  man  making 
whips.  He  appeared  intelligent  and  cheerful.  In  the  next 
room  we  found  some  coopers'  work.  Above  was  a  shoe- 
maker's shop,  a  turner's  room,  &  a  taylor's  shop.  In  one 
room  we  remained  some  time.  They  shewed  us  some  silver 
pens  made  by  them,  and  some  white  clay  pipes  and  tubes 
made  of  wood.  We  shewed  them  our  silver  pens  which  they 
appeared  very  curious  to  examine,  and  sent  for  one  of  their 
brethren  skilled  in  that  branch  of  work.  They  made  us  a 
present  of  half  a  dozen  pipes  and  three  tubes.  In  the  taylors 
room  we  found  two  boys  whom  they  had  received  into  their 
Society  to  educate  in  their  principles.  A  seafaring  gentleman 
joined  our  party,  and  we  went  into  their   [*]  blacksmith's 


MACDONALD  DIARIES    '  189 

shop  which  was  fitted  up  neatly  for  their  purposes.  While 
in  the  shop  a  brother  came  to  say  that  dinner  was  waiting. 
We  then  went  to  another  building  larger  than  those  we  had 
been  in.  We  were  shewn  into  a  small  neat  room  where  a 
clean  table  had  been  covered  with  a  nice  dinner  of  beefsteaks, 
boiled  beef,  pork  &  vegetables,  sweets,  apples,  apple  tarts, 
squash,  softbread,  good  cheese  &  butter,  &  excellent  cider.  On 
a  side  table  was  a  large  bason  of  warm  water  and  a  towel 
to  wash  before  dinner.  We  were  served  by  two  elderly 
sisters  who  were  neatly  dressed  with  light  striped  brown 
handkerchiefs  &  brown  petticoats.  They  seemed  most 
anxious  to  make  every  thing  agreeable  to  us.  After  dinner 
they  conducted  us  through  their  kitchen,  dining  room 
scullery,  pantry,  &  bedrooms.  Every  thing  was  remarkably 
neatly  arranged  &  well  contrived.  On  one  side  of  a  gallery 
were  the  sleeping  rooms  of  the  females  and  on  the  other 
those  of  the  [*]  males.  The  floors  were  well  made,  kept  (Thursday  ii< 
extremely  clean,  and  covered  with  small  woolen  carpets.  The  '^°"*  -^ 
beds  in  which  two  sleep  were  very  neat  &  all  of  their  own 
manufacture.  They  informed  us  that  they  never  quarrelled 
though  they  sometimes  differed.  They  took  it  in  turns  to 
cook  &  serve  the  rest  for  about  a  month,  half  a  dozen 
females  at  a  time.  They  found  it  very  pleasant  work.  We 
saw  two  good  looking  young  women,  who  said  that  they 
were  extremely  happy,  and  had  been  there  since  they  were 
children. — We  took  our  leave  of  the  six  simple  &  good 
natured  cooks,  and  accompanied  two  of  the  males  into 
another  building,  where  we  found  six  females  weaving. 
Three  of  them  were  rather  elderly,  and  the  other  three 
young.  They  told  us  that  they  wove  all  that  was  required 
for  their  own  family  and  [*]  gave  away  a  good  deal. 
Mr.  Owen  described  to  them  that  he  had  some  plans  for 
communities  of  from  500  to  2000.  They  remarked  that  if 
they  went  on  encreasing  by  taking  children  in  and  educating 
them,  or  by  receiving  grown  up  persons  into  their  com- 
munity, as  fast  as  they  had  done  of  late;  they  should  soon 
have  as  great  a  number  as  he  proposed.  They  appeared 
much  interested  with  the  subject,  and  became  open  &  easy 
in  their  manners,  displaying  a  mildness,  amiability  &  good 
sense,  which  was  extremely  agreeable.     We  then  went  to  a 


190  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

small  tannery  where  two  were  at  work.  They  said  that  it 
was  a  healthy  occupation.  To  our  enquiries  how  they 
regulated  the  different  occupations,  and  whether  some  did 
not  dislike  the  dirty  or  most  toilsome  occupations,  they  said 
that  some  had  a  choice  of  trades,  but  that  many  were  quite 
indifferent  in  that  respect.  [They  informed  us  that  some  of 
them  were  always  travelling  to  see  their  friends  &  that  the 
society  furnished  willingly  the  funds  required  for  these 
journies.]  We  saw  the  Piggery,  and  some  [*]  of  the  finest 
swine  we  had  ever  seen,  weighing  4  or  5  cwts.  They  feed 
them  on  mashed  Indian  corn  fomented  from  24  to  40  hours 
before  feeding.  We  went  next  to  the  thrashing  machine,  the 
house  for  keeping  their  corn  dry,  the  cider  presses,  and  the 
school  house,  over  which  in  a  loft  they  keep  seeds,  which 
are  their  principal  object  of  trafic.  Lindley  Murray's 
Exercises,  is  one  of  the  books  I  saw  there;  but  all  the 
children  were  out.  They  told  us  that  they  make  very  little 
for  sale,  being  chiefly  occupied  in  working  for  themselves. 
From  the  school  we  went  through  the  wash-house,  laun- 
dry, &  cellar  where  we  saw  a  good  supply  of  cider.  All  The 
linen  appeared  very  good  &  substantial.  We  then  returned 
to  the  first  house,  purchased  two  silver  pens,  a  whip,  and  an 
octavo  vol.  containing  the  [*]  history  of  their  sect,  and 
took  our  leave  of  three  or  four  of  the  males  and  two  females 
who  had  assembled  together  there,  and  gave  them  our 
Cards, — M"".  Owen  telling  them  they  should  hear  more  of 
,him.  &  that  he  would  if  possible  send  them  some  of  his 
publications  to  read.  They  mentioned  that  there  were 
about  16  of  their  Societies  in  America,  and  we  told  them 
we  intended  to  visit  their  brethren  in  the  western  states.  We 
asked  one  of  them  how  they  got  clothes  when  they  wanted 
any?  whether  they  went  into  the  tailor's  shop  and  asked 
for  them?  He  replied  that  last  year  they  wanted  to  give 
him  so  much,  that  at  length  he  would  take  no  more,  as  he 
could  not  wear  out  what  he  had. — They  said  that  no  one 
(Thursday  nth  worked  more  than  he  was  well  able  and  [*]  willing  to  do,  and 
^°"*'*^  that  if  anyone  were  unwell  they  had  one  of  their  family  a 

very  skilful  doctor.  Several  of  their  jnembers  they  said, 
were  out  at  their  farms  at  some  distance ;  and  they  added 
that  we  should  see  much  more  at  one  of  their  societies  at 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  191 

Lebanon  30  miles  off  if  we  went  there.  [Such  articles  as 
they  did  not  produce  themselves  &  could  get  from  their 
Society  at  New  Lebanon  (which  is  25  miles  from  them  &  was 
established  in  1787)  they  procured  by  exchange  of  produce 
on  the  principle  of  equal  quantities  of  labour ;  By  which 
means  money  and  bargaining  were  dispensed  with.]  On  our 
return  to  Albany  we  walked  up  to  the  State  House,  where 
we  were  very  politely  shewn  the  chamber  of  representatives  & 
the  senate's  room.  The  rooms  were  handsome.  A  Portrait 
of  Washington  ornamented  the  former,  and  one  of 
Ml".  Jefferson  the  latter.  We  were  likewise  shewn  the 
library,  a  small  collection  in  a  small  room ;  but  here  we  were 
told  any  person  might  come  and  read  from  morning  till 
night.  [*]  They  are  building  a  large  brick  theater,  and 
there  is  a  large  academy  near  the  State  house.  We  drank 
tea  &  supped  at  the  Ordinary.  Several  representatives  &  one 
or  two  Senators  were  there,  besides  travellers  &  persons 
having  business  during  the  session.  They  were  quite 
engrossed  with  electioneering  topics  of  conversation. — We 
found  both  the  landlord  &  attendants  very  attentive  to  us. 

Temperature  at  1/2  past  7  this  morning  outside  our  Friday  12th. 
bed  room  window — 25° — After  breakfast  Mr.  Owen  called 
upon  the  governor  of  the  State  with  a  letter  of  introduction. 
He  was  invited  by  him  to  dinner  tomorrow,  which  he 
declined,  intending  to  leave  Albany  in  the  morning.  We 
then  called  at  10  o'clock  on  Mr.  Clinton  in  Pearl  Street.  He 
is  a  tall,  stout,  benevolent  [*]  looking  man  about  sixty.  We 
left  Mr.  Owen  with  him,  and  walked  along  the  banks  of  the 
canal  to  the  second  lock.  The  canal  is  40  ft.  wide,  the 
masonry  of  the  locks  is  of  lime  stone  well  put  together.  The 
vale  of  the  Hudson  is  very  beautiful,  and  the  day  being 
fine  we  enjoyed  our  walk.  Soon  after  our  return  the  Patron 
called. — A  little  before  2  o'clock  we  went  to  the  State 
House.  Mr.  Owen  had  a  letter  of  introduction  to  two 
members,  Mr.  Crolius  &  Mr.  Wheaton.  We  were  admitted 
into  the  Chamber  of  Representatives,  where  we  heard  some 
debating  relative  to  the  choice  of  electors.  At  3  o'clock 
they  adjourned. — We  dined  at  the  Patrons,  where  we  met 
his  wife,  son  and  daughter,  Mr.  Clinton  and  three  other 
gentlemen.     Mr.  Clinton  gave  Mr.  Owen  letters  of  intro- 


192 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Saturday  I3<^. 


(Saturday    13*''. 
cont*i) 


duction  to  Gen'.  Jackson  &  Mr.  Jefferson.  He  retired 
early  in  the  evening.  M^.  Owen  shewed  his  plans  and  gave 
some  explanations.  A  young  [*]  gentleman  made  a  variety 
of  trif fling  objections. —  [One  of  the  company  told  me  that 
he  was  in  England  for  nine  years  &  educated  at  Harrow. 
Lord  Byron  was  his  school  fellow.]  Mr.  Rensselear  told  me 
that  he  spent  2  years  (15  &  16)  in  Scotland  &  was  well 
acquainted  with  Douglas  of  Thilly  Whilley. — The  members 
whom  we  heard  speak  in  the  Chamber  of  Representatives 
were  Messrs.  Flag,  Crolius,  Wheaton,  Waterman,  Living- 
ston, &  Mullet.  They  seemed  plain  men  and  spoke  straight 
forward.  Mr.  Crolius  told  us  that  he  had  been  a  member  of 
all  the  chambers  since  he  was  26  years  old.  He  is  a  man 
of  between  50  &  60. 

[The  thermometer  at  the  same  time  &  place  this  morn- 
ing 22°.]  At  breakfast  a  Mr,  Hammond  claimed  acquaint- 
ance with  Owen  &  thanked  him  for  kind  attentions  to  him 
three  years  ago  when  he  was  at  New  Lanark.  He  is  of  one 
of  the  best  families  in  New  York.  He  gave  Mr.  Owen  a 
letter  of  introduction  then.  A  quarter  before  10  we  left 
Albany  in  the  Kent  Steam  boat  belonging  to  the  original 
line  of  Fulton  &  Livingston.  It  was  excellent  in  its 
accommodations,  much  larger  than  the  Hudson,  and  without 
the  least  unpleasant  smell.  A  [*]  smaller  boat  took  us  three 
miles  down  the  river  to  the  Steam  boat,  as  it  drew  too  much 
water  to  come  up  to  the  town.  The  Hudson  started  just 
after  us.  As  it  is  not  nearly  so  large  it  kept  close  to  us 
at  starting,  but  when  the  river  became  wider  &  deeper  we 
left  it  behind.  The  landing  &  embarking  persons  at  the 
several  places  of  call,  were  performed  without  stopping  the 
Steam  boat,  in  a  clean  &  expeditious  manner  by  a  small 
boat  &  ropes  to  let  out  &  pull  in.  The  latter  was  easily  done 
by  a  wheel  turned  by  the  great  Engine.  Mr.  Owen  was 
introduced  to  a  Mr.  Bird  of  Philadelphia,  a  gentleman  of 
some  property  who  was  proposing  to  purchase  some  lands 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Hudson  &  settle  there.  He  had 
some  conversation  with  Mr.  Owen  &  expressed  a  wish  to 
join  him.  We  met  two  of  the  gentlemen  of  our  party  when 
we  came  up  the  river.  [*]  They  had  been  for  the  two  days 
visiting   the   aqueduct   a    few   miles    from    Albany,    which 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  193 

conveys  the  canal  over  the  river.  One  of  them  Mf.  Hill 
said  he  was  cashier  of  the  bank  at  Hoboken  ferry  opposite 
to  New  York,  and  invited  us  to  visit  him.  [He  recommended 
us  to  get  Professor  Everett's  Oration  delivered  before 
La  Fayette.  Mr.  Clinton  recommended  us  to  get  'The  Ohio 
Navigator'  at  Pitsburgh.]  I  conversed  with  a  Mf.  Gardner 
who  expressed  a  hope  that  when  we  went  more  East  he 
should  see  us.  He  spoke  of  some  thriving  Salt  works,  seemed 
rejoiced  that  Alt'.  Clinton  had  gained  the  election,  and 
seemed  to  enter  warmly  into  the  idea  of  better  educating 
society.  There  were  above  loo  passengers,  much  more 
respectable  than  the  party  we  had  coming  up.  We 
dined  &  drank  tea  in  the  ladies'  cabin,  where  every  thing 
was  neatly  &  conveniently  &  abundantly  provided.  The 
party  seemed  to  behave  with  very  good  manners.  The 
scenery  which  we  lost  in  the  night  coming  up,  we  now  saw 
by  day.  The  banks  in  general  are  not  [*]  high,  nor  the 
soil  very  good.  Timber  of  various  sorts  grows  on  them, 
and  several  neat  &  pretty  country  houses  vary  and  enliven 
the  scenery  of  the  banks.  There  are  some  houses  of 
considerable  size,  and  large  grounds  around  them,  built  on 
picturesque  sites ;  particularly  on  the  east  bank.  Passing 
Catskill  we  had  a  good  view  of  the  Catskill  Mountains 
about  lo  or  12  miles  west.  On  or  near  the  top  of  one  of 
the  peaks  a  summer  tavern  was  built  two  years  ago,  which 
is  resorted  to  in  the  heat  of  summer.  In  winter  it  is  shut 
up,  as  no  one  then  attempts  to  live  in  so  cold  a  situation. 
These  mountains  are  covered  with  wood,  and  the  view  from 
them  is  very  extensive  &  beautiful.  Their  height  is  from  2 
to  3000  ft. — Nearly  opposite  the  landing  place  to  go  to 
Catskill,  on  the  east  bank,  are  the  houses  of  the  Livingston 
family.  [*]  We  landed  at  Newburg  1/4  before  8  in  the 
evening.  The  waiter  of  the  Orange  Hotel  was  on 
M^.  De  Winnt's  information  waiting  to  conduct  us  to  the 
hotel,  the  best  in  the  place,  &  belonging  to  Mr.  DeWint.  This 
was,  before  the  canal  was  made,  a  great  port  for  shipments 
of  produce  from  the  western  counties  of  this  state.  Since 
the  opening  of  the  canal,  this  business  has  gone  into  that 
new  channel  &  all  is  at  a  stand  at  Newburg.  The  population 
is  about   3,100.     The   whole  of  this   day   was  beautifully 


194  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

clear;  the  air  cold. — While  on  our  way  in  the  Steam  boat 
I  read  Mr.  Clinton's  small  pamphlet,  which  he  had  given 
Mr.  Owen  to  shew  his  view  of  Education.  It  is  a  discourse 
which  he  delivered  at  a  literary  Society,  and  is  merely  a 
strong  and  earnest  recommendation  of  searching  after 
Sunday  m**.  knowledge.  [*]  After  breakfast  we  crossed  the  river  in  the 
N**^—  horse    (team)   boat;  and   found   Mr.  &   Mrs.    Dewint  just 

setting  out  to  Church.  A  Mr.  Dewint  was  with  them.  The 
church  was  about  half  a  mile  from  the  house  and  of  the 
Reformed  Dutch,  very  similar  to  the  Presbeterian  form  of 
worship.  The  preacher,  a  young  man  of  considerable 
talents,  preached  a  very  strong  Calvinistic  doctrine,  and 
informed  his  hearers  that  every  thing  was  to  be  by  faith  &  not 
by  observation.  The  congregation  were  very  respectable 
in  appearance,  &  many  came  in  gigs  and  light  spring 
waggons.  There  might  be  between  lOO  &  200  present.  After 
church  we  accompanied  Mr.  Dewint  to  Fishkill  Creek  [Kill 
in  Dutch  means  creek],  under  the  highlands  to  see 
Mr.  Schank's  Cotton  &  Woolen  Factories  at  Matteawan.  It 
being  Sunday  no  one  was  at  work,  but  a  young  man  [*]  at 
the  place  shewed  us  through  the  building.  Then  we  took 
a  short  walk  by  a  Mr.  Nevill's  who  joined  our  party  and 
returned  with  [us]  to  Mr.  Dewint's  to  dinner  where  we  met 
another  gentleman.  The  land  round  this  neighbourhood 
is  for  the  most  part  cultivated,  and  the  timber  cut  down. 
There  are  many  orchards.  The  locust  &  willow  are  fine 
trees,  but  the  latter  preserves  her  leaves  long  after  the  frost 
strips  other  trees.  The  highlands,  however,  are  still  for 
the  most  part  covered  with  pine  &  some  other  forest  wood, 
though  much  has  been  cut  so  as  to  render  the  trees  small.  The 
view  from  Mr.  Dewint's  is  very  fine,  commanding  the 
river,  the  opening  in  the  highlands,  leading  to  West  point,  and 
the  town  of  Newburgh.  A  small  point  of  land  of  40  acres 
in  size  projecting  out  into  the  river,  having  a  good  house 
built  upon  it  &  surrounded  by  a  belt  of  trees,  forms  a  very 
picturesque  object  in  the  foreground. — Mr.  Dewint  is 
about  40  years  old,  a  plain  man,  but  active  and  intelligent. 
Mrs.  Dewint  is  a  pleasing,  amiable  lady,  grand  daughter  of 
President  Adams.  They  have  five  girls. — Her  brother  is 
attached  to  the  Embassy  in  England. — The  Principles  of  the 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


195 


Adams'  family  has  always  been  to  allow  of  no  private  or 
family  connexions  to  influence  their  public  conduct.  After 
dinner  Mr.  Owen  shewed  his  plans  to  them,  and  to 
Mr,  Schank  &  another  gentleman  who  came  in.  They  were 
extremely  pleased.     We  all  retired  to  bed  before  lo  o'clock. 

After  breakfast,  we  went  in  Mr.  Dewint's  spring  Monday  15th. 
waggon,  which  commonly  carries  4  persons,  to  M^.  Schank's 
manufactory.  There  we  were  shewn  the  whole  establishment 
from  the  foundery  &  the  workshops  to  the  weaving.  The 
females  appeared  extremely  clean,  well  dressed  and  well 
behaved.  He  employs  above  100  persons,  [*]  who  reside  in 
very  neat  w^ooden  houses  near  to  the  factory.  There  is 
a  store  where  a  great  variety  of  articles  are  kept  for  the 
convenience  of  the  population.  We  bought  worsted  mittens 
for  our  use  during  our  western  tour.  Mi".  Schank's  partner 
Mr.  Lennard  accompanied  us,  and  we  experienced  every 
attention  from  those  gentlemen.  They  are  endeavouring  to 
introduce  every  improvement  in  their  machinery,  and  their 
workmen  frequently  make  improvements  themselves.  The 
cotton  &  wool  which  they  use  is  American  &  very  good.  Upon 
the  whole  it  appears  to  be  a  thriving  establishment.  The 
day  was  too  rainy  to  ascend  the  hill,  from  the  top  of  which 
in  clear  weather  the  prospect  must  be  beautiful;  a  road  has 
been  made  up  and  a  pole  erected  on  the  best  point  for 
commanding  an  extensive  prospect. — We  had  a  [*]  pleasant  (Monday  15th 
dinner  party  &  conversation  with  the  Dewints,  and  eat  most  °^  "  *^°"  ^ 
excellent  venison.  They  appeared  very  much  interested  for 
Mr.  Owen's  success  in  his  plans. — Mr.  Lennard  while 
walking  through  the  works  told  me,  that  when  Mr.  Schank's 
returned  home  the  last  evening,  he  kept  him  up  till 
between  12  &  i  o'clock  giving  a  delightful  account  of 
Mr.  Owen's  plans.  He  told  me  when  I  expressed  how  much 
I  was  pleased  with  the  good  appearance  of  their  work 
people,  that  when  a  girl  did  not  shew  a  disposition  to  be 
clean  &  neat  in  her  dress  they  turned  her  off. — It  is  very 
right  to  attend  to  these  points ;  but  I  must  here  remark 
that  Mr.  Lennard  betrayed  by  this  speech  his  want  of 
acquaintance  with  the  method  of  forming  good  characters 
among  his  [*]  people,  as  well  as  of  Mr.  Owen's  views  on 
this  subject.      [Mr.  Lennard  informed  me  that  they  cover 


196  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

their  houses  with  shingles  of  white  pine  which  will  last 
above  20  years,  instead  of  slates.  They  pay  about  3  dollars 
a  square.]  Between  five  and  six  we  took  leave  of  our  kind 
friends  with  mutual  good  wishes  &  hopes  of  meeting  next 
year,  and  crossed  in  a  sail  boat  in  6  or  7  minutes  to 
Newl)urgh.  where  we  waited  till  half  past  8  o'clock  &  then 
went  out  in  a  large  boat,  as  soon  as  the  distant  light  of  the 
Steam  boat  appeared,  and  were  safely  put  on  board  the 
Chancellor  Livingston  Steam  boat  of  the  Old  Line,  a  fine 
vessel,  nearly  equal  to  the  Kent. — We  found  it  full,  and 
could  only  obtain  the  smallest  &  worst  births  in  the  fore 
cabin. —  [We  had  intended  to  visit  West  Point  Academy  but 
the  weather  being  bad,  rainy  &  the  wind  against  us.  we  were 
obliged  to  forego  this  pleasure,  but  I  hope  we  shall  hereafter 
visit  it.  The  States  government  are  desirous  of  supporting 
such  establishments  in  order  to  have  officers  acquainted 
with  military  duties  in  case  of  a  future  war.  Besides  a 
variety  of  useful  studies,  the  cadets  are  annually  marched 
away  from  the  Academy  for  several  days,  and  encamped. 
They  likewise,  I  understand,  reconnoitre  the  country  &  take 
elevations  &c  of  the  mountains.]  We  met  Mi".  Clinton  on 
board  who  appeared  very  friendly  &  introduced  M^.  Owen 
to  a  Col.  Sullivan  from  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  I  met  on 
board  L*.  Bolton  of  the  Royal  Engineers  a  brother  officer 
Tuesday  i6th.  with  whom  I  had  served  in  France — [*]  We  had  an 
agreeable  conversation  for  above  an  hour  about  our  profes- 
sion &  old  acquaintances.  We  were  routed  about  6  o'clock 
by  a  bell  for  landing  the  Steam  boat  having  reached  the 
North  quai  between  four  &  five  o'clock.  We  got  bed 
rooms  &  a  sitting  room  at  the  City  Hotel  and  wrote  letters 
for  the  Packet  which  sailed  at  10  o'clock.  There  were 
letters  for  Mr.  Owen  which  had  come  under  cover  to 
Jerh.  Thompson  &  the  other  Proprietors  of  the  Packet.  One 
contained  a  letter  for  me  from  M^s.  Kemmis.  I  wrote  a  short 
one  to  acknowledge  its  receipt,  and  one  to  Mi".  Mason.  A 
little  before  ten  I  took  them  to  M^.  Ogden  &  Day's  counting 
house.  They  were  very  happy  to  see  us.  The  morning  was 
extremely  warm  and  rainy.  Mr.  Schank  his  brother,  &  his 
son  in  law,  called,  and  w^ere  very  polite.  The  brother 
appeared    extremely    desirous    of    knowing    Mr.     Owen's 


MACDONALD   DIARIES  197 

plan.      Ml".    Schank   had   brought   cloth    to    shew    for    the 

premium,     [*]     and    his    brother    engaged    to    call    upon 

Ml".  Owen  &  take  him  tomorrow  to  see  the  exhibition  before 

the  public  day.     They  expressed  a  hope  that  the  deceptive 

system  of  sales  by  auction  of  merchandise  would  soon  be 

abolished  in  this  City. — Judge  Ogden  afterwards  called  & 

gave  Mr.  Owen  a  paper  &  plan,  descriptive  of  his  property 

near  lake  Erie  &  on  the  Saint  Lawrence.     He  expressed  his 

wish  to  see  us  there  next  summer.     He  then  took  us  down 

and  introduced  us  to  Mr.,  Mrs.  &  Miss  Waddington,  who 

have    hired    appartments    in    this    hotel    for    the    winter. 

Mrs.    Waddington    is    the    Judge's    sister.      They    have    a 

beautiful  country  seat  12  miles  from  the  city.     Mrs.  W.  said 

that  on  our  return  she  should  feel  most  happy  to  introduce 

us  to  Mr.  Wilkes'  family,  the  most  agreeable  she  thought 

in  New  York.   Mr.  Jeffries  the  Editor  of  the  [*]  Edinburgh   (Tuesday  i6tii 

Review  married  Mr.  Wilkes'  daughter.    When  in  New  York  ^^"^'^^ 

he  disappointed  the  great  expectations  which  he  had  raised, 

as  he  shewed  much  ignorance  of  the  world  and  often  repeated 

at  one  house  what  he  heard  of  persons  at  another,  thus 

creating  himself  many  enemies.     Mrs.  Waddington  gave  us 

a  general  invitation  to  call  in  upon  them  when  we  pleased.   A 

portly  quaker  called  upon  Mr.  Owen  to  offer  some  lands  in 

the  Ohio  for  sale.    I  called  at  the  British  consul's  office,  but 

he  had  returned  home  in  consequence  of  the  news  of  a 

daughter's  ill  health.     I  asked  at  the  Albion  news  office  for 

Mr.  Houston,  and  met  Mr.  Manners  who  informed  me  that 

he  would  set  off  tomorrow,  on  his  return  to  Boston.     The 

Albion  Editor  said  he  Believed  Mr.  Houston  &  Mr.  Coleman 

wrote    for   the    Evening   Post ;   and   that   the   latter    wrote 

his   articles    [*]    in    the    singular    number,    &   the    former 

in  the  plural.    Mr.  Owen  called  upon  Mr.  Bayard  &  engaged 

to  dine  there  tomorrow  at  five  o'clock.     We  dined  at  the 

Ordinary:  and  after  dinner  called  on  Jerh.  Thompson,  who 

received  us  in  a  friendly  manner.     We  then  drank  tea  with 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  Thomas,  where  we  met  Mr.  Ludlow.  Mr.  Thomas 

is  to  sail  for  Orleans  tomorrow  morning.  From  Mr.  Thomas's 

we  accompanied  Mr.  Ludlow  to  Mr.  Ogden's,  brother  of  the 

Judge.    He  is  a  merchant.    Miss  Ogden  a  fine  young  person 

left  us  to  go  to  an  evening  party.     The  Judge's  lady  came 


198 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Wednesday    ly^^. 


(Wednesday  17th, 
Nov  contd) 


in.  She  is  a  large  animated  &  warmhearted  person.  She 
has  a  large  family  and  is  much  interested  with  the  description 
of  the  New  Lanark  schools.  She  gave  me  a  [*]  long 
account  of  the  manner  in  which  they  entertained  the  British 
officers,  who  during  the  war  crossed  with  flags  from  Upper 
Canada  to  their  island  in  the  river  S*.  Lawrence  between  lake 
Erie  &  the  Fall  of  Niagara.  We  returned  home  about  9  o'clock. 
After  breakfast  Mr.  Owen  went  with  his  son  to  call  on 
Ml".  Griscom  where  he  met  M^.  Eddey,  and  had  an  interesting 
discussion.  I  walked  with  my  brother  officer  L*.  Bolton 
to  a  hair  dresser's,  and  to  look  at  some  views  of  the  Hudson 
river.  The  price  of  each  is  5  dollars,  an  excessive  price.  I 
purchased  Professor  Everett's  Oration  delivered  at  the 
Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society,  and  a  copy  of  the  i^t.  Introductory 
work  on  English  reading  called  'The  New  York  Reader'  by 
a  [*]  teacher  of  the  name  of  Murray.  I  had  seen  it  in  the 
Shakers'  school,  and  much  admired  the  simple  &  natural 
progression  of  intelligible  and  progressive  sentences.  This 
I  made  up  in  a  parcel  for  my  sister  M^s.  Bridges  &  entrusted 
it  to  my  brother  officer. — On  our  return  to  the  hotel  M^.  Day 
called,  and  Mr.  Buchanan  the  B.  Consul,  the  latter  to  express 
his  wish  to  read  to  Mr.  Owen  a  paper  on  the  subject  of 
civilizing  the  Indians,  which  he  did  not  wish  to  put  to  press 
or  sent  to  Mr.  Clinton  till  he  had  the  advice  of  a  person  of 
his  experience.  Mr.  Mallard  called,  and  I  had  an  amusing 
conversation  with  him  &  my  brother  officer,  relative  to 
giving  me  a  certificate  of  sanity.  The  [*]  latter  was  in 
Ireland  when  I  accompanied  Mr.  Owen  there,  and  heard  that 
I  had  gone  mad;  the  former  said  that  one  could  not  pass 
a  whole  month  at  sea  in  the  same  ship  without  discovering 
a  person's  madness,  were  he  insane. — Jacob  Harvey  called  & 
gave  me  his  address. — Mr.  Owen  on  his  way  back,  called  at 
Dr.  Hosack's  where  he  met  De  Witt  Clinton.  They  were 
extremely  glad  to  see  him,  &  gave  him  several  letters  of 
introduction.  Mr.  Owen  afterwards  went  to  Mr.  Buchanan's 
office,  and  heard  that  gentleman  read  a  manuscript  on  the 
subject  of  civilizing  the  Indians,  the  outlines  of  which  he 
highly  approved  of.  I  called  with  William  Owen  on 
Mr.  Abram  Ogden,  &  left  the  pattern  dresses  of  the  Lanark 
school    children    for    the    familv    to    see.      At    one   o'clock 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  199 

Mr.  Schank's  [*]  brother  called  and  conducted  us  to  the 
Artillery  store  where  they  were  arranging  the  lower  floor, 
with  a  variety  of  goods  of  American  manufacture  for  the 
examination  by  a  committee  tomorrow.  This  is  the  second 
year  of  this  exhibition,  which  has  been  instituted  by  a 
society  of  persons  for  the  purpose  of  stimulating  domestic 
industry  &  home  manufactures.  In  consequence  of  the 
failure  of  funds,  the  plan  had  nearly  fallen  to  the  ground 
this  year  as  no  prizes  could  be  afforded ;  but  it  was  settled 
that  certificates  would  answer  the  same  purpose  without 
the  expense.  We  were  shewn  several  pieces  of  very  good 
black,  blue,  grey  &  olive  cloth,  umbrellas  almost  the  first 
of  American  manufacture,  and  having  a  good  likeness  of 
La  Fayette  on  the  handle,  glass,  straw  bonnets,  hats,  [*]  and 
printed  silks — All  a  very  promising  display.  We  were 
introduced  to  several  of  the  Principal  manufacturers,  and 
afterwards  taken  through  the  Armoury  for  10,000  stand  of 
Arms  on  the  floor  above.  The  American  musket  appears  to 
be  better  finished  than  the  British,  and  instead  of  having 
the  barrel  fastened  with  pins  to  the  stock,  has  3  iron  bands 
with  springs  to  keep  them  in  their  places.  [We  saw 
Mr.  Wilkens  M^.  Schencks  son  in  law  at  the  store.  He  is 
to  be  one  of  our  party  tomorrow  to  set  out  for  Philadelphia 
at  II  o'clock.]  On  our  return  we  called  at  D"".  Mc.  Nevan's. 
He  is  Professor  of  chemistry,  we  found  him  in  his  study.  He 
shewed  us  his  class  room.  He  is  a  short  stout,  middle 
aged,  sprightly  intelligent  person,  highly  favorable  to 
Mr.  Owen's  views.  We  afterwards  left  our  cards  at 
Dr.  M^Vicar's. — On  our  way  back  to  the  Hotel,  we  overtook 
two  Shakers  from  New  Lebanon.  They  had  heard  of 
Mr.  Owen's  visit  to  Liskeyuna,  and  guessed  they  were  [*] 
talking  to  himself.  They  were  very  open  &  independent  in 
manner,  were  friendly  in  their  expressions,  &  hoped  to  see 
him  at  their  establishment.  They  had  heard  of  New  Lanark 
and  expressed  a  wish  to  see  it.  At  5  o'clock  we  went  to  dine 
at  Mr.  Bayard's  in  Greenwich  near  the  State  Prison.  We 
met  the  Spanish  general  Carlos  de  Alvear,  from  Buenos 
Ayres.  He  is  son  of  the  general  of  that  name,  married 
to  an  English  lady,  who  resided  at  La  Tola,  while  the  British 
troops    were    in    Cadiz   &   that   place.      Mr.    Owen   had   a 


200  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

discussion  with  him  relative  to  his  plans.  The  general  was 
born  in  one  of  the  Reductions  in  Paraguay,  while  his  father 
was  employed  as  commissioner  settling  their  limits.  He 
says  that  they  still  go  on,  though  the  Jesuits  have  been 
abolished,  and  now  have  the  advantage  of  receiving  the 
knowledge  which  is  getting  among  them  from  Europe.  The 
(Wednesday  ijti'.  general  described  them  as  [*]  being  in  comfortable  circum- 
Xov^  contd)  stances,  though  without  possession  much  knowledge  of  the 

improvements  in  European  Arts;  he  added  that  they  were 
all  equal,  without  any  of  them  being  either  masters  or 
servants.  He  got  a  list  of  Mr.  Owen's  several  publica- 
tions, for  which  he  said  he  should  write  to  England.  We 
likewise  met  a  Mr.  Ogden  a  brother  of  the  Judge  & 
of  Mr.  Abram  Ogden,  and  his  son  Abram  who  gave  me 
a  letter  of  introduction  to  a  friend  of  his  at  Philadelphia, 
a  Mr.  William  M  Meredith  Esq. — Mr.  Clibborn  &  his  lady  & 
a  french  gentleman. — On  our  return  Mr.  Owen  found  a  letter 
from  Mr  Hunter  of  Hunter's  Island  inviting  him  there. 
[The  hackney  coaches  are  made  to  open  all  round  in  warm 
weather,  and  to  shut  in  with  leather  sides  in  winter.  They 
are  kept  in  good  order.  Many  of  the  drivers  are  Irishmen.] 
Thursday  i8th.  While  we  were  packing  up  this  morning,  Judge  Ogden 

^°^'^-  called.      He   gave   Mr.   Owen   a    letter   of   introduction   to 

Mr.  Munro,  the  present  President,  and  expressed  a  strong 
desire  to  see  us  next  spring  at  his  country  house.  Just  before 
we  came  away,  I  met  [*]  Lt.  Cookson  of  the  Artillery  on 
his  way  to  England  on  leave  of  Absence. — We  left  New 
York  at  1 1  o'clock  from  the  north  end  of  the  Battery  in 
a  Steam  boat  for  New  Brunswick.  The  boat  was  not  very 
large  nor  very  full  of  passengers.  Mr.  Ludlow  accompanied 
us  on  board  and  introduced  us  to  M^.  and  Mrs.  Loyd  &  her 
Mother,  who  were  on  their  way  from  Boston  to  Philadelphia. 
Mr.  Loyd  is  an  elderly  gentleman ;  he  is  a  senator ;  his  lady 
appeared  a  very  agreeable  intelligent  person.  Mr.  Schenck  & 
several  ladies  came  on  board  with  the  new  married  couple 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Wilkens.  Our  course  lay  past  Staten  Island 
through  a  narrow  channel  called  the  Kills,  and  thense  up  a 
small,  winding  river  to  New  Brunswick.  The  day  was 
cold,  but  extremely  clear  &  fine.  The  country  on  both  sides 
was  nearly   flat.     In  some  parts  extensive   flat   meadows, 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  201 

which  grew  a  long  grass,  of  which  they  make  hay  which  is 
left  on  the  ground  until  a  hard  frost  enables  them  to  cut 
it  away.  Cattle  are  very  fond  of  its  salt  flavour,  In  other 
parts  woods  every  here  &  there  cleared  away  for  small 
fields  &  little  farmhouses.  [*]  Along  the  banks  were 
sometimes  to  be  seen  small  country  houses,  with  a  few 
weeping  willows  &  poplars  around  them.  Occasionally  we 
stopped  at  a  village  or  landing  place  to  take  in  or  let  out 
passengers.  We  passed  3  or  4  steam  boats  going  to  New 
York.  At  Brunswick  we  landed  at  4  o'clock,  and  got  into 
4  horse-stages  which  were  waiting,  and  immediately  set  off 
on  the  road  to  Trenton,  which  lies  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Delaware  and  six  or  eight  &  twenty  miles  from  Brunswick. 
[As  the  stage  could  not  carry  all  our  baggage,  a  great  part 
of  it  was  left  to  be  sent  in  the  baggage  waggon  which  they 
informed  us  would  cross  to  Trenton  the  same  evening.]  The 
latter  place  [Brunswick]  we  could  not  well  see,  as  we  did  not 
go  quite  up  to  the  town ;  but  it  seems  a  small,  busy  town.  The 
road  lay  for  the  most  part  through  oak  woods,  here  &  there 
cleared  away  for  farm  houses  &  a  few  fields.  The  soil  did 
not  appear  very  rich;  the  road  was  badly  made  &  deep  in 
a  red  sand.  About  half  way  we  changed  horses,  &  passed 
through  a  village  of  the  name  of  Princeton,  where  there  is 
an  Academy,  and  a  Theological  Seminary. — A  little  before  9 
o'clock  we  passed  through  Trenton  in  the  dark,  and  put  up 
at  the  Ferry  Hotel  near  the  river  Delaware.  Here  we 
had  a  good  supper  &  beds. 

At  five  o'clock  we  went  in  the  stage  across  the  [*]  bridge  Friday  igt 
at  Trenton  &  about  8  or  10  miles  down  the  right  bank  of  ^o\''\ 
the  river  to  where  the  Philadelphia  Steam  boat  was  waiting 
for  us.  The  river  is  not  deep  enough  to  admit  of  large 
steam  boats  going  up  to  Trenton,  except  at  high  water.  We 
got  under  way  at  7  o'clock,  and  reached  Philadelphia  at 
half  past  10  o'clock.  [The  stages  are  not  well  made,  the 
leathern  sides  let  in  the  wind,  the  springs  are  bad,  and  as 
they  have  benches  in  the  middle  without  any  back  to 
them,  &  carry  9  inside,  they  may  be  fairly  called  uncomfort- 
able vehicles.]  The  country  on  both  sides  of  the  river  was 
flat,  but  appeared  to  be  of  a  better  soil,  and  was  more 
cleared  and  cultivated.     It  had  the  appearance  of  having 


202  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

been  longer  settled.  The  country  houses,  farms,  &  villages 
along  the  banks  of  the  river,  resembled  Dutch  settlements. 
Many  of  them,  though  small,  were  neat;  &  I  should  think 
that  the  whole  scenery  would  be  pleasing  in  the  verdure  of 
spring.  A  few  miles  below  Trenton  Joseph  Bounaparte,  the 
exking  of  Spain,  whom  the  Spaniards  called  Pepe  Botillas, 
has  purchased  a  nice  place  where  he  lives  retired  from  the 
world,  enjoying  the  society  of  a  few  friends.  A  passenger 
on  board  the  Steam  boat,  informed  me  that  he  was  much 
(Friday  iQ^K  beloved  &  respected  by  the  country  [*]  people  in  his 
Nov.  contd.)  neighbourhood  and  constantly  employed  a  great  many 
workmen.  When  he  arrived  first  at  Philadelphia  he  heard 
that  some  poor  people  had  a  most  beautiful  daughter.  He 
offered  the  mother  10,000  dollars  for  her  daughter,  which 
was  accepted,  and  she  now  lives  with  him.  We  breakfasted 
on  board  the  Steam  boat  on  our  way  down  the  river;  the 
mother  and  her  second  daughter  (a  pretty  young  woman) 
were  among  the  company.  A  passenger  asked  the  captain, 
how  much  he  thought  the  fat  lady  weighed ;  the  ready  reply 
was  10,000. — The  distance  down  is  about  30  miles;  halfway 
we  stopped  at  a  pretty  village  called  Bristol.  One  of  the 
villas  on  the  river  side  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  the  residence 
of  Mr.  Cooper  the  leading  American  Actor.  Nearly  opposite 
to  Bristol  is  the  village  of  Burlington.  The  river  widens 
considerably  at  Philadelphia  and  the  sides  appear  marshy. 
Here  it  may  be  three  quarters  of  a  mile  wide  with  a 
steamboat  ferry  across  to  Camden,  a  small  village  on  the 
Delaware  side.  Wooden  quais  line  the  river  side,  and  the 
water  is  so  deep  that  [*]  large  vessels  lay  close  to  them.  The 
warehouses  are  of  brick — Two  large  &  lofty  ones  with  a 
large  house  beyond  them,  and  two  fine  large  ships  abreast 
of  the  quai,  were  pointed  out  to  us  as  belonging  to 
Mr.  Stephen  Girard  the  banker,  and  richest  ready  money 
man  in  the  U.  States.  We  saw  only  two  church  spires  and 
one  unfinished  top  to  a  Lutheran  place  of  worship.  Lower 
down  the  river  we  saw  a  large  building,  the  covering  we  were 
told  of  a  seventy  four,  building  on  so  large  a  scale  as  to  be 
fit  to  carry  140  guns.  Several  vessels  lay  along  the  sides 
of  the  quais.  and  we  saw  others  on  the  stocks. — We  landed 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  203 

without  difficulty  and  a  black  porter  with  a  badge  on  his 
hat,  took  our  things  on  a  wheel  barrow  to  South  Third 
Street,  to  the  Mansion  house  Hotel,  Chester  Bailey  to  whom 
notice  had  been  given  by  post  the  day  before.  The  streets 
are  all  at  right  angles,  have  good  brick  footways  on  each 
side,  and  occasionally  a  few  trees.  The  houses  are  irregularly 
built,  but  appear  neat  &  clean.  The  street  pavement,  is 
bad,  and  we  made  a  remark  on  our  way  to  the  hotel  that 
they  are  bad  paviours  in  this  country,  as  far  as  we  had 
seen.  [*]  In  a  boarding  house  No.  89  South  third  Street 
we  saw  Hunter.  He  is  short,  rather  sallow  complexioned, 
and  not  stout.  This  appearance  might  be  the  consequence 
of  a  severe  inflamation  of  the  lungs  from  which  he  is  but 
just  recovering.  He  gave  me  much  the  idea  of  an  officer 
of  the  Navy.  He  was  delighted  to  see  M^.  Owen  &  gave 
us  all  a  hearty  welcome.  While  sitting  with  him  he 
introduced  a  friend  of  his  Mf  [MS  blank],  who  expressed 
a  great  desire  to  visit  Mr.  Owen's  place,  which  he  hoped  to 
succeed  in  doing,  as  he  was  to  sail  for  Liverpool  in  a 
Philadelphia  packet  (one  of  which  sail  once  a  month) 
tomorrow.  This  is  not  so  good  a  point  for  packets  to  sail 
from  as  New  York,  as  it  is  150  miles  from  the  sea.  We 
dined  with  M^.  Flower  &  Miss  Ronald's  at  the  Boarding 
house  in  South  Fourth  Street  where  they  lodge.  The 
rooms  &  company  &  fare  were  good ;  the  dinner  was 
between  two  &  three,  and  we  left  the  table  before  1/2 
past  3.  A  Mj".  Elliot,  a  member  of  the  senate,  who  has 
a  suite  of  appartments  in  the  house,  was  at  table,  and  [*] 
conversed  for  some  time  with  Mi".  Owen.  W"^.  Owen 
walked  out  to  view  the  town  with  a  Mr.  Black  a  lodger 
there,  and  I  returned  to  the  hotel.  Mi".  Owen  afterwards 
went  to  drink  tea  there,  and  to  be  introduced  to  M^^.  Elliot. — 
Mr.  Flower  shewed  M^.  Owen  a  letter  he  had  received  from 
his  son,  informing  him  that  Mf.  Rapp  had  received  two 
offers  to  buy  his  place,  which  he  would  certainly  accept, 
unless  M"".  Owen  before  the  end  of  Dec^.  decided  to  take  it 
himself.  M^".  Flower  urged  Mr.  Owen  to  hasten  his  Journey 
west.  Hunter  told  us  that  his  plan  was,  if  strong  enough 
in  ten  days,  to  take  a  passage  by  sea  to  New  Orleans,  where 


204 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


C  Friday  I9«l'. 
Nov.  confl) 


Saturday  20*^. 
Nov. 


his  baggage  was,  where  he  had  many  friends,  and  where 
he  likewise  had  business  to  transact,  and  thence  sail  up  the 
Mississippi.  &  join  us  at  Harmonie.  The  voyage  to  New 
Orleans  he  calculated  would  take  15  days,  &  that  up  the 
river  10  or  12. — Coming  here  from  New  York,  we  paid 
each  2  1/2  dollars  passage,  75  cents,  dinner,  one  dollar, 
supper  &  bed,  &  1/2  a  dollar  breakfast.  The  voyage  up  to 
Albany  cost  3  dollars  each,  [*]  including  every  thing,  and 
the  same  coming  down.  So  great  is  the  opposition  at  this 
moment,  that  one  of  the  Steam  boats  takes  passengers  45 
miles  for  12  1/2  cents — 6  i/2d.  About  8  o'clock  M^  Owen 
came  home  with  a  Mr.  Pachston,  a  boarder  in  the  same 
house  with  Mr.  Flower,  who  introduced  himself  to  Mr.  Owen 
&  offered  to  do  any  thing  in  his  power  for  him  while  he 
remained  in  Philadelphia. — Mr.  Owen  met  a  Mr.  Vaughan 
for  whom  he  had  introductions,  who  engaged  us  to  be  at 
the  Atheneum  this  evening.  This  is  an  institution  set  on 
foot  within  a  few  years  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  strangers 
to  become  acquainted  with  the  society  of  the  place. 

We  breakfasted  at  half  past  8  at  the  ordinary  where 
there  were  about  two  dozen  persons.  After  breakfast  I 
wrote  a  long  letter  to  my  aunt  Lewis  [  ?],  which  with  others 
from  Mr.  Owen  &  his  son  we  took  on  board  the  Steam 
boat,  which  was  to  go  down  the  river  to  the  Algonquil 
Packet  which  is  bound  for  Liverpool.  Mr.  Hunter's 
friend  Mr.  Haggarty  whom  we  met  with  him  yesterday 
took  charge  of  our  letters  as  he  was  going  to  England 
by  that  Packet.  While  we  were  writing  several  visitors 
called.  [*]  Dr.  Rush, — Mr.  Gilpin  brother  of  a  quaker  who 
has  a  paper  manufactory  at  Brandyway  near  Wilmington  30 
miles  down  the  river,  and  who  expressed  a  great  desire  to 
see  Mr.  Owen's  plans  introduced,  &  Mr.  Hunter,  with  two 
or  three  friends.  Dr.  Rush  engaged  us  to  dine  with  him 
on  Monday.  Between  12  &  i  o'clock  Mr,  Owen  went  out 
to  deliver  his  letters,  &  W"\  &  myself  went  in  a  coach  with 
Mr.  Flower  &  Miss  Ronalds  to  see  the  water  works  which 
supply  the  whole  city.     While  waiting  for  them  at  a  shop 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


205 


door,  we  got  the  coachman  to  explain  to  us  in  a  few  words 
the  plan  of  the  streets  thus 


Market  St.  is  the  center  street  having  in  its  middle  a  covered 
market  place  for  all  sorts  of  articles.  This  arrangement 
seems  to  be  well  managed,  and  the  supply  of  every  thing 
abundant  [*]  Beef  I  was  told  was  about  9  cents  &  mut- 
ton 5  cents  per  lb  of  the  best  quality.  Parallel  to  Market 
Street  run  streets  from  the  Delaware  to  the  Schuylkill,  having 
for  the  most  part  names  of  trees.  At  right  angles  to  Market 
Street  and  across  it  runs  Broad  St.  The  crossing  is  meant  to 
be  the  center  of  the  city.  Parallel  to  Broad  S*.  run  other 
streets.  The  outer  ones  are  called  Front  Street  next  comes 
2nd.  St.,  y^.  St.  &  so  on  up  to  the  center,  and  have  the 
addition  of  North  or  South  as  they  run  north  or  south  of 
Market  St.  The  streets  are  of  a  moderate  width  with  brick 
foot  ways  on  both  sides.  The  houses  are  chiefly  of  brick 
with  marble  or  granite  steps.  There  are  in  a  few  places 
squares  inclosed  by  palings  &  planted.     The  Bank  is  con- 


206  •       INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

sidered  a  fine  building.  The  distance  from  the  Mansion 
house  hotel  to  the  Water  works  which  are  by  the  side  of  the 
Schuylkill  river  is  about  a  mile  &  a  half. — The  streets 
though  laid  out  nearly  to  reach  them,  are  not  yet  built.  The 
river  is  damed  up,  and  three  water  wheels  having  about 
a  1 20  horse  power  force  a  supply  of  water  up  to  a  reservoir 
100  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river.  A  continuation  of 
the  building  is  already  prepared  to  receive  3  other  wheels 
when  a  greater  supply  shall  be  found  necessary.  The 
contrivance  is  extremely  simple.  The  large  wheel  turns  an 
arm  which  works  a  piston  which  forces  42  barrels  of  water 
per  minute  into  the  reservoir,  through  [*]  metal  pipes,  and 
from  thence  it  is  conducted  into  the  city  through  wooden 
ones.  But  I  was  told  that  metal  ones  would  soon  be  intro- 
duced all  the  way.  From  the  height  of  the  reservoir  we 
could  command  an  extended  view  of  the  banks  of  the 
Schuylkill  river  which  are  prettily  wooded,  &  adorned  with 
a  few  country  seats ;  and  we  saw  a  great  portion  of  the 
city.  The  outskirts  appear  scattered  &  the  ground  much 
broken  with  sand  pits,  quarries,  and  holes.  The  soil  is  of 
a  sandy  &  reddish  earth.  &  the  stone  a  soft  granite.  The 
trees  do  not  grow  to  a  great  height,  &  the  soil  appears 
poor.  At  3  o'clock  we  dined  with  M^.  Hunter  at  the  boarding 
house  where  he  lodges.  We  met  about  a  dozen  gentlemen 
there.  A  D^.  Warren  argued  that  Physiologically  man  was 
not  so  far  the  creature  of  circumstances,  that  a  Chinese 
child  could  be  made  completely  an  Indian,  were  he  in  the 
earliest  stage  of  life  remove [d]  from  the  one  situation  into 
the  other.  After  dinner  Mr.  Owen  went  to  settle  with 
Mr.  Flower  about  setting  off  for  Baltimore  &  Washington 
on  Tuesday  the  23i"d.  We  drank  tea  at  6  o'clock  at  the 
Ordinary,  and  after  tea  a  Mr.  [MS  blank]  called  on 
Mr.  Owen  to  ask  him  to  his  house  or  to  see  Mr.  Say  at 
the  Academy  of  Natural  Science.  He  seemed  a  man  of 
(Saturday  20th.  business,  expressed  a  great  conviction  in  [*]  the  goodness 
Nov.  contd)  of  Mr.  Owen's  plan  &  mentioned  some  working  people  whom 

he  could  depend  upon  as  men  of  integrity  and  advocates  of 
the  plan. — At  8  o'clock  we  called  at  Mr.  Hunter's  &  went 
with  two  gentlemen  to  the  Atheneum,  where  Mr.  Vaughan 
introduced  us  to  a  large  circle  of  scientific  men.     Mr.  Owen 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  207 

had  some  conversation  with  several  who  were  favorable  to 
his  views.  D^.  Brown  Professor  of  Medicine  at  Lexington 
college  in  the  State  of  Kentucky,  invited  us  strongly  to  visit 
that  place,  where  he  said  they  were  anxious  to  introduce 
improvements  in  education.  He  wished  to  have  been  able  to 
travel  west  with  us,  but  having  been  absent  in  Europe,  he 
was  obliged  to  proceed  home  in  haste,  &  could  not  wait  to 
accompany  us.  I  was  introduced  to  D^.  Bigsby  of  the 
British  Medical  Department  of  Canada.  He  had  known 
Skene  &  several  of  the  Engineers  in  Canada.  He  was  very 
polite  &  offered  us  his  services.  I  was  introduced  to  several 
U.  States  officers  &  conversed  with  them.  Major  Long,  the 
author  of  travels  in  the  States  was  there,  and  conversed  with 
me  for  a  short  time  relative  to  the  state  of  the  country. 

Immediately  after  breakfast  M"".  Spackman,  on  whom  Sunday  2rst. 
Mr  Owen  called  yesterday,  &  for  whom  he  had  a  letter  of  Novr. 
credit  from  the  House  of  Rathbone,  called  and  engaged  us 
to  breakfast  [*]  with  him  tomorrow  at  8  o'clock.  M^.  Hunter 
called  with  a  friend  &  two  other  gentlemen,  one  of  whom 
took  Mr.  Owen  in  his  carriage  3  miles  out  of  the  City  to 
Madame  Fretage's  the  celebrated  teacher.  [One  of  the 
gentlemen  was  Mr.  Kuhn;  another  was  Mr,  Vaughan;  a 
third  Mr.  Cresson.]  Mr.  Bird  called  and  engaged  us  to 
dinner  at  1/2  past  one.  At  10  o'clock  I  went  with  Wm.  Owen 
to  the  Quaker's  meeting  in  Arch  S*.  where  we  saw  a  very 
large  congregation.  Many  persons,  both  male  &  female, 
were  dressed  in  the  fashions  of  the  day.  Two  females  &  one 
male  speaker  addressed  the  meeting  for  a  short  time  in  a 
very  slow  uninteresting  style.  We  came  out  about  1/2  past 
eleven,  and  walked  along  several  of  the  streets.  The 
Pensylvanian  hospital  is  a  conspicuous  building,  having  a 
bronze  statue  of  Penn  in  the  court  in  front  of  it.  The 
United  States  Bank  built  of  Marble  is  a  very  handsome 
building  In  Chesnut  Street  there  are  several  good  buildings 
and  well  built  rows  of  houses.  As  the  ground  on  which  the 
city  is  built  is  nearly  level,  you  may  see  the  country  beyond 
each  extremity  of  almost  every  street  from  almost  any  [*] 
part  of  it,  and  at  the  crossings  of  the  streets  you  see  the 
four  cardinal  points  as  through  the  small  end  of  a  spy 
glass.     This  effect,  though  striking,  is  not  agreeable ;  and 


208 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Monday  22"<3. 
Nov^ 

(Monday  22"^. 
Nov'^.  cont<^) 


as  there  is  no  variety,  it  becomes  tiresome  walking  through 
the  streets,  which  have  neither  very  large  nor  magnificent 
houses  to  attract  &  please  the  eye,  nor  a  sufficient  width  to 
give  to  their  length  &  regularity  a  noble  appearance.  When 
we  returned  to  the  hotel,  Mf.  Beckett,  a  gentlemanly 
person,  called  to  offer  his  services.  He  is  a  partner  of 
Mr.  Davis,  &  married  to  a  sister  of  Mr,  Kuhn.  Another 
gentleman  also  called.  At  1/2  past  one  we  went  to  Mr.  Bird's 
to  dinner  where  we  met  Mr.  Neff  of  Savannah  who  invited 
us  to  visit  him.  He  mentioned  a  Captain  Gordon,  son  of 
Sir  Willoughby  Gordon  &  Captain  in  the  guards  being  there 
and  visiting  a  great  deal.  Mr.  Bird  returned  to  the  hotel 
with  us,  and  sat  [*]  some  time  in  conversation  with 
Mr,  Owen  relative  to  the  terms  on  which  capital  would  be 
borrowed  &  associations  formed  on  his  plans  as  he  wished 
to  become  a  shareholder.  We  then  called  on  Mr.  Warder  & 
Dr.  Chapman,  both  of  whom  were  out.  We  returned,  sat 
in  conversation  with  Hunter  till  six  o'clock,  and  then  went 
to  drink  tea  with  Mr.  Longstreth,  where  we  met  a  large 
party  of  Friends,  to  whom  Mr,  Owen  gave  an  outline  of  his 
views.  [Among  the  Party  were  Messrs.  Spackman,  &  Wilson, 
Redwood  Fisher,  Miss  Fisher,  Mrs.  Fisher,  Dr.  Morton,  & 
Eli  K  Price.]  We  returned  to  Mr.  Hunter's  between  9  &  10 
o'clock  where  we  met  a  Col.  Clarke  to  whom  Mr.  Owen 
shewed  his  drawings  and  who  wished  him  every  success,  and 
added  that  he  would  himself  be  an  active  co-operator. 
Eli  Price  shewed  us  the  way  home,  and  engaged  to  go  with 
me  to  see  the  line  of  Battle  ship  that  is  on  the  stocks. 

This  morning  we  breakfasted  with  Mr.  Spackman  & 
met  Mrs.  Spackman,  [*]  the  son,  Mr.  Wilson  his  partner,  & 
Mr.  Flower.  Mr.  Owen  drew  money  from  him.  After 
breakfast  we  called  on  Mrs.  Hume  the  wife  of  Mr.  Hume 
who  knew  Mr.  Owen  in  England,  &  who  wishes  to  embark 
£  30  in  his  plan.  W"^.  Owen  &  myself  returned  to  the 
hotel,  where  Captn  Maxwell,  &  Messrs.  Cresson  &  Price, 
called.  Also  a  gentleman  from  the  Franklin  Institute  to 
ask  Mr.  Owen  to  attend  there  this  Evening  and  give  a 
lecture.  Mr.  Owen  engaged  to  go  there  between  7  &  8 
o'clock  and  meet,  the  gentlemen,  but  said  he  could  not  give 
any  public  lecture  on  the  subject,  before  he  have  waited  upon 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  209 

the  members  of  government.  He  would  however,  be  most 
happy  to  be  introduced  to  the  gentlemen  so  kindly  inviting 
him,  and  in  conversation  explain  any  [*]  point  of  his  plan 
they  wished  to  have  explained.  Another  gentleman  called 
to  request  M*".  Owen  would  attend  the  meeting  of  several 
persons  who  had  formed  themselves  into  a  sort  of  society 
for  the  purpose  of  promoting  his  plan  of  association,  and 
give  them  some  information  on  the  subject.  M^.  Owen 
regretted  that  his  short  stay  &  numerous  engagements  would 
put  it  out  of  his  power  to  attend  their  meeting;  but  he 
observed  that,  as  he  had  engaged  to  be  at  the  Franklin 
Institute  this  evening,  some  of  the  gentlemen  of  this  society 
might  be  able  to  attend  there.  M"^.  Owen  went  out  in  a 
coach  with  M^.  Cresson  to  see  the  Water  works  &  pay  some 
visits  &  I  accompanied  by  Mr.  Eli  Price  called  for 
Mr,  Vaughan  at  the  Athenaeum,  which  is  in  one  end  of 
the  Building  called  the  Museum,  in  one  chamber  of  which 
the  [*]  Declaration  of  Independence  was  signed  in  1776.  In 
the  Athenaeum  we  met  Mr.  Paxton  who  put  my  name  down 
in  the  books,  which  would  enable  me  to  go  there  &  read  the 
papers  &  make  use  of  the  library.  Mf.  Paxton  then 
accompanied  us  to  the  Academy  of  Natural  Science  &  intro- 
duced me  to  Mr.  Say  the  librarian.  He  is  a  Naturalist  and 
is  at  present  publishing  a  work  on  the  subject.  We  then 
went  to  Mr.  Meredith's  and  I  left  my  card  &  Mr.  Ogden's 
letter  as  he  was  out.  On  our  return  to  the  Hotel,  we 
found  Mr.  Owen  &  several  gentlemen  looking  at  his  plans  & 
discussing  his  views.  The  gentlemen  were,  Messrs  Turner 
Camac,  Washington  Smith,  Thomas  Say,  Mr.  Le  Seur, 
Redwood  Fisher,  Jon*.  W.  Condy,  Eli  K  Price. — The 
National  Bank  which  I  passed  through  this  morning,  has 
a  very  handsome  front.  It  is  built  of  marble  brought  from 
the  neighbourhood. — We  went  at  3  o'clock  to  dine  with 
Dr.  Rush.  Mrs.  Rush  is  a  handsome,  &  very  pleasing 
person.  There  was  a  large  party.  Among  the  number  were 
Mr.  [*]  Meridith  &  his  son,  Mr.  Kuhn,  &  Mr.  Beckett.  [Also 
Mrs.  Rush's  father,  Ridgway,  &  two  brothers  of  Dr.  Rush.] 
The  table  was  extremely  well  served.  At  6  o'clock  we 
went  &  drank  tea  with  a  Mr.  Fortin  (a  black)  and  his 
family.     He  had  a  large  sail  manufactory  &  had  made  an 


210  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

independence.  Such  is  the  prejudice  against  his  colour  that 
his  family  are  not  visited.  They  appeared  interesting 
people.  The  daughters  are  fine  girls  &  all  the  children  seem 
well  educated.  M^.  Owen  went  for  the  purpose  of  being 
introduced  by  Mr.  Flower  to  M^.  Granville  the  Haytian 
Agent  employed  to  invite  Free  Blacks  to  remove  to 
St.  Domingo.  About  2000  were  shipped  off  a  short  time 
since,  but  as  it  is  strongly  reported  that  a  French  Fleet  has 
been  seen  &  that  an  attack  is  to  be  made  on  the  Island,  the 
blacks  suspect  that  they  will  be  made  soldiers ;  therefore 
they  are  at  present  not  so  well  inclined  as  might  be  expected 
to  go  &  settle  there.  Mr.  Granville  was  in  Buonaparte's 
army  &  served  several  campaigns  in  Germany  &c  He  seems 
an  intilligent,  active  person.  At  half  past  7  o'clock  we  met 
(Monday  22nd  some  gentlemen  at  the  [*]  hotel  who  escorted  us  to  the 
Novr.  contd)  Institute.     There  we   found  a  lecture  room  crowded  w^ith 

respectable  persons.  One  of  the  Professors  opened  the 
proceedings  by  stating  that  the  gentleman  who  was  to  lecture 
that  evening  was  unexpectedly  absent,  but  that  M"".  Ow^en 
had  kindly  agreed  at  their  request  to  give  them  a  short 
outline  of  his  views  &  plan.  Mr.  Owen  then  addressed  the 
meeting,  &  regretted  that  he  was  so  little  prepared  to  give 
any  public  exposition  exposition  of  his  plans,  as  it  had  been 
his  intention  to  confine  all  his  communications  to  conversation 
with  his  friends  till  he  had  visited  the  most  interesting 
portions  of  the  States.  He  therefore  trusted  that  the  gentle- 
men present  would  be  satisfied  with  the  short  &  imperfect 
outline  which  he  should  attempt  to  give  them.  He  then 
stated  his  view  of  human  nature,  the  influence  of  circum- 
stances over  it,  the  sort  of  associations  which  he  wished  to 
have  established;  and  [*]  in  reply  to  a  few  questions  gave 
a  brief  statement  of  his  own  experience  &  practice,  and  of 
the  system  of  education  adopted  at  New  Lanark.  The 
company  applauded  him  on  his  concluding  these  statements, 
&  broke  up  between  8  &  9  o'clock.  Mr.  W.  Meridith  then 
took  Wm.  Owen  &  myself  to  a  Soiree  at  Mrs.  Marloe's.  This 
lady  sees  the  most  fashionable  company  at  her  house  every 
Monday  evening  throughout  the  year.  The  company  was 
very  genteel  &  agreeable,  and  the  drawing  rooms  were 
handsome  &  convenient.     Mr.  Meredith  &  Lt.  Page  of  the 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  211 

Navy,  were  very  attentive  to  us.  They  introduced  me  to 
several  young  ladies ; — Misses  Hamilton,  the  daughter  of  a 
rich  Charleston  Merchant,  &  about  to  be  married,  Miss  Wil- 
son, Griffith,  two  Misses  Golovin,  Elwin,  Seaton  who  told  me 
she  was  to  set  out  for  Baltimore  tomorrow  in  the  Steam  boat, 
and  the  daughter  in  law  of  the  British  consul  Robertson. — 

Mr  Owen  breakfasted  [*]  with  Mr.  Mathew  Carey  the  Tuesday  23rd, 
bookseller,  and  afterwards  called  on  Messrs.  Longstreth,  ^'ov". 
Stackman,  Fisher,  the  British  consul  Robertson,  Beckett 
where  he  was  introduced  to  his  father  in  law  Mr.  Kyle,  & 
Mr.  Walsh  the  Editor  of  the  National  Gazette,  to  whom  he 
gave  a  copy  of  Thompson  work  on  the  Distribution  of 
Wealth.  Our  bill  came  to  40  1/2  $  We  embarked  on  board 
the  Steam  boat  at  midday.  Our  Party  now  consisted  of 
Mr.  Flower  &  Miss  Ronald's,  Mr.  Hunter  &  ourselves.  We 
met  on  board  Dr.  Mease,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Everett,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Fickler,  Miss  Seaton  and  two  other  young  ladies. 
Mr.  Everett  is  brother  to  the  professor,  was  Envoy  in 
Holland,  &  has  travelled  much  in  Europe.  The  river  widens 
rapidly  as  you  descend,  the  country  is  low  on  both  sides  but 
seems  to  be  well  cultivated.  At  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  city  is  the  Navy  Yard,  where  we  saw  two  ships  building, 
and  several  small  vessels  lying.  The  ships  were  within  large 
and  well  built  wooden  [*]  coverings.  I  had  wished  to  see 
these  vessels  before  I  left  Philadelphia,  but  was  informed 
that  strict  orders  had  been  issued  not  to  admit  Foreigners 
into  the  Navy  yard.  Nine  miles  down  the  [we]  passed  a 
redoubt  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  a  wooden  fort  built 
on  piles  in  the  middle  and  a  sandy  elevation  on  the  left 
bank  where  the  Hessians  were  defeated  in  1778.  The 
redoubts  were  attacked  by  British  men  of  war  during  the 
Revolution.  Dr.  Mease  left  us  at  a  landing  place  a  short 
distance  below  this  point.  We  landed  at  a  small  place  called 
New  Castle  about  1/4  after  5,  and  crossed  in  8  4  horse 
coaches  to  French  town  16  miles,  where  we  again  embarked 
on  board  a  steam  boat  at  i  /2  past  8  o'clock  on  the  Chesapeake 
river.  [A  short  distance  below  French  town  stand  the  ruins 
of  some  public  stores,  burnt  in  18 14  by  the  British.]  The 
country  through  which  we  passed  was  low,  &  in  some  places 
cultivated;  but  as  we  passed  through  it  in  the  dark  we  had 


212  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

(Tuesday  2y<i.      „ot  an  opportunity  of  observing  it.     As  soon   [*]   as  we 
Nov.  contd)  ^^.g,.g  ^jj  Qj^  board,  tea  was  served,  after  which  the  ladies 

retired  into  their  cabin,  and  the  Captain  drew  tickets  with 
numbers  on  them,  allotting  the  births  to  the  passengers.   [Our 
passage  &c  cost  about  $7  each.] 
Wednesday  24^^  About  3  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Baltimore,  and  between 

Nov^  5^7  o'clock  we  landed  &  went  to  the  Indian  Queen  Hotel, 

kept  by  Mr.  Barnam.  We  had  some  difficulty  in  finding 
accommodation  as  the  city  was  filled  with  persons  attending 
the  Annual  Cattle  Shew,  and  as  the  Marquis  La  Fayette 
was  expected  the  next  day  from  Washington,  for  whose 
reception  a  wooden  painted  arch  way  had  been  erected  at 
the  end  of  the  principal  street,  with  the  following  inscription, 
Washington  Welcome  our  Friend  La  Fayette 
1776  1824 

After  breakfast  M^.  Tiernan  called  on  M^.  Owen  and  said 
that  his  friend  in  Philadelphia  had  written  to  him  to  say  that 
Mr.  Owen  was  to  be  in  Baltimore  that  day.  M"".  Owen  gave 
him  a  letter  he  had  for  him,  and  he  then  accompanied 
Mr.  Owen  to  call  &  [*]  deliver  letters  to  General  Harper 
from  Mr.  Thomas,  &  to  Mr.  Meredith  councillor  at  law  from 
Judge  Ogden*  [*&  letters  to  Messrs.  Gwynn,  Robinson,  & 
Maher]. — He  likewise  called  on  Mr.  Murphy  editor  of  the 
American,  and  was  introduced  in  the  street  to  Mr.  Robert 
Oliver  a  rich  &  benevolent  gentleman.  At  General  Harper's 
Mr.  Owen  saw  Miss  Seaton  who  resides  with  him.  The 
General  is  son  in  law  to  Charles  Carroll  who,  besides 
Messrs.  Jefferson  &  Adams,  is  the  only  one  living  of  those 
who  signed  the  declaration  of  independence.  Col.  Harvey 
who  was  on  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  staff  married  a 
granddaughter  of  Mr.  Carroll.  [Mr.  Neil  an  American 
lawyer  in  London  gave  the  letters  to  Messrs.  Murphy. 
Gwynn,  Maher  &  Robinson]  Mr.  Gwynn  is  Editor  of  the 
Federal  Gazette.  Mr.  Owen  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Raymond 
and  bought  of  him  for  4  1/2  $  his  treatise  in  2  vols  on 
Political  Economy.  Shortly  after  M^.  Owen's  return  to  the 
Hotel  General  Harper,  accompanied  by  his  son,  called  & 
invited  us  all  to  drink  tea  with  him.  We  then  drove  4  miles 
into  the  country  to  the  Cattle  Shew,  which  was  in  a  field 
near  a  farm  house  &  inclosed  by  Palings.     We  paid  a  dollar 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  213 

each,  the  ladies  &  Mr.  Owen  [*]  excepted,  for  admittance, 
but  as  almost  all  the  cattle  had  been  removed  the  day  before 
we  saw  but  little.  We  were  however  introduced  to 
Mr.  Somerville  one  of  the  stewards,  and  Mr.  Owen  was 
invited  to  dine  with  the  meeting,*  [the  next  day  to  meet 
La  Fayette  upon  which  occasion  General  Harper  was  to 
deliver  an  Oration.]  but  he  declined  as  he  w^as  anxious 
to  proceed  to  Washington.  The  day  was  very  warm  and 
dusty,  the  thermometer  stood  about  70°  in  the  shade.  We 
paid  2$  for  a  hackney  coach  to  take  4  out  &  bring  them 
back.  The  subburbs  of  the  city  appeared  irregular,  the 
ground  being  broken  up  by  brick  kilns  &  streets  laid  out 
where  only  here  &  there  a  small  house  had  yet  been  built. 
The  road  was  rough  &  irregular  at  the  sides,  &  deep  with 
sand  &  gravel.  The  country  was  only  cultivated  in  places, 
being  for  the  most  part  covered  with  wood,  principally 
oak,  but  not  of  any  great  size  on  account  of  the  poverty  of 
the  soil. — We  dined  at  2  o'clock  at  the  Ordinary  where 
there  were  probably  50  persons.  After  dinner  we  went  to 
the  Exchange,  a  large  &  handsome  building,  where  our 
names  had  been  entered  by  General  Harper  &  where  we  read 
the  [*]  newspapers.  On  our  return,  Mr.  Tiernan  called  & 
introduced  a  Mr.  Shepperd.  W"^.  Owen  and  myself  walked 
out  to  look  at  the  town  &  inspect  the  Catholic  Church  & 
Unitarian  chapel.  It  was  too  late  in  the  evening  to  see  the 
inside  of  these  buildings.  We  could  however  remark  that 
the  Unitarian  chapel  had  both  an  elegance  &  lightness  of 
appearance,  which  were  altogether  wanting  to  the  large, 
square,  &  solid  mass  of  building  erected  by  the  Catholics. 
The  two  churches  were  close  to  one  another.  Over  the 
Unitarian  was  the  inscription  in  Greek,  T  lead  to  God,' ;  on 
each  face  of  the  Catholic  was  a  verse  from  the  Bible.  That 
face  which  looked  towards  the  Unitarian  chapel  had  the 
following  verse, 

'As  for  us  we  preach  Christ  Crucified,  to  the  Jews  a 
'stumbling  block,  to  the  Greeks  foolishness.'  A  short 
distance  from  these  churches  stands  a  white  marble  Trojan 
column,  to  the  memory  of  Washington,  on  the  top  of  which 
his  statue  is  to  be  placed.  In  another  part  [*]  of  the  city  ( Wednesday 24ti». 
stands  a  small  monument  to  the  memory  of  some  of  the   Nov.) 


214  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

citizens  killed  in  the  year  1814  when  the  British  attacked 
the  place.  The  city  of  Baltimore  stands  on  the  side  of  a 
small  rising  ground  &  over  looks  in  some  parts  the  harbour. 
On  a  small  and  elevated  neck  of  land  stands  a  battery  & 
signal  post.  The  principal  street  &  some  others  are  large,  and 
a  considerable  deal  of  business  seemed  to  be  doing.  As  the 
summers  here  are  extremely  hot,  the  frame  work  re(iuired 
for  awnings  stood  across  the  footway  in  front  of  most  of 
the  large  houses.  We  remarked  that  the  inhabitants  looked 
pale  &  not  healthy.  This  might  in  a  great  measure  be 
occasioned  by  the  pernicious  practice  of  overheating  their 
rooms. — In  the  evening  Mr.  Owen  received  a  note  from 
Mr.  Meredith  inclosing  three  letters  of  introduction  to 
persons  in  the  West  country,  which  he  acknowledged. 
Afterwards  he  went  to  tea  at  General  Harpers.  I  wrote  [*] 
to  Mr.  Gadsby  at  Washington  to  secure  lodgings  for 
tomorrow,  &  having  a  bad  cold  retired  early  to  bed. — 
Thursday  25th.  Mr.   Owen  engaged  one  of  the  regular   stages  with  4 

^'^'^'"-  horses,  &  carrying  9  inside,  to  take  our  party  of  7  persons  & 

baggage,  to  Washington  for  $28.  We  set  out  between 
9  &  10  o'clock,  changed  horses  three  times,  and  arrived 
at  Washington  38  miles  by  1/4  past  7.  We  stopped  on  the 
road  at  a  place  called  Harris'  hut  and  Mr.  Owen,  his 
son  &  myself  walked  about  a  mile  off  the  road  through  the 
wood  to  a  newly  erected  cotton  manufactory  [called  Savage 
Factory]  belonging  to  Mr.  Amos  Williams  to  whom 
Mr.  Owen  had  a  letter.  Mr.  Williams  has  about  a  mile 
square  of  land,  for  which  he  paid  at  the  rate  of  1 1  dollars 
per  acre.  The  woods  contain  fine  oak  &  beech  besides 
other  wood,  and  a  large  stream  runs  through  it.  He  has 
within  2  1/2  years  built  a  large  factory  and  several  houses 
for  the  workpeople,  and  he  is  busy  now  making  a  mill  & 
some  [*]  other  buildings.  He  spins,  weaves  &  bleaches.  We 
returned  to  the  road  by  a  footpath  along  the  beautiful  banks 
of  the  stream.  The  day  was  remarkably  fine.  The 
thermometer  was  in  the  shade  at  70°.  The  road  lay  through 
woods  here  &  there  opened  &  cleared.  The  country  was 
varied  considerably  by  hills,  and  a  few  farms.  The  soil 
was  sandy  &  gravelly.  Mr.  Williams  said  that  with  the  most 
imperfect  tillage  without  any  manure,  the  land  would  yield 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  215 

above  20  bushels  of  wheat  per  acre.  We  stopped  &  dined 
at  a  farm  by  the  road  side  called  [MS  blank]  [dinner  75 
cents  each.]  M"".  Flower,  Miss  Ronalds  and  M^.  Hunter,  put 
up  at  the  Indian  Queen,  and  we  went  on  to  Mr.  Gadsby's 
at  Washington. 

After  breakfasting  at  the  Ordinary  where  we  met  half  Friday  26th. 
a  dozen  gentlemen,  M^.  Owen  took  a  hackney  coach,  at  the  ^^'^'^^ 
rate  of  5$  for  the  day  &  called  on  Mr.  Quincy  Adam's  the 
secretary  of  state,  where  he  was  introduced  to  Dr.  Watkins 
and  engaged  to  be  with  Mr.  [*]  Adams  again  tomorrow 
at  10  o'clock.  He  then  went  to  the  President's  who  was 
engaged  with  the  secretary  of  the  Navy,  &  appointed  to 
see  Mr.  Owen  tomorrow  at  11  o'clock.  From  thence  he 
went  to  Mr.  Crawford,  Mr.  Calhoun  the  secretary  of 
•war,  &  Mr.  Tayloe.  Afterwards  we  accompanied  him  to 
Mr,  Addington  the  British  Charge  d'Affaires  &  left  our 
cards.  [Mr.  Owen  then  called  on  the  Attorney  General 
Wurt,  and  had  a  long  &  interesting  conversation  with 
him.]  While  Mr.  Owen  was  paying  the  above  visits,  I  went 
with  Wm.  Owen,  called  for  Mr.  Flower,  Miss  Ronalds  & 
Mr.  Hunter,  and  went  with  them  to  view  the  Capitol,  the 
interior  of  which  many  workmen  are  still  busily  employed 
upon.  The  building  is  a  solid,  lofty  Edifice  of  stone,  having 
a  large  dome  in  the  center,  and  two  wings  also  with  domes. 
Here  are  the  President's  rooms,  the  chambers  of  the  senate  & 
Representatives,  the  library,  the  several  committee  rooms,  and 
a  magnificent  circular  Hall  in  the  center ;  around  which  are  to 
be  placed  historical  paintings,  descriptive  of  the  [*]  most  in-  (Friday  26th. 
teresting  events  in  the  American  history,  such  as  the  Declara-  ^^v.  com  ) 
tion  of  Independence.  In  one  gallery  we  remarked  columns  of 
a  new  order  of  architecture  formed  from  the  Indian  corn, 
which  had  a  very  chaste  appearance.  Also  fine  pillars  of 
a  polished  marble  resembling  the  pudding  stone.  The 
Capitol  stands  on  an  elevated  spot  at  one  extremity  of  a  wide 
street  at  present  planted  with  rows  of  poplars,  and  about 
a  mile  long.  At  the  other  extremity  of  this  street  is  the 
President's  house,  a  fine  white  stone  palace  placed  between 
two  double  buildings  of  brick  in  which  are  the  public 
offices.  The  President's  Palace  overlooks  the  Potomack 
which  is  between  one  &  two  miles  wide,  and  the  long  wooden 


216  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

bridge  over  it.  The  city  is  marked  out  on  rather  a  flattish 
country.  The  soil  is  a  mixture  of  sand  gravel  &  clay.  The 
houses  which  have  already  been  built  are  of  brick,  &  many 
small  &  of  wood.  As  the  scale  on  which  the  city  has  been 
planned  is  very  extensive  and  as  every  one  seems  to 
have  [*]  built  at  any  point  which  suited  him,  the  present 
appearance  of  the  city  is  extremely  irregular  &  broken.  The 
surrounding  country  does  not  rise  high.  The  cultivation  of 
the  land  does  not  appear  good.  There  is  very  little  wood 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  city.  What  there 
is  appears  stunted.  On  the  distant  lands,  &  on  some  hills 
on  the  southern  side  of  the  Potomack  there  are  woods,  but 
as  at  this  season  they  look  brown  &  bare,  the  panoramic 
prospect  is  uninteresting.  At  some  distance  down  the 
river  &  on  the  opposite  side,  smoke  marked  out  to  us  the 
situation  of  Alexandria.  We  dined  at  the  Ordinary.  Im- 
mediately after  dinner  we  called  on  M^.  Flower,  and  went 
with  Miss  Ronald's  to  see  the  wooden  bridge  which  is  nearly 
a  mile  from  the  avenue.  It  is  a  mile  &  a  quarter  long  & 
between  30  &  40  feet  wide.  It  is  built  with  large  &  strong 
timbers  &  oaken  planks  in  a  substantial  manner  with  [*] 
drawbridges  for  the  passage  of  vessels.  There  is  extremely 
little  trade  in  this  place.  A  space  of  ten  miles  square  in 
a  central  situation  was  ceded  for  the  purposes  of  govern- 
ment, &  called  the  District  of  Columbia,  but  it  is  neither 
a  good  soil  nor  a  situation  where  a  large  city  would  be  likely 
to  grow. — The  influence  &  expences  of  the  government  are 
producing  some  activity  in  the  place,  &  the  people  are  building 
rapidly  in  various  parts  of  this  new  capital.  On  our  return 
to  tea  with  M^.  Flower,  D^.  Watkins  &  his  son  called.  After 
tea  Mr,  Owen  called  on  M^.  Reynolds*  [senator  for  the  State 
of  Tennessee]  a  friend  of  Di".  Price,  &  engaged  to  breakfast 
tomorrow  with  him ;  and  on  General  Wingate  whom  he  did 
not  find  at  home.  The  thermometer  stood  in  the  shade  this 
morning  between  10  &  11  o'clock  at  56°.  The  day  was 
calm,  but  cloudy.  About  7  oclock  in  the  evening  it  began 
to  rain,  and  we  had  for  a  short  time  a  heavy  shower. 
Saturday  27th.  This  morning  the  thermometer  was  at  9  o'clock  66°  in 

^°^'^-  the  shade.    It  was  calm  &  cloudy,  but  [*]  between  9  &  10  it 

cleared  up.  and  a  hot  sun  burst  upon  us.     M^.  Owen  went 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  217 

out  to  breakfast  with  M^".  Reynolds.    W^.  Owen  &  myself 

remained  at  the  hotel  to  write  letters.  I  wrote  to  M^s.  Bridges. 

About  12  o'clock  we  went  out.     In  front  of  the  Presidents 

house  we  met  Mf.  Owen.     He  had  been  with  Mr.  Quincy 

Adams,  and  at  1 1  o'clock  with  the  President,  whom  he  said 

was  a  plain  &  intelligent  man.     He  observed  to  Mr.  Owen 

that  this  country  gave  more  scope  for  improvements  of  every 

sort  than  any  other. — 'M^.   Owen  called  at  the   Attorney 

General's  office,  &  introduced  us  to  him.     He  is  a  tall, 

stout    &    middle    aged    person,    very    affable    in    manner. 

Mr.  Owen  remained  with  him  while  W"i.  &  myself  walked 

to  the  Indian  Queen  hotel   (Brown's)  to  bring  Hunter  to 

visit  the  Chocktaw  &  Chickasaw  chiefs  who  are  at  present 

in  Washington  having  come  to  transact  business  with  the 

President.     Hunter  was  not  well  enough  to  come  out.     We 

therefore    returned    to    M^.    Owen,    called    with    him    on 

Mr.   Reynolds  who  went  &  introduced   us  to  the  Chiefs. 

There  were  three  or   four  elderly  men  of  the  red  Indian 

race.    They  had  strong  features  &  expressive  countenances, 

but   were   quite   in   masquerade    [*]    being  dressed    in   an   (Saturday  27^^. 

awkward    &    shabby    European    costume.      The    principal  ^  °^^'  ^'^"'^  :^ 

person  was  about  50  years  old.     He  called  himself  General 

Pushamattaha.     There   were  three   or   four  other  persons 

present ;  two  of  whom  they  told  us  were  Chocktaws  educated 

in  English  schools.     They  looked  very  much  like  sunburnt 

Americans.     We  walked  round  the  circle,  shook  hands  with 

them  all  &  then  took  our  seats.     The  General  made  a  sort 

of  speech  which  the  interpreter  explained  to  be  a  welcome 

to  us.     Mr.  Owen  then  told  them  that  he  had  come  3000 

miles  from  home,  that  many  of  his  countrymen  wished  well 

to  their  fellow  creatures  the  Indians,  and  were  anxious  to 

promote  a  general  peace  among  the  several  tribes,  that  their 

race  might  not  be  extinguished,  as  they  had  learnt  to  admire 

many  points  of  their  character.     He  added  that  he  hoped 

before  his  return  to  Europe  to  make  known  to  the  Public  a 

way  of  bringing  children  up  &  reforming  Society,  so  that 

all  persons  might  be  trained  to  have  whatever  is  good  both 

in  the  Indian  &  European  characters,  and  to  be  without  [*] 

all  that  is  bad  in  them.     One  of  the  chiefs  replied  that  they 

liked  extremely  his  talk,  that  they  were  now  so  surrounded  by 


218  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

the  civilized  people,  that  they  knew  they  could  not  long 
remain  in  existence  if  they  did  not  acquire  the  best  parts  of 
their  knowledge  &  habits;  that  he  had  thought  for  some 
time  in  the  manner  that  M^.  Owen  had  been  speaking.  &  he 
was  glad  now  to  get  a  little  more  information  in  that 
direction.  He  added  that  they  had  sent  several  of  their 
children  to  different  parts  of  the  U.  States  to  learn  the 
useful  arts,  &  he  pointed  to  the  two  young  men  as  proofs 
that  Red  Indians  could  be  brought  up  to  appear  like  the 
White  people. — They  all  appeared  pleased,  though  their 
manners  are  silent,  reserved  &  serious.  The  principal  chief 
had  on  a  sort  of  blue  uniform  with  two  large  gold  epaulettes, 
another  was  dressed  in  blue  with  a  large  cloak  over  his 
dress,  made  of  a  Stuart  tartan,  and  a  third  had  on  a  large 
blue  greatcoat  with  capes.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the 
Indians  should  in  the  first  instance,  acquire  their  first 
knowledge  [*]  of  the  white  people  from  the  rudest  of  this 
people,  and  deform  themselves  by  attempting  to  wear  a 
costume  for  which  their  habits  are  unfitted,  which  in  no  way 
becomes  them,  and  of  which  they  see  the  worst  patterns  for 
imitation. — The  interpreter  was  a  white  proprietor  of  many 
hundred  head  of  oxen  horses  &  hogs.  He  said  that  he  had 
resided  40  years  in  their  neighbourhood,  and  much  preferred 
their  honesty,  sincerity  friendship  &  behaviour,  to  those  of 
the  white  settlers. — We  met  Major  Smith  &  one  or  two 
other  gentlemen  settlers  from  their  neighbourhood  with 
them.  The  Major  appeared,  an  open  hearted  active  minded 
man;  he  very  cordially  hoped  w^e  would  call  &  see  him- 
self.— As  we  were  coming  out  Miss  Ronalds,  Mi".  Flower  & 
Hunter,  arrived  to  pay  them  a  visit.  Hunter  afterwards  told 
me  that  he  had  an  agreeable  chat  with  them,  though  it  was 
by  means  of  the  interpreter,  as  he  could  not  speak  a  word 
of  their  language.  They  told  him  that  they  had  been  much 
pleased  with  Mr.  Owen.  Hunter  [*]  said  that  he  had  felt 
quite  uneasy  to  set  out  on  his  journey  west  ever  since  his 
conversation  with  them ;  that  it  had  produced  an  anxious 
feeling  in  his  breast,  'Which,'  said  he.  turning  to  the  inter- 
preter, 'You  I  am  sure  can  well  understand.'  He  added 
that  he  had  never  felt  so  pleasantly  at  home  as  with  them, 
since  he  left  his  own  people. — We  then  called  on  General 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  219 

Wingate ;  he  was  not  at  home  but  we  were  admitted  by- 
Mrs.  VVingate,  the  wife  of  his  brother.  Here  we  met  her 
mother  and  a  young  lady,  and  two  elderly  gentlemen.  While 
we  were  there,  M^s.  Adams  &  two  daughters  came  in. 
Mrs.  Adams  is  a  thin,  formal  person.  The  daughters  are 
unaffected  girls.  One  of  them  said  that  it  was  a  novelty 
and  a  very  agreeable  one  in  their  country,  to  see  English 
travellers  visiting  America.  M^s.  Wingate  remarked  that 
the  few  who  had  hitherto  visited  them  had  very  unfairly 
spoken  of  them. — Mrs.  Wingate  is  a  stout,  lively  and 
pleasant  person.  On  coming  away  she  expressed  a  hope  of 
seeing  us  often  on  our  return  to  \\'^ashington,  and  added 
that  she  should  receive  me  [*]  quite  in  a  clannish  manner.  (Saturday  27th. 
We  had  been  speaking  of  the  Scotch  Highlanders  &  Burns  ^^'^''-  ^^^^  ) 
the  poet,  whose  poetry  seemed  to  accord  with  her  feelings 
as  much  as  with  those  of  some  highland  Ladies. —  [The 
party  were  General  &  Mrs.  Dearborne  &  their  daughter 
Mrs.  Wingate  and  Mr.  Wingate.]  We  returned  to  the  hotel 
where  we  dined  at  the  table  d'hote.  After  dinner  we 
went  &  called  on  Dr.  Watkins.  [&  called  on  Mr.  Wallenstein 
who  was  not  at  home.]  I  left  Mr.  Owen  there  &  went  with 
Wm.  Owen  to  the  Marine  Barracks,  a  mile  east  of  the 
capitol  to  call  on  Mr.  Richard  T.  Achmutz  for  whom  I  had 
a  letter  from  young  Abram  Ogden.  He  was  dining  with 
the  Colonel.  I  therefore  left  the  letter  &  my  card  &  returned 
for  Mr.  Owen;  with  whom  we  called  at  Williamson's  hotel 
on  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Tichnor,  &  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Everett  &  Miss  Emma. 
They  are  very  agreeable  &  interesting  people.  They  go 
from  this  to  Monticello,  Mr.  Jefferson's.  Mr.  Tichnor  gave 
us  all  a  pressing  invitation  to  visit  him  at  Boston.  We  then 
went  to  Mr.  Tayloe's.  Mr.  Owen  went  in  and  found  a 
pleasing  old  gentleman  &  his  family.  We  returned  to  tea 
at  the  hotel.  [Jules  de  Wallenstein  secretary  to  the  Russian 
Legation  Mr.  Addington,  the  British  charge  Mr.  Wingate, 
W^rn.  Ruggles,  &  Dr.  Stoughton,  called  today. — ]  [We  met 
Mr.  Wallenstein  with  Mr.  Tichnor  &  his  party,  &  were 
introduced  to  him.]  At  7  o'clock  Mr.  Owen  went  to 
Mr.  Calhoun's  evening  party.  He  [*]  returned  about 
10  o'clock,  having  spent  the  evening  in  a  tete  a  tete  with 
Mr.   Calhoun,  whom  he  considers  a  man  of  considerable 


220 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


genius  and  extensive  speculator  into  the  progress  of  events. 
Sunday  2S«h.  Xhg  Stage  to  the  west  left  this  City  at  3  o'clock  this 

Nov^  morning.     As  another  would  not  start  before  Tuesday,  it 

was  determined  that  we  should  hire  hackney  coaches  to  take 
us  in  two  days  to  Hagers  Town  where  we  should  get  into 
the  line  of  road  from  Baltimore  to  Wheeling,  &  find  stages 
to  take  us  forward.  Having  a  quantity  of  baggage  with 
us,  we  found  it  necessary  to  hire  three  coaches;  the  rate  of 
charge  was  6$  a  day  for  each,  including  every  thing,  and 
calculating  on  two  days  going  and  two  days  for  the  return 
of  the  coaches.  While  w^e  were  preparing  to  set  out 
U.  Achmutz  of  the  Marines,  for  whom  I  last  night  left  a 
letter,  called  and  expressed  his  wash  to  shew  us  Washington 
&  its  environs  on  our  return.  He  appeared  a  genteel 
young  [*]  officer. — About  half  past  one  o'clock  we  started 
from  the  City,  leaving  a  portion  of  our  baggage  in 
M"*.  Gadsby's  care.  A  short  distance  from  the  city  we 
ascended  the  heights  to  the  west  of  the  subburbs  called 
Georgestown,  from  whence  we  had  an  extensive  view  of 
the  city,  its  environs  and  the  course  eastward  of  the 
Potomack.  The  view  was  strikingly  picturesque.  Thence 
we  passed  through  a  moderately  cultivated  country  by  an 
indifferent  road  through  Rockville  to  Clarksburgh  distant  27 
miles,  where  we  arrived  at  half  past  8  o'clock.  The  latter 
part  of  the  road  was  more  hilly  and  deep,  and  the  quantity 
of  cleared  &  cultivated  became  less  &  less.  From  some  of 
the  rising  grounds  we  had  extensive  views  of  hills  and  dales 
of  tolerable  soil,  mostly  sandy  &  gravelly,  and  covered  with 
wood.  The  scene  was  pleasingly  varied  by  farms  on  the 
sides  of  the  hills.  The  inn  at  Clarksburgh  is  a  small  [*] 
farm.  We  had  a  good  supper  &  good  though  plain  beds. 
Monday  29th.  The  day  beginning  to  break  a  little  after  six  o'clock,  we 

Nov^  again  started,   and  passing  through   some   hilly   &   woody 

country  by  a  bad  road  over  the  South  or  Blue  ridge,  we 
reached  Fredericktown  15  miles  distant  between  10  &  11 
o'clock.  The  air  was  mild,  but  it  was  cloudy,  and  we  had 
a  slight  mizzling  rain.  Some  of  the  points  of  view  were 
extremely  picturesque.  Fredericktown  appears  a  thriving 
little  place,  and  being  on  the  Baltimore  high  road,  carries 
on  a  good  deal  of  business.    At  Talbots  inn  we  had  a  good 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  221 

breakfast  and  were  well  served.  Between  12  &  one  we 
continued  our  route  b}'  the  high  road  to  Hagers  town, 
crossed  the  north  Ridge  from  which  we  had  several  exten- 
sive views  of  hills  &  vallies  covered  with  wood,  and  reached 
Hagers  town  2^  miles  a  little  before  1 1  o'clock  at  night. — We 
stopt  12  miles  before  we  reached  Hagers  town  at  a  small 
village  called  Boonsboro,  where  we  had  supper.  At  Hagers 
town  we  drove  to  the  Stage  Office  Hotel,  where  [*]  we  (Monday  29th. 
learnt  that  the  only  conveyance  by  which  we  could  continue  Nov.  contd) 
our  journey,  was  the  accommodation  line  stage,  which  was 
to  set  out  at  4  o'clock  in  the  morning.  This  line  of  stages 
had  been  established  to  run  by  the  National  road  from 
Baltimore  to  Wheeling,  and  stated  to  be  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  travellers  more  rest  &  taking  more  baggage  than  the 
mail  coach.  We  however  found  that  by  slow  driving  they 
got  every  evening  so  late  to  the  end  of  the  day's  journey 
as  to  afford  us  very  little  time  for  rest  before  the  hour  of 
starting  the  next  morning.  Another  high  road  west  runs 
from  Philadelphia  through  Chambersburgh  &  Bedford  to 
Pittsburg.  The  distance  from  Hagerstown  to  this  line  of 
road  we  found  to  be  between  20  &  30  miles  of  a  cross 
road,  and  that  no  stages  or  coaches  could  be  obtained  to  take 
us  across.  We  therefore  settled  to  proceed  by  the  Wheeling 
Stage  in  the  morning;  fare  9$  each  to  Little  Washington 
where  we  proposed  to  cross  to  Pittsburg.  The  national  road 
has  been  [*]  made  at  the  expence  of  the  whole  state.  25,000$ 
were  voted  by  Congress  last  session  for  its  repair. — 

We  were  called  at  half  past  3  o'clock,  we  dressed  without  Tuesday  30th 
washing,  and  started  in  the  stage.  Our  party  consisted  of  Nov. 
ourselves,  7  in  number,  and  3  other  passengers.  The 
carriage  was  a  four  wheel  spring  waggon  having  a  wooden 
top  and  leathern  sides  &  back,  made  to  roll  up  in  fine 
weather.  It  contained  a  back  seat,  3  benches  &  a  drivers 
seat,  made  to  carry  3  passengers  each;  and  was  drawn  by 
four  horses.  This  sort  of  vehicle  is  of  Dutch  construction. 
The  horses  were  of  Dutch  breed.  We  travelled  by  a  newly 
repaired  road  through  a  hilly  &  woody  country,  very  little 
settled  except  in  a  few  places  by  the  road  side.  [Our  road 
lay  for  some  miles  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Potomack,  the 
vale  of  which  is  extremely  rich  and  picturesque ;  broken  & 


222  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

high  banks  &  hilly  sides  covered  with  fine  timber.  The 
river  is  not  loo  yards  wide  &  very  shallow.]  We  breakfasted 
at  Handcock  about  ii  o'clock  2J  miles.  It  is  a  small 
place,  but  we  were  well  served.  We  crossed  a  high  ridge 
of  mountain  by  a  good  winding  road.  This  ridge  is  called 
sideling  hill.  On  the  western  side  of  it  the  vale  is  deep  & 
covered  with  wood.  We  next  crossed  another  similar  ridge 
called  Town  hill.  From  the  sides  &  top  of  both  these  [*] 
ridges  the  scenery  is  wild  and  beautiful.  The  wood  is  thick 
and  the  timber  of  large  dimensions,  consisting  of  several 
varieties  of  oak,  of  sycamores,  hiccories,  sugar  trees,  a  few 
beaches  and  elms,  persimmons,  chesnut  &  walnut  trees.  Some 
pines  &  cedars  were  scattered  here  &  there  through  the 
woods,  giving  a  pleasing  variety  to  the  brown  &  red 
appearance  which  they  assume  at  this  season  of  the  year. — As 
the  road  was  continually  ascending  &  descending  steep  hills, 
and  as  besides  being  a  heavy  load  in  the  Stage,  we  usually 
went  15  or  16  miles  without  changing  horses,  our  rate  of 
travelling  hardly  exceeding  3  miles  an  hour.*  [*The  morning 
fog  cleared  off  and  we  had  warm  &  cloudless  day  to  brighten 
our  prospect  &  animate  the  surrounding  scenery.]  Hunter  & 
myself  enjoyed  walking  over  these  well  covered  hills,  and 
often  stood  admiring  the  beautiful  scenery  entirely  the  work 
of  Nature's  hand.  Accustomed  as  he  had  been  to  the 
Indian's  life  amidst  the  luxuriance  of  natural  vegetation,  and 
far  removed  from  the  artificial  arrangements  and  habits  of 
our  white  brethren,  [*]  and  taught  as  I  had  been  among 
the  highlands  of  my  native  country  to  admire  their  sublime 
but  simple  beauties ;  our  sentiments  mutually  accorded,  and 
we  felt  no  want  of  farms  &  the  uncouth  habitations,  archi- 
tecture &  habits  of  what  is  vaguely  styled  civilization  to 
stiffen  the  charming  landscape,  or  check  our  flow  of 
spirits.  [On  the  side  of  these  hills,  Hunter  pointed  out  to 
me  a  variety  of  plants  &  named  the  trees.  He  pulled  up 
some  of  the  sprouts  of  the  sassefras  tree  by  the  roots,  of 
which  we  got  some  tea  made  which  had  a  high  &  delightful 
flavour.  He  pointed  out  the  American  wild  tea-plant  with 
its  red  berry.  We  met  a  stage  going  east  with  some  of  the 
Senators  in  it,  who  called  out  to  us  &  made  enquiries  how 
the  election  was  going  on. — ]    We  reached  the  dining  place 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  223 

between  5  &  6  o'clock.  As  it  was  so  late  we  both  dined  & 
supped  at  M^'.  Slicer's  farm,  and  by  moonlight  crossed 
Nicholas  mountain  to  Cumberland,  a  flourishing  small 
town  66  miles  from  Hagers  Town,  lying  in  a  Deep  and 
picturesque  valley.  We  got  in  a  little  before  1 1  o'clock.  The 
inn  was  very  comfortable  considering  the  remote  situation 
of  the  place,  and  the  steepness  of  the  mountain  communica- 
tion to  it.  It  being  night  time,  we  saw  too  little  of  the  place 
to  be  able  to  describe  it. — One  advantage  of  the  inns  in  this 
country  is  [*]  that,  owing  to  an  abundant  supply  of  fuel,  (Tuesday  30*  . 
several  rooms  have  large  fires  constantly  burning  in  them;  so 
that  a  traveller  arriving  at  any  hour  or  in  any  weather,  finds 
himself  at  once  in  a  snug  place  for  warming  &  drying  himself. 
Besides  this,  provisions  being  likewise  every  where  in 
profusion,  his  hunger  and  thirst  are  readily  &  quickly  satisfied. 

Here  we  changed  our  spring  waggon  for  a  nine  inside  Wednesday  i^t 
coach  with  leathern  sides  to  roll  up,  &  carrying  one  or  two  ^^^'^ 
on  the  drivers  seat  outside.  The  coach  was  small  for  our 
number,  now  consisting  of  only  two  gentlemen  besides  seven 
selves ;  Mr.  Beebee  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  Mr.  Kurd 
of  Danville  Kentucky.  We  started  at  6  o'clock.  The  road 
lay  sometimes  along  deep  hollows  thickly  filled  with  lofty 
trees.  Again  it  ascended  steeps  &  crossed  ridges  of  hills, 
thus  rendering  our  progress  slow  though  extremely  varied 
and  romantic.  Hunter  &  myself  soon  got  down  from  our 
coach  and  walked  in  front.  The  morning  was  foggy,  so 
that  we  could  not  see  above  a  hundred  yards  in  [*]  any 
direction.  We  overtook  a  waggon  with  some  men  women  & 
children  on  foot,  all  emigrating  from  the  east  to  the  state 
of  Ohio.  It  is  the  practice  with  these  emigrants  to  remain 
till  the  crops  are  ripening  on  their  farms,  then  sell  every 
thing  as  it  stands  and  cross  the  mountains  to  the  West,  with 
the  hopes  of  a  larger  and  better  establishment  in  a  new 
country.  The  few  families  we  overtook  on  our  way,  were 
rather  late  in  their  movements.  We  learnt  from  them  that 
the  crops  this  season  had  been  good.  We  found  them  plain 
and  friendly  in  their  manners,  and  quite  as  ready  to  answer 
any  questions  as  to  put  them.  Our  breakfast  place  was  at 
the  small  scattered  village  of  Alleghany  at  the  bottom  of 
the   western   descent   of    Savage   Mountain,   and    14   miles 


224  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

distant.  As  the  road  had  been  a  constant  succession  of  high 
hills  &  deep  vales,  Hunter  &  myself  easily  reached  this 
halting  place  at  lo  o'clock,  a  few  minutes  before  the  Stage. 
The  Inn  was  a  small  farm  house,  but  we  were  immediately 
served  with  a  good  breakfast  of  coffee,  &  tea,  made  [*]  from 
the  sassefras  root  which  Hunter  had  got  during  our  walk, 
wheat  bread  &  rye  bread,  broiled  chickens,  preserved  pears  & 
apricots,  wild  honey,  venison  steaks  &  sausages. — The 
scenery  was  now  somewhat  changed.  The  country  was 
flatter  and  covered  with  forests  of  lofty  pines,  many  of 
which  were  from  130  to  150  feet  at  least  high. — Our 
weather  continued  bright,  &  warm. — Every  day  we  had  met 
droves  of  hogs,  driving  from  the  West  to  the  Eastern 
markets.  Some  droves  consisted  of  500  or  600  hogs ;  divided 
into  3  or  4  bodies.  They  travelled  at  the  rate  of  from  8  to 
10  miles  a  day.  Some  would  be  50  days  on  their  journey. 
Their  food  was  Indian  corn,  which  they  procured  at  the  small 
farms  &  halting  places  by  the  road  side.  The  wholesome 
food  of  the  forest  &  the  Indian  corn,  render  the  hog's  flesh 
much  sweeter  &  delicate  than  the  English  feeding,  and  not 
being  over  loaded  to  an  unnatural  &  unhealthy  degree  with 
fat,  they  displayed  a  vigour  &  intelligence,  whidi  we  rarely 
remark  among  them  in  England  or  Ireland. — After  travelling 
the  [*]  rest  of  the  day,  through  the  same  sort  of  country,  we 
came  a  little  before  sun  set  to  the  descent  into  an  extensive 
vale  covered  with  forest  of  various  sorts  of  trees.  In  a  deep 
hollow  &  built  on  the  small  river  Youghiogeny,  stands  the 
small  town  of  Smithfield.  Here  we  drove  up  to  an  Inn  at 
the  door  of  which  was  standing  General  Jackson's  carriage. 
The  general  at  the  moment  of  our  arrival  was  at  the  door 
of  the  inn  surrounded  by  almost  20  of  the  people.  He  is  an 
elderly  healthy  looking,  thin  person,  with  a  high  forehead, 
grey  hair  and  stern  but  pleasing  expressive  countenance.  [He 
was  dressed  in  a  plain  blue  surtout]  Mr.  Owen  introduced 
himself  &  us  to  him,  as  having  a  letter  of  introduction  from 
Mr.  Clinton  to  the  general.  He  travelled  in  his  own 
carriage  with  his  wife,  another  general  &  his  wife,  &  a 
Mr.  Donaldson  &  his  wife. — Mr.  Beebee  was  acquainted 
with  the  latter  gentleman,  &  therefore  learnt  from  him  that 
the  general  had  101,  Adams  58,  &  both  Crawford  &  Clay 


:«l 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  225 

much  less. — We  had  a  very  good  dinner,  and  a  [*]  variety  (Wednesday  is*. 
of  well  cooked  dishes.  We  proceeded  over  a  steep  ridge  of  ^^"^^  *^°"*  -^ 
hills,  called  Sugar  loaf  mountain,  across  a  romantic  vale,  and 
over  the  Laurel  ridge  to  Union  town,  where  the  Stage  usually 
stops  for  the  night. — Having,  however  started  two  hours 
later  in  the  morning  than  the  usual  time,  and  having  on 
account  of  the  load,  come  at  a  slow  rate  we  did  not  reach 
Union  till  between  ii  &  12  at  night.  It  was  agreed  by  all 
of  us  to  proceed  without  resting.  The  baggage  was  therefore 
removed  into  a  stage,  similar  to  the  one  which  brought  us 
from  Hagers  town  to  Cumberland,  and  taking  a  little 
tea  &  refreshment  we  prepared  to  continue  our  journey.  The 
Laurel  ridge  is  one  of  the  highest.  The  ascent  from  the 
east  is  about  a  mile,  but  the  western  descent  is  about  three 
miles.  It  is  thickly  covered  with  woods.  The  glen  by  the 
sides  of  which  the  road  wound  down  the  mountain  were 
wild,  deep,  precipitate  &  rocky.  The  country  to  the  west 
of  this  ridge,  though  broken  by  ridges  of  hills  &  much 
wooded,  yet  is  comparatively  flat,  cleared  and  cultivated. — 
The  greater  number  of  the  inhabitants  have  the  appearance 
&  habits  of  the  Dutch  to  a  great  degree,  the  original  settlers 
having  come  [from]  Holland  &  the  northern  parts  of 
Europe.  Dutch  farms  are  distinguishable  by  their  [*]  ex- 
tensive &  well  kept  barns,  but  the  cultivation  generally 
appeared  imperfect  and  very  incomplete. — 

At  one  oclock  in  the  morning  we  again  set  out  by  the  Thursday  2nd. 
light  of  a  clear  starry  night  &  bright  moon.  The  country  ^^'^• 
through  which  we  now  passed  was  not  so  hilly  or  woody,  and 
appeared  better  inhabited.  About  1/2  past  4  we  reached 
Brownsville  12  miles  distant,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mononga- 
hela.  A  scattered  village.  Here  we  had  to  rest  our  selves 
in  but  a  poor  inn  on  chairs  till  7  o'clock,  the  breakfast  hour 
for  the  stage.  They  gave  us  a  very  good  breakfast  after 
which  we  crossed  the  ferry  in  the  stage  and  continued  on  our 
journey  over  small  hills  &  vales,  generally  cleared,  and 
tolerably  cultivated.  A  great  part  of  the  population  of  this 
part  of  the  country  is  of  Dutch  extraction,  as  appears  from 
the  appearance  of  the  people,  and  [*]  their  farms.  The 
land  is  of  a  richer  soil  than  that  among  the  highlands 
through    which    we    passed ;    or    at   least    from    cultivation 


226  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

appeared  so,  to  our  hasty  &  superficial  observation.  We 
reached  Washington  before  2  o'clock.  It  is  22  miles  from 
Brownsville  &  229  from  Washington  City.  The  town  is  of 
middle  size  &  contains  4  or  5000  inhabitants.  It  appears 
at  a  distance  rather  black  &  uninviting,  as  the  scenery  around 
is  bare,  and  as  many  of  the  houses  are  built  of  wood,  which 
being  unpainted,  become  in  a  short  time  of  a  dark  colour. 
We  parted  from  our  two  travelling  companions  with  unusual 
regret,  good  wishes,  and  mutual  invitations,  and  after  dinner 
they  continued  on  by  the  same  stage  to  Wheeling. — The 
description  of  the  ways  of  an  inn  in  this  part  of  the 
country  [*]  I  must  reserve  for  my  leisure  moments. — We 
soon  retired  to  bed,  slept  some  hours,  rose  to  tea  and  again 
retired  to  rest,  till  we  were  called  at  4  o'clock  for  the 
Pittsburg  mail  stage.  I  must  remark  that  in  the  evening- 
while  I  was  shaving,  a  stage  company  arrived  &  were  shewn 
into  the  same  room.  One  of  the  party  was  a  young  female, 
daughter  of  a  general  whose  name  I  cannot  now  call  to 
mind.  While  I  in  my  shirt  was  shaving  in  front  of  a  pier 
glass,  she  stood  behind  me  arranging  her  hair,  while  in 
another  part  of  the  room  W*".  Owen  was  washing  himself. 
Friday  3'^.  We  left  Washington  between  5  &  6  o'clock  in  the  mail 

^^^-  stage  for  Pittsburgh.     Our  own  party  &  baggage  filled  the 

stage.     The  night  had  been  rainy,  the  road  in  consequence 
(Friday  3rd.  was  very  slippy.    The  country  [*]  through  which  we  passed 

Dec.  contd )  was  very  hilly,  but  more  inhabited  and  of  a  richer  soil.   The 

road  from  Washington  to  Pittsburgh,  is  not  yet  completed 
as  a  high  road,  therefore  we  proceeded  slowly,  though  we 
had  strong  horses  &  a  good  driver.  The  distance  is  25 
miles.  We  stopped  half  way  to  change  horses  and  break- 
fast. We  reached  Pittsburgh  about  1/2  past  2  o'clock. 
[Mr.  Flower  &  Miss  Ronalds  went  to  Mr.  Davis's  hotel  on 
the  river  bank.  The  rest  of  the  party  came  to  Darlington's 
in  front  of  the  stage  hotel,  Mr.  Stewart's.]  This  town  is 
situated  on  a  point  of  land  between  the  two  rivers  Alleghany 
&  Monongahela,  over  both  of  which  there  are  wooden 
covered  bridges.  The  left  bank  of  the  Monongahela,  is  a 
steep  cliff,  and  contains  near  the  surface  large  veins  of 
excellent  coal,  good  lime  stone  &  free  stone.  The  town  is 
enveloped  in  smoke,  looks  dirty,  and  the  inhabitants  do  not 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  227 

seem  to  enjoy  either  a  healthy  or  comfortable  [*]  existence. 
For  a  mile  &  a  half  before  we  reached  the  bridge  of  the 
Monongahela  to  cross  over,  the  road  became  very  deep  &  dirty 
in  consequence  of  the  constant  passage  of  the  coal  carts,  and 
all  the  houses  appeared  poor  &  miserable.  We  saw  four 
large  well  painted  steam  boats  lying  by  the  side  of  the 
town.  The  bridge  is  1/4  of  a  mile  long.  The  timbers  & 
planks  to  sustain  its  weight,  and  support  the  roof,  are 
formed  into  arches  tied  by  iron  cramps,  and  strengthened 
by  iron  bars. — We  were  too  late  for  the  public  dinner  which 
is  at  one  o'clock,  but  we  were  soon  provided  with  a  good 
one ;  after  which  we  went  out  with  M^.  Owen  who  wished  to 
lose  no  time  in  delivering  two  letters  from  Mr.  Clinton  to 
Mr.  Ross  &  Mr.  Baldwin  lawyers  of  this  town,  and  two  other 
letters  to  Mr.  Mc.Donald  &  Mr.  Forward  [*]  Ukewise 
lawyers.  We  only  found  Mr.  Baldwin  at  home.  We 
remained  &  drank  tea  with  him  &  his  wife.  He  is  a  great 
friend  to  protection  of  industry,  and  union  of  exertion.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  congress,  and  exerted  himself  much  to 
promote  the  industry  of  the  states.  [Mr.  Baldwin  informed 
Mr.  Owen  that  Mr.  Rapp  was  in  Pittsburgh ;  he  sent  to 
inquire  for  him,  he  was  out ;  but  Mr.  Baldwin  said  he  would 
introduce  him  to  Mr.  Owen  the  next  day.]  On  our  return 
Mr.  Owen  went  with  Mr.  Speakman  to  call  on  Mr.  Bakewell 
a  Unitarian  and  glass  manufacturer. — During  his  absence 
Mr.  Mc.Donald  called. 

Mr.  Owen  went  to  breakfast  with  Mr.  Bakewell,  after  Saturday  4th, 
which  he  returned  to  the  inn  with  Mr.  Rapp.  Mr.  Ross  called  ^*^'^- 
and  Mr.  Sutton  a  friend  of  Mr.  Rapp.  It  was  then  settled 
that  we  should  set  out  to  visit  Mr.  Rapp's  new  settlement, 
called  Economy,  between  12  &  one  o'clock.  Mr.  Owen 
went  in  Mr.  Rapp's  carriage.  Hunter  &  myself  [*]  rode 
on  Mr.  Rapp's  and  Mr.  Baldwin's  horses,  W"i.  Owen 
went  with  Mr.  Sutton  in  his  gig,  and  a  hired  coach  took 
Mrs.  Sutton,  Miss  Ronalds  &  Mr.  Flower.  We  crossed  from 
the  town  to  the  right  bank  of  the  Alleghany  &  Ohio  by  a 
covered  wooden  bridge  400  yards  long,  similar  to  the  one 
by  which  we  entered  Pittsburgh.  The  day  was  clear  & 
frosty.  Our  road,  a  narrow  cross  road,  lay  along  the  right 
bank  of  the  Ohio.     We  descended  about   18  miles  a  very 


228  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

picturesque  vale,  the  ground  on  each  side  rising  in  hills, 
covered  with  wood.  There  were  many  woody  islands  in  the 
river  and  here  and  there  the  banks  spread  out  into  flats  of  rich 
land,  some  of  which  had  been  cleared  &  cultivated.  Almost 
every  house  passed  had  a  sign  to  mark  it  as  a  tavern  for 
travellers.  Hunter  and  myself  stopped  at  one  of  them.  The 
(Saturday  41''.  interior  was  dirty  and  [*]  poor.  We  walked  into  a  room 
Dec'-,  coiitd)  where  the  master  of  the  house  sat  shoe  making.     We  called 

for  some  cider  &  had  a  little  conversation  with  him.  He 
was  a  jocular  politician  &  had  his  hits  at  the  governments  of 
the  world.  He  spoke  very  severely  of  the  British  government 
using  the  Savage  Indians  to  attack  the  inhabitants  of  the 
U.  States.  This  he  styled  a  barbarous  proceeding.  One  of 
his  sons  had  gone  down  the  river  to  take  possession  of  some 
lots  of  land  on  the  Arkansas  river  which  he  had  purchased 
from  American  soldiers. — As  the  road  was  very  bad  we  did 
not  reach  M»".  Rapp's  new  settlement  Economy  till  dark.  It 
lies  on  a  flat  of  some  hundred  acres  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Ohio.  He  purchased  it  last  spring,  and  immediately 
moved  up  to  it  with  about  100  of  his  [*]  people.  It  was 
covered  with  wood.  He  therefore  encamped  them  on  the 
ground,  cut  down  part  of  the  timber  &  commenced  building 
a  new  town.  This  he  laid  off  in  streets.  The  houses  are 
two  stories  high  &  stand  a  considerable  distance  apart 
from  one  another.  When  we  arrived  we  were  shewn  into 
Mr.  Rapp's  house  which  is  much  like  the  rest,  though  he 
njay  as  their  Patriarch  have  some  conveniences  that  are 
not  general  among  them  all.  We  were  introduced  to  his 
daughter,  two  or  three  other  females  who  waited  upon 
us,  and  to  Mf.  Baker  who  seems  to  act  as  his  steward  or 
secretary  and  interpreter.  They  were  all  decent  both  in 
dress  and  manners ;  but  both  plainer  &  less  characterized  by 
mildness  than  the  Shakers.  Several  old  &  young  men  came 
in  after  supper  and  were  introduced  to  us.  Mr.  Rapp  [*] 
conversed  with  Mr.  Owen  on  the  subject  of  forming  human 
character,  and  seemed  to  have  in  many  respects  entertained 
similar  opinions.  He  spoke  of  his  having  set  mankind  an 
example  of  the  advantages  of  union  in  creating  abundance 
with  easy  labour.  &  of  practically  teaching  friendship  to 
society.     He  said  that  he  held  the  doctrine  that  mind  or 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  229 

spirit  could  not  be  without  matter  or  body,  and  observed  that 

by  refining  upon  the  subject,  mankind  had  lost  the  substance 

while  grasping  the  shadow,  and  omitted  to  live  in  harmony 

on   earth   while   they   looked    forward   to   such   a   state   in 

heaven.     Mr.  Owen  shewed  his  plans,  and  the  party  were 

much  pleased  with  them.     Mi".  Rapp  said  that  M^".  Owen 

should  have  come  a  little  sooner,  before  so  much  had  been 

done.  Mr,  Owen  replied  that  the  present  buildings  would  serve 

the  people  to  live  in  while  they  were  erecting  [*]  others  on 

the  new  plan;  and  that  if  they  wished  to  do  a  good  to 

the  world  they  might,  as  soon  as  one  establishment  was 

built,    advantageously    dispose    of    it    to    the    public    who 

would,  he  was  sure,  immediately  become  anxious  to  purchase 

it,  and  then  go  on  building  others.      No  observations  of 

consequence  were  made  by  any  of  the  Harmonists;  they 

appeared  quite  respectful  &  submissive,  and  by  their  manner 

shewed  to  us  that  M^'.  Rapp  is  quite  their  ruler  &  guide. — 

About  lo  o'clock  we  retired.     Hunter  &  myself  went  to  one 

of  the  houses  in  front  of  M"".  Rapp's.     As  every  thing  was 

of  recent  erection,  we  were  accommodated  but  in  a  temporary 

manner  in  a  room  with  four  beds,  one  of  which  was  occupied 

by  the  driver  of  the  hired  coach,  who  seemed  a  decent  well 

disposed  young  man.     Before  we  went  to  bed  I  had  some 

conversation  with  one  of  the  people  who  told  me  that  [*]  the    (Saturday  4th. 

Society  were  removing  from  New  Harmony  because  it  was  ^^^r.  contd) 

too  warm  in  summer.    Another  said  that  he  really  could  not 

tell  why  they  changed  their  place  of  residence. 

We  breakfasted  at  8  o'clock,  after  which  a  horn  &  a  key  Sunday  sth. 
bugle  summoned  us  to  church  in  a  large  room,  the  upper  Dec'", 
floor  of  the  house  facing  M^.  Rapp's.  At  one  end  sat  the 
females,  at  the  other  the  males,  and  in  the  middle  Mr.  Rapp. 
The  service  consisted  of  two  chapters  in  verse  sung  as 
Psalms  by  the  whole  congregation  in  good  german  style ;  and 
a  lecture  from  M^".  Rapp  on  a  few  verses  read  out  of  the 
bible.  When  he  finished  his  comments  on  a  verse,  he  would 
turn  &  ask.  It  is  true,  do  you  understand?  To  which  the 
older  ones  would  reply,  we  believe  ;  it  is  true.  The  subject  of 
the  chapters  sung  by  them,  was  about  union  &  friendship,  as 
well  as  that  of  his  lecture.  He  [*]  gave  W^.  Owen  a 
copy  of  the  book,   which   is  a  compilation   of   such   senti- 


230  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

ments,  extracted  from  different  authors,  or  composed  by 
himself. — M"".  Rapp  speaking  afterwards  of  his  discourse, 
observed  that  he  would  be  ashamed  to  read  a  written  discourse 
on  a  subject  worthy  of  his  attention  &  consideration.  The 
people  appeared  to  be  from  the  age  of  i6  or  17  to 
between  40  &  50.  Some  of  the  men  might  be  still  older  & 
younger  but  not  much.  M"".  Rapp  is  a  stout  healthy  active 
old  man  of  (^ly.  He  has  a  steady  determined  manner,  but 
very  little  of  that  amiable  mildness,  which  a  patriarchal  life 
and  benevolent  principles  might  be  expected  to  produce.  The 
people  appear  steady,  sober,  good  humoured  &  plain  in  their 
manners.  Their  character  &  expression  of  countenance  is 
german.  They  do  not  appear  very  lively  or  intelligent ;  but 
of  [*]  this  a  stranger  cannot  after  one  day's  acquaintance,  be 
expected  to  form  a  just  estimate.  The  bugler  played  some 
german  airs  in  good  style,  and  several  of  the  men  who  could 
talk  english  came  round  me  &  seemed  much  disposed  to  be 
friendly  and  communicative.  The  women  retired  to  their 
houses  as  soon  as  they  came  out  of  church,  &  we  could  only 
see  one  or  two  at  a  door  or  window.  From  living  out  of 
the  world's  society,  they  seemed  little  acquainted  or  interested 
with  its  affairs.  Some  of  them  remarked  to  me  that  they 
had  to  labour  &  had  therefore  no  time  to  go  abroad  or  think 
of  other  things,  and  when  I  observed  that  by  union  they 
produced  articles  so  easily  as  quickly  to  have  their  wants 
abundantly  supplied ;  they  replied  that  they  did  not  work 
hard,  but  were  always  working  at  their  leisure  &  just  as  they 
liked  it.  I  heard  them  talking  of  the  Election  of  a  President 
of  the  U.  States,  and  remarked  [*]  to  them,  that  under 
their  way  of  life  there  could  be  no  use  for  a  president.  "Oh, 
"but  the  honor  of  it!"  said  some,  "and,"  continued  others, 
"the  world  could  not  do  without  a  head  ruler,  king  or 
"president."  I  did  not  reply  to  these  remarks,  it  being 
evident  that  the  System  of  their  association  was  to  have  a 
ruling  Father,  to  instruct  all  the  members  to  reverence  &  obey 
him,  and  to  teach  them  that  this  mode  of  government  must 
be  the  best,  and  the  only  one  which  could  last  for  any  length 
of  time.  Mr.  Owen  had  some  conversation  relative  to  the 
nature  of  Man  &  the  new  views  which  he  took  of  it  and  of 
the   proper    arrangement   of    society.      Though    M>".    Rapp 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  231 

seemed  to  assent  to  them,  yet  there  was  evidently  a  difference 

in  his  view  of  the  subject;  and  as  the  interpreting  a  new 

subject  is  extremely  difficult,  M^.  Baker  expressed  a  wish 

that  Mr.  Owen's  Ideas  should  be  written  down  &  correctly 

[*]  translated  into  German.     M^.  Owen  then  gave  him  his    (Sunday  5th. 

papers  No.   i   &  2.     We  were  served  with  a  good  dinner   Dec.  contd) 

between  11  &  12  o'clock,  and  then  returned  to  Pittsburgh, 

which  we  reached  about  5  o'clock.    A  little  snow  had  fallen 

in  the  night.     The  day   was  cloudy  and   it   was   freezing 

sharply.     On  the  way  we  passed  an  unfinished  Steam  boat 

belonging  to  the  Harmonists  which  they  were  towing  up  to 

Pittsburgh  for  the  purpose  of  completing.     It  is  expected 

that  their  new   settlement  will  be  so   far   advanced  as  to 

accommodate  the  whole  of  the  Society  next  spring,  when  the 

rest  will  move  up  to  it  in  their  own  steamboat. — Mr.  Owen 

asked  Mr.  Rapp  why  they  changed  their  abode.     He  replied 

in  rather  a  way  to  avoid  the  question,  that  this  was  their 

third    settlement,    that    they   had    completed    a    good   town 

and  cleared  &  well  cultivated  a  large  tract  of  land  which 

they  [*]  had  found  in  a  state  of  nature,  that  they  had  less 

now  to  do  at  New  Harmony,  wanted  a  new  situation  to  work 

upon,  and  he  added  half  smiling.  That  it  had  been  foretold 

to  him  that  he  should  remove  to  this  last  settlement  &  die 

here. — It  would  however  appear  from  general  report  that 

the  Society,  has  found  New  Harmony  unhealthy  as  well  as 

subject  to  heat  &  confined  air :  arising  from  flat  land,  rich 

vegetation  &  stagnant  waters ;  But  of  this  subject  hereafter. 

In  the  evening  M^.  Bakewell  &  his  son,  M^.  Baldwin,  and 

Mr.     Sutton,    called    &    had    a    long    conversation    with 

Mr.  Owen. — Mr.  Baldwin  gave  Mr.  Owen  a  printed  copy 

of  his  speeches  in  congress  &  the  report  of  a  committee  on 

trade  and  restrictions  on  commerce.     Mr.  Sutton  informed 

me  that  Mr.  Baldwin  was  in  congress,  but  finding  that  he 

could  make  no  impression  on  the  house,  he  had  for  the  last  2 

years    declined    being    returned    member.      Mr.    Sutton    is 

himself    [*]    a    candidate    &    gave    me    his    printed    letter 

recommending  himself. — Mr.  Rapp  has  been  20  years  in  this 

country.     He  brought  but  a  small  capital  with  him  &  from 

3  to  500  people  very  poor.     His  first  settlement  was  above 

Pittsburgh.     He  sunk  all  his  capital,  &  the  merchants  with 


232  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

whom  he  had  transacted  business,  refused  to  give  him 
credit.  ]\I>'.  Sutton,  however,  who  was  at  that  time  in  great 
business,  advanced  him  such  articles  as  he  had  occasion 
for.  The  Society  soon  began  to  flourish,  and  in  lo  years 
time  were  enabled  to  purchase  the  Property  of  New  Harmony 
on  the  Wabash  river.  This  they  have  now  possessed  for  lo 
years,  and  have  become  so  rich  that  they  have  been  able, 
besides  rendering  New  Harmony  a  complete  town  fitted 
for  800  persons  (their  actual  number)  to  purchase  their 
new  property  near  Pittsburgh  and  build  another  town  upon 
it.  We  were  likewise  informed  that  M"".  Rapp  had  lately 
lodged  150,000$  in  the  Pittsburg  bank,  and  it  seemed  to  be 
the  impression  among  [*]  those  w^ho  had  some  knowledge 
of  their  proceedings,  that  in  a  very  few  years  they  would  be 
the  richest  association  in  the  U.  States  &  wealthy  enough 
to  buy  a  whole  state. — Mf.  Speakman  in  the  course  of  the 
evening  brought  a  friend  in  to  tell  ISh'.  Owen  that  from  his 
personal  knowdedge  New  Harmony  and  its  neighbourhood 
were  unhealthy,  and  that  members  of  the  Society  had  been 
heard  to  say  soon  after  their  arrival  there  that  they  would,  as 
soon  as  their  funds  should  permit,  remove  to  another 
situation.  M^'.  Speakman  intended  to  start  back  to  Phila- 
delphia the  next  morning.  A  Baker  of  the  name  of  M^Nevin 
called  in  to  see  M^.  Owen  &  wish  him  success.  He  gave  him  a 
manuscript  and  asked  him  to  peruse  it  at  his  leisure. — About 
3  years  ago  a  debating  society  was  established  in  this  town. 
One  of  the  questions  debated  was  whether  the  Scriptures 
were  the  Word  of  God.  There  were  many  speakers  on  both 
sides  of  the  question,  and  the  subject  sufficiently  interested 
(Sunday  5th  the    [*]    clergy   to    induce    them    to    send    some    of    their 

Deer,  contd)  dependents   to   defend   their    cause.      M^Nevin    &    another 

person  spoke  against  the  Scriptures  and  drew  a  strong  party 
with  them.  As  these  men  w^ere  w^ll  considered  for  their 
morality  &  general  character,  it  was  judged  necessary  to 
stop  their  tide  of  success  by  prosecuting  them  on  an  old  law 
of  Pensylvania,  made  w'hile  it  w'as  a  colony  &  not  since 
repealed,  which  sentenced  to  fine  &  imprisonment  for 
speaking  against  the  W^ord  of  God.  McNevin's  companion 
was  tried  first,  found  guilty  &  sentenced  to  pay  a  fine 
of  5$  &  the  costs.    By  this  time  the  whole  proceeding  became 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  233 

so  unpopular,  that  the  judge  desired  to  terminate  the 
proceedings  as  quickly  as  possible.  He  discovered  that  the 
law  was  confined  to  extempore  harangues,  and  as  M^Nevin 
had  written  his  discourse  &  then  read  it,  the  judge  directed 
the  jury  to  clear  him  of  the  charge.  The  prisoner  therefore 
declined  delivering  a  long  defence  which  he  had  prepared ; 
but  the  jury  brought  him  in  so  far  guilty  as  to  enable  them 
to  sentence  him  to  pay  costs.  M^Nevin  was  so  irritated  [*] 
at  this  manoeuvre  that  he  refused  to  pay  them,  and  went 
to  prison.  The  business  was  soon  hushed  up,  and  he  was 
set  at  liberty. 

A  little  before  ten  o'clock  we  left  Pittsburg  in  the  Monday  6th. 
Pennsylvania  steam  boat,  drawing  3  1/2  feet  of  water.  Dec''. 
There  were  other  boats  ready  to  go  down  the  river,  but  as 
the  rise  of  water  had  been  but  inconsiderable  they  could  not 
set  out.  [As  the  night  had  been  frosty,  and  as  the  waters  of 
the  Alleghany  and  Monongahela,  did  not  appear  to  be 
rising,  a  general  apprehension  seemed  to  be  entertained  that 
the  Ohio  would  be  stopped  with  ice  in  a  day  or  two,  &  that 
the  other  boats  would  find  it  difficult  to  get  down  the  river 
for  some  time. — ]  M^.  Sutton  &  M"*.  Bakewell  were  on  the 
river  side  to  take  leave  of  us.  Mr.  Bake  well's  second  son 
went  in  the  same  steam  boat  as  far  as  Maysville.  The  owner 
of  the  boat,  Mr.  Hart,  was  on  board.  The  Captain's  name 
was  Cunningham.  We  had  from  20  to  30  cabin  passengers, 
and  10  or  a  dozen  deck  ones.  As  the  boat  was  of  a  small 
size  we  were  much  crowded,  and  although  it  was  snowing  & 
freezing  the  whole  day,  the  cabin  was  disagreeably  close  & 
heated.  The  table  was  cleanly  served  and  amply  provided. 
Among  the  passengers  were  a  Mr.  Turner  &  ]\Ir.  Wilson,  both 
tradesmen  [*]  and  great  friends  to  the  System  of  United 
Interests  and  Education  without  reward  or  punishment. 
Mr.  Wilson  left  us  at  Wheeling.  He  came  in  the  same  boat 
for  the  purpose  of  conversing  with  Mr.  Owen.  Mr.  Turner 
had  for  some  time  belonged  to  a  set  of  about  30  families  in 
Pittsburg  who  wished  to  join  an  Association,  but  had  not 
yet  been  able  to  understand  how  to  set  about  such  a  new 
arrangement.  He  had  in  his  charge  an  Irish  lady  who 
was  going  to  join  her  friends  who  are  established  in 
Cincinnati.     A   Mr.   &   Airs.   Drake   &   a   young  man,   all 


234 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Tuesday  7**". 
Dec^ 


(Tuesday  7^^. 
EKrc"".  contd) 


comedians,  were  likewise  cabin  passengers.  Our  rate  of 
going  was  from  8  to  9  miles  an  hour,  but  as  the  river  was 
shallow  in  several  places,  and  as  we  had  frequently  to  pass 
through  narrow  channels  between  islands  which  were  much 
obstructed  by  logs  and  by  sunken  trees  whose  tops  just 
reached  the  surface  of  the  water,  the  force  of  the  steam 
was  often  diminished  so  as  to  enable  the  helmsman  to  steer 
clear  of  them.  In  the  course  [*]  of  our  voyage  down  we 
passed  three  steamboats,  two  of  which  were  aground  &  the 
third  had  come  to  anchor  for  want  of  water.  In  the  evening 
we  passed  Steubenville,  yi,  miles,  where  some  passengers 
landed ;  and  at  night  we  reached  Wheeling,  96  miles ;  Here 
we  remained  till  the  moon  rose,  and  then  continued  our 
course.  The  next  morning,  6  or  7  miles  above  Marietta,  we 
passed  a  steam  boat  aground  [(The  Congress)]. — She  had 
left  Wheeling  on  Friday  last  &  was  full  of  passengers,  none 
of  whom  would  our  Captain  take  on  board  although  they 
very  much  wished  it.  We  passed  Marietta,  183  miles,  soon 
after  breakfast.  It  seemed  to  be  a  flourishing  little 
place,  and  rapidly  encreasing.  The  banks  of  the  river  were 
every  where  hilly  &  woody  with  flat  and  rich  land  forming 
the  vale  through  which  it  flowed.  During  the  spring 
floods,  the  river  always  rises  above  20  feet  higher  than  it  is 
in  the  autumn  months.  Sometimes  its  rise  exceeds  [*]  30 
feet,  when  many  farms  &  buildings  on  the  water's  edge  are 
much  injured.  The  marks  of  the  height  to  which  the  waters 
sometimes  reach,  were  visible  on  the  banks,  bark  of  the 
trees  and  the  bare  roots  of  the  varieties  of  trees  which 
thickly  covered  the  river's  banks. —  [This  evening  Mj".  Drake 
played  on  the  violin  &  accompanied  his  friend  who  sang 
several  songs.  About  1 1  o'clock  at  night  we  over  took  a 
float,  or  barge,  in  which  were  M^.  Alexander  Drake  &  his 
wife  &  children.  Miss  Drake,  and  one  or  two  of  their 
company.  They  had  been  tired  of  w^aiting  for  the  rise  of 
the  river,  &  had  started  9  days  before  us  in  this  float.  Taking 
this  party  on  board  occasioned  quite  a  theatrical  bustle.] 
[This  afternoon  we  passed  the  Courier  steam  boat  aground 
in  the  narrow  channel  at  Amberson's  Island,  227  miles. — ] 
Wood  was  taken  in  at  Wheeling.  We  carried  about  six 
cords  at  a  time.    A  cord  is  8  feet  long  &  4  feet  wide  &  high. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  235 

The  price  of  a  cord  was  from  i  1/4$  to  i  1/2$.  This  Wednesday  8*. 
morning  just  before  breakfast  we  ran  along  side  a  boat  ^^'^' 
fastened  to  the  river  side,  loaded  with  wood,  and  took  the 
wood  on  board  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  While  this  was 
doing,  some  of  the  passengers  landed  and  went  into  the  log 
house  near  the  edge  of  the  bank.  Here  we  found  the  females 
of  a  neat  family,  a  mother  &  2  daughters,  in  a  large  clean 
room  containing  three  beds.  They  were  easy  &  simple  in 
their  manners  and  very  obliging.  A  large  fire  was  blaz- 
ing, &  a  pretty  young  woman  sat  knitting  by  the  side  of 
it.  A  few  acres  of  land  were  cleared  around  this  dwelling, 
and  the  whole  was  encircled  to  the  river's  side  by  a  forest 
of  high  trees.  They  [*]  said  that  they  were  comfortable,  but 
that  it  was  a  lonely  dwelling,  far  from  society  &  bad  roads 
to  all  their  neighbours. — A  little  before  sunset  we  arrived  at 
Maysville,  situated  at  the  mouth  of  Limestone  Creek,  441 
miles.  Here  M>".  Drake's  party  quitted  us,  as  they  were 
to  proceed  thence  the  next  morning  to  Frankfort  through 
Lexington. — Mr.  Drake,  the  father,  emigrated  to  this 
country  from  England  14  years  ago.  He  now  owns  four 
theatres,  those  of  Lexington,  Frankfort,  Louisville  and 
Cincinnati.  The  eldest  son's  wife  is  cousin  to  the  famous 
little  actress  Clara  Fisher.  The  second  son's  wife  we  were 
told,  was  the  best  actress  in  the  United  States.  They  told 
us  that  in  Lexington  is  to  be  found  the  genteelest  society  in 
the  Western  States,  in  Frankfort  pleasant  retirement;  but 
in  Louisville  abundance  of  gay  &  agreeable  society.  Balls 
they  said  were  constantly  given,  as  well  as  good  concerts, 
there  being  several  clever  performers.  Among  the  number 
they  mentioned  a  Spanish  violin  player,  whom  they 
recommended  us  strongly  to  visit.  Maysville  is  a  thriving 
town,  beautifully  situated  on  fertile  land  above  the  reach 
of  the  [*]  river  floods,  &  inclosed  by  picturesque  hills 
covered  with  a  fine  forest  of  lofty  timber.  I  had  purchased 
the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Navigator,  a  small  volume  which 
gives  the  distances,  directions  for  the  navigation  of  the 
rivers,  and  describes  the  places  situated  on  their  banks.  It 
cost  me  a  dollar  and  proved  extremely  well  worth  its  cost.  At 
Maysville  we  took  several  passengers  on  board,  &  a 
carriage  &  a  couple  of  horses.     Among  the  new  arrivals 


236  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

were  two  Professors  belonging  to  Nashville  on  the 
Cumberland  river  in  Kentucky  [D^s.  Chase  &  Lindsay  & 
their  wives  &  children].  They  had  waited  for  4  weeks  at 
Wheeling  in  constant  expectation  of  the  rising  of  the 
river.  At  length  when  the  frost  came  on,  they  became 
alarmed  at  the  prospect  of  both  the  land  &  water  carriage 
being  stopped  up,  and  set  out  by  land.  The[y]  found  the 
Ohio  road  bad  &  with  difficulty  reached  the  river  again 
at  West  Union,  where  they  crossed  by  the  horse  ferry  boat 
to  Maysville.  There  are  several  horse  ferry  boats  on  the 
river  wherever  towais  are  situated. —  [very  little  snow  had 
fallen  in  this  part  of  the  country.  Though  the  whole  of  this 
day  was  cloudy,  yet  it  was  not  freezing.]  When  the  moon 
rose  we  again  set  out. 
Thursday  9th.  A  little  before   day-break  we   reached   Cincinnati.    514 

^^^^-  miles  which  is  generally  [*]  considered  the  most  flourishing 

&  best  situated  tow^n  on  the  west  of  the  Alleghany  mountains. 
As  soon  as  it  was  day,  we  walked  through  several  of  the 
streets,  which  are  well  built,  wide  &  drawn  at  right  angles, 
having  a  main  street,  broad-way,  cross  streets  numbered 
from  the  river  inland,  a  market-place  &  town  house, — In 
this  town  there  is  a  high,  circular  artificial  mound  of 
earth,  one  of  many  which  are  supposed  to  have  been  the 
work  of  the  original  inhabitants  of  this  country,  before  the 
time  of  the  Indians  who  have  not  been  known  to  construct 
any  of  these  elevations.  Their  use  seems  to  have  been  for 
the  burial  of  their  dead. — Twenty  one  years  ago  the  spot 
on  which  Cincinnati  stands  w'as  a  forest.  It  is  now  inhabited 
by  13,000  persons. — We  left  this  place  about  1 1  o'clock.  The 
morning  was  remarkably  fine  &  the  air  mild.  No  snow  was 
on  the  ground.  The  hills  in  many  parts  rose  from  the  margin 
of  the  water,  wdiich  flowed  slowly  on  at  the  rate  of  about  2 
miles  an  hour,  reflecting  on  its  smooth  surface  its  w^oody 
banks.  We  met  a  fine  steam  boat,  Mexico,  going  up  the 
(Thursday  9*^  river.  We  stopped  twice  to  [*]  take  in  wood.  We  landed 
cont  )  ^^^  visited  the  people  it  belonged  to.     They  resided  in  small 

log  houses,  which  looked  lonely  and  poor.  They  complained 
of  sickness,  fever  &  ague,  occasioned  by  the  cold  mists  rising 
from  the  river.  One  family  resident  here  about  5  years,  was 
not  at  all  contented  with  its  lot.     The  Mother  said  that  the 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  237 

year  after  their  arrival  they  would  have  returned  to  the 
State  of  New  York  from  which  they  came;  but  she  had 
thought  herself  too  old  to  move  about.  They  thanked  us 
for  landing  to  see  them,  for  they  seldom  had  visitors.  The 
eldest  daughter  was  asked  if  she  never  went  to  merry 
meetings  in  the  neighbourhood.  She  replied  that  there  were 
some  occasionally,  but  that  they  were  far  off  and  very 
difficult  to  get  to  as  the  roads  were  so  bad.  We  wished 
to  have  some  milk  &  some  apples,  but  though  they  offered 
to  give  us  some  we  refused  to  take  them  as  they  had  but 
a  small  stock  for  themselves.  Thus  in  a  country  rich  in 
natural  advantages,  single  families  live  in  low  circumstances, 
and  enjoy  none  of  those  comforts  which  they  would  so  easily 
secure  to  themselves,  were  they  to  [*]  settle  together  in 
larger  numbers  having  a  common  interest,  and  bringing  the 
arts  to  their  aid  and  intelligent  &  experienced  managers  to 
organize  their  associations.  [Upon  leaving  Pittsburg  the 
river  passes  between  the  States  of  Ohio  &  Indiana  &  Illinois 
on  the  right  bank,  and  Pensylvania,  Virginia  &  Kentucky,  on 
the  left  bank.]  In  the  course  of  the  evening  several  of  the 
deck  passengers  were  joined  by  some  of  the  cabin  ones,  and 
spent  three  or  four  hours  singing  merry  songs.  All  the 
females  sang  in  turn,  and  though  no  elegance  of  manner 
was  shewn  &  no  charming  melody  heard,  yet  natural  good 
fellowship  and  a  friendly  desire  to  please,  made  the  time 
pass  away  in  a  very  social  &  agreeable  manner.  [The 
weather  was  temperate.  In  the  course  of  the  evening  it 
became  cloudy  &  began  to  rain.  The  rain  though  gentle 
continued  all  night.] 

About  4  o'clock  this  morning  we  arrived  at  Louisville,  Friday  loth. 
and  at  daybreak  landed  and  went  to  Mr.  Allen's  hotel  called  Dec"". 
Washington  Hall.  This  is  a  large  house  and  appears  well 
kept.  As  it  was  a  rainy  morning  M^.  Allen  sent  a  carriage 
down  to  the  quai  to  bring  the  ladies  up  to  his  house.  Hunter 
having  business  at  Shippingport,  took  a  carriage  and  went 
there  direct.  After  breakfast  Mf.  Owen  went  out  to  deliver 
letters.  He  then  went  in  a  carriage  to  Shippingport,  distant 
2  miles  and  at  the  bottom  of  the  Falls  over  which  the  Ohio 
passes  [*]  from  Louisville  to  Shippingport.  When  the 
waters  are  high  the  steam  boats  can  descend  the  Rapids ;  but 


238  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

at  this  time  they  could  not  be  passed.  At  Shipping-port, 
Mr.  Owen  found  a  steamboat,  the  Favorite,  which  he  was 
told  would  start  on  Sunday  next.  All  the  births  were 
taken. — However  it  is  probable  that  in  a  day  or  two  after 
the  water  is  high  enough  for  one  to  set  out,  that  others 
which  are  there,  will  be  ready  to  set  out.  M^.  Owen  was 
informed  that  births  had  been  taken  in  the  Favorite  by  the 
English  travelling  M  Ps,  and  that  they  were  at  present  lodged 
at  Union  Hall  hotel  in  Louisville. — We  sat  down  about  50  to 
breakfast.  At  dinner  there  were  about  the  same  number. 
However  we  dined  in  the  ladies'  dining  room  with  the 
two  professors ;  but  this  is  not  usual,  &  therefore  not 
agreeable. — Mf.  Turner  introduced  his  partner  Mr.  Reader. 
We  dined  in  the  ladies  dining  room  with  Mrs.  Allan,  wife 
of  the  Master  of  the  Hotel,  some  of  her  female  friends,  and 
with  Drs.  Lindsay  &  Chase  &  their  ladies.  It  is  not  customary 
for  gentlemen  to  dine  in  the  ladies  room,  unless  they  are 
married  or  belong  to  a  ladies'  party.  After  dinner  we  had  a 
short  walk  in  the  town,  but  as  it  was  wet  we  soon  returned.  I 
had  some  conversation  [*]  with  a  Mr.  Hogan,  a  merchant 
who  had  been  in  Mexico  relative  to  the  affairs  of  Spanish 
America.  He  thought  that  their  physical  force  would  protect 
them,  but  he  considered  the  mass  of  the  people  to  be  very 
degraded  in  mind  &  feelings,  though  in  many  instances  a 
goodlooking  race.  The  Mexican  government  at  present  is  a 
Military  despotism,  but  it  is  introducing  schools  &  en- 
deavouring to  educate  the  people,  while  the  Priesthood  are 
greatly  averse  to  such  a  proceeding  and  to  a  great  degree 
render  all  their  efforts  of  no  avail. — After  tea  Mr.  Owen 
shewed  and  explained  his  Plans  to  the  two  Professors  &  their 
ladies,  who  were  much  pleased  and  expressed  a  great  wish  to 
see  Mr.  Owen  successful  in  convincing  the  public  of  the 
utility  of  his  plans  and  in  inducing  them  to  promote  the 
same.  In  the  evening  I  had  a  conversation  with  a  gentleman 
who  gave  me  the  following  return  of  the  several  States  of 
the  Union,  the  number  of  votes  which  each  had,  and  the 
State  of  the  poles  of  the  four  candidates  for  the  next 
presidentship  (see  the  accompanying  printed  return) 
Saturday  nth.  j^^^^^  breakfast  I   [*]  went  with  Mr.  Flower  to  call  at 

Union  Hall  Hotel  upon  the  four  M  P's.  They  had,  however, 


Dec^ 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  239 

gone  out  to  the  country  to  dine  at  Judge  Ormsby's,  12  miles  (Saturday  nth. 
from  town.  I  then  went  and  took  a  walk  round  the  town  ^^^"^^  contd) 
with  Wi".  Owen.  Louisville  contains  about  4000  inhabitants. 
It  is  the  resort  of  a  great  many  strangers  employed  on 
commercial  business.  There  was  a  considerable  bustle  of 
business  going  on.  The  town  stands  on  a  bank  of  sand 
around  which  there  is  every  appearance  that  the  waters  of 
the  Ohio  passed  before  they  formed  their  present  passage 
over  the  rapids.  The  principal  street  runs  parallel  to  the 
river,  leading  in  one  direction  to  Lexington  &  in  the  other 
to  Shippingport  which  is  about  21/2  miles  distant,  being 
a  small  dirty  village  by  the  river  side  just  below  the  rapids.  It 
is  here  that  the  larger  steamboats  lay  which  trade  down  the 
Ohio  &  Mississippi.  At  the  back  of  the  town  of  Louisville 
and  extending  into  the  woods,  are  several  large  brick  houses 
and  farms.  [At  half  a  mile  from  the  town  there  are  ponds 
extending  to  the  distance  of  18  miles,  which  render  the 
place  unhealthy.  ]  Beyond  these  and  in  the  woods  the  ground 
is  low  &  wet.  There  are  built  or  building  in  the  town,  a 
public  hospital,  episcopal  baptist  methodist  &  presbiterian 
churches,  and  a  market  place.  Some  of  the  streets  are 
paved,  &  have  several  large  houses ;  others  are  merely 
marked  out  by  palings  and  a  few  [*]  scattered  small  houses 
of  wood.  All  the  people  appeared  to  be  men  of  business  & 
tradesmen.  This  town  being  in  the  slave  state  of  Kentucky, 
we  every  where  saw  a  great  many  black  slaves.  [Mf.  Owen 
called  on  a  M^".  Jacobs  who  has  a  good  brick  house  at  the 
back  of  the  town;  he  also  wrote  part  of  a  short  outline  of 
the  principles  &  practices  which  he  proposes.  In  the  evening 
he  went  to  a  gentleman's  party  Mf.  Nielson's  with  M^.  Thorn, 
where  he  met  Mf.  Dennison  &  La  Broche.  There  was  nothing 
done  but  card  playing  which  M^.  Owen  did  not  join  in.]  This 
being  the  rainy  season,  the  place  seemed  muddy  &  uncomfort- 
able, but  as  the  soil  is  sandy,  the  rain  soon  sinks  in.  We 
understood  that  much  dissipation  prevails  here,  drinking  & 
gambling  &c.  This  mode  of  life  is  one  great  source  of  ill 
health.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  which  is  nearly 
a  mile  wide,  stands  the  small  place  called  Jeffersonville  in 
Indiana,  from  which  there  is  a  cross  road  through  the  woods 
to  Vincennes,  distant  107  miles,  and  thence  on  to  St.  Louis 


240  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

on  the  Missouri.  A  4  horse  stage  travels  this  road  once 
a  week.  It  takes  4  days  between  Louisville  &  Vincennes.  I 
was  told  that  the  land  on  the  Indiana  side  is  not  so  rich  or 
valuable  as  on  the  Kentucky  side  of  the  river.  At  a  distance 
we  could  observe  some  rising  lands  in  Indiana. — After 
dinner  we  walked  over  some  meadow  land  by  the  side  of  the 
river  between  Louisville  &  Shippingport.  We  met  Hunter 
who  pointed  out  to  us  the  Honey  Locust  tree,  covered  with 
strong  prickles.  It  bears  a  long  pod  containing  a  substance 
something  resembling  honey.  He  likewise  shewed  us  a  small 
silk  plant,  bearing  pods  containing  a  substance  of  a  silky 
nature.  This  plant  he  had  seen  more  in  the  interior  growing 
to  a  considerable  size  &  covering  a  large  extent  of  land. — In 
the  evening  [*]  I  accompanied  Hunter  on  board  the  Favorite 
steamboat.  I  then  learnt  that  she  would  not  start  till  Monday 
morning.  Hackney  coaches  are  in  readiness  all  day  long  to 
take  passengers  down  to  Shippingport.  The  fare  is  25  cents 
each.  [This  day  was  fine,  &  mild.  The  thermometer  was 
about  60°  in  the  shade.] 
Sunday  12th.  After  breakfast  Mr.  Owen  shewed  his  plans  to  a  General 

^^^'^-  Brackenridge  &  Mr.  Allan  the  Master  of  the  house.     They 

much  admired  them.  While  Mr.  Owen  called  upon 
Mr.  Dennison  &  the  other  M  P's,  W™.  Owen  &  myself 
went  to  the  Presbiterian  church,  where  we  heard  M^.  Chase 
preach.  There  were  about  one  hundred  of  the  congregation 
present.  They  were  plain,  decently  dressed  people.  The 
day  was  rainy.  A  mist  gathered  over  the  river  &  for  a  short 
time  extended  a  little  into  the  town.  The  temperature 
was  61°.  In  the  evening  the  rain  fell  heavy.  I  wrote  to 
my  uncle  Lewis  [  ?] — We  inclosed  our  letters  to  Jeremiah 
Thompson  New  York  &  paid  the  postage  25  cents  for  a 
single  letter,  as  I  was  informed  that  a  foreign  letter,  although 
the  postage  should  be  paid,  would  not  be  shipped  unless 
sent  to  some  agent  at  a  sea  port,  or  the  packet  happened 
to  have  a  bag  at  the  General  Post  office. 
Monday  13th.  After  breakfast  we  sent  our  baggage  in  a  cart  &  went  in 

a  stage  down  to  Shippingport,  and  embarked  on  board  the 
Favorite.  Captn  Shelcross.  This  boat  had  been  built 
more  [*]  for  freight  than  passengers,  their  being  only 
births  for  4  ladies  and  16  gentlemen.     These  had  all  been 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  241 

taken  for  several  clays,  and  such  a  cargo  of  goods  &  sheep 
had  been  taken  on  board  that  the  vessel  was  nearly  upset.  We 
did  not  get  under  weigh  till  about  one  o'clock.  The  day 
was  very  fine  and  the  scenery,  though  not  hilly,  appeared 
extremely  well.  In  consecjuence  of  the  number  of  passengers 
the  dinner  was  quite  a  scramble.  We  had  pleasant  conversa- 
tions with  the  English  Travellers  on  board,  and  with  a 
variety  of  Americans  who  were  descending  the  river  on 
business.  D*".  Chase  &  his  wife  were  on  board.  There 
was  likewise  a  Passenger  who  had  some  slaves  whom  he 
was  taking  to  Market  for  sale.  These  poor  beings  did  not 
at  first  appear  in  a  very  good  humour,  but  afterwards  they 
seemed  to  recover  themselves,  and  I  could  not  distinguish 
between  them  &  some  others  who  were  employed  on  board 
as  part  of  the  crew.  It  is  singular  to  a  person  with  a 
reflecting  mind,  to  be  for  the  first  time  in  the  midst  of 
fellow  creatures,  only  differing  from  himself  in  colour  &  and 
a  character  degraded  by  [*]  unnatural  treatment  from  (Monday  i3ti» 
birth,  to  see  them  treated  like  beasts  going  to  market,  and  Dec.  contd) 
to  hear  them  as  well  as  their  masters  and  mistresses  talking 
of  one  another's  value,  who  had  bought  and  sold  them  &  the 
prices  given.  However  the  dealers  in  such  goods  may  be 
admitted  into  &  fitted  for  civilized  society,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  their  feelings  must  be  greatly  impaired,  and  and 
their  minds  deranged  by  such  barbarous  and  irrational 
customs.  At  sunset  we  stopped  to  take  in  wood.  We  landed 
on  the  Kentucky  side,  but  only  found  one  poor  log  house 
and  a  poor  family.  They  told  us  that  sometimes  when  the 
water  rose  very  high,  it  passed  over  their  land,  and  that 
they  had  once  seen  a  boat  float  in  at  the  front  door  &  out 
at  the  back  door  of  their  house. — As  the  night  was  dark 
we  lay  at  this  place  till  the  moon  got  us. — As  everything 
was  in  confusion  on  board  we  got  no  tea,  and  only  a 
scrambling  supper.  After  the  births  were  occupied,  beds 
were  made  on  the  floor  in  a  very  imperfect  manner  for  the 
rest  of  the  passengers,  amounting  in  number  to  19  persons. 
I  lay  [*]  with  Hunter  &  W"^.  Owen  on  a  bag  of  feathers, 
with  my  cloak  over  me. — We  descended  this  day  only  about 
25  miles,  our  vessel  being  so  heavily  laden  that  she  made 
but  slow  progress. 


242  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Tuesday  14*''.  About  3  o'clock  we  were  again  in  motion.     During  our 

^^cf.  g^gy^  the  water  wheels  had  been  cut  to  suit  the  depth  of 

water  draw-n  by  our  boat :  this  facilitated  our  motion  so  that 
we  went  much  quicker  than  the  preceding  day.  The  day 
was  extremely  fine.  The  river  was  wider,  the  current  very 
little,  and  the  banks  nearly  flat  &  covered  with  wood.  [We 
passed  a  pretty  looking  settlement  on  the  right  bank.]  Very 
little  land  on  either  side  had  been  cleared.  We  ran  about  150 
miles  &  stopped  at  sunset  on  the  Kentucky  side  to  take  in 
wood.  There  several  of  us,  Hunter,  W"^.  Owen,  Mr.  Stanley, 
Mr.  Dennison,  Mr.  Wortley  &  myself,  amused  ourselves  till 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning  making  large  bonfires  in  the 
woods.  We  set  fire  to  3  large  trees,  and  burnt  one  down. 
We  then  roasted  some  beef  steaks  at  the  fires  &  drank 
porter.  The  cottager  on  whose  ground  we  were  staid  with 
us,  and  amused  himself  much  seeing  [*]  us  clearing  his 
land  for  him. 
Wednesday  15th.  About  4  o'clock  the  boat  again  set  off.     After  a  bright 

^^^-  starlight  &  frosty  night,  the  sun  rose  with  great  brilliancy. 

We  proceeded  at  the  rate  of  six  or  seven  miles  through  the 
water,  besides  the  current  of  the  river  which  varied  from 
one  to  two  or  three  miles  an  hour;  but  generally  very 
slow.  The  land  on  either  side  was  low,  and  the  river  widened 
in  some  places  to  half  a  mile.  About  10  o'clock  we  passed 
the*  [*a  neat  settlement  called  Owensburg  &  soon  after 
the]  mouth  of  the  Green  river  which  is  a  quiet  stream,  having 
a  large  &  long  course  into  the  interior  of  Kentucky — o[owe 
passed  some  rich  land  on  the  left  bank  called  the  Walnut 
ridge,  &  afterwards]  stopped  between  2  &  3  hours  at  a  small 
settlement  on  the  right  bank  in  Indiana  called  Evansville, 
where  some  barrels  of  pork  were  shipped,  &  one  or  two 
passengers  taken  on  board.  While  this  was  doing  we  walked 
about  the  place.  It  stands  at  a  bend  of  the  river  on  the  edge 
of  the  bank,  which  is  higher  here  than  any  where  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  and  a  little  above  the  level  of 
the  highest  rises  of  the  river.  The  view  of  the  river  is 
pleasing,  but  on  the  whole  the  place  has  a  dull  and  [*]  un- 
interesting appearance.  The  greater  part  of  the  settlement 
consists  of  log  houses,  built  in  an  irregular  manner.  There 
are  only  a  few  hundred  yards  of  land  cleared  in  the  rear 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  243 

of  the  houses,  beyond  which  a  thick  forest  shuts  out  the 

flat  view.    [Evansville  is  2"/  or  28  miles  from  Harmonie  by 

a  tolerable  horse  road  through  the  woods.]     Eight  miles 

lower  down  the  river  we  passed  another  settlement  of  less 

extent  on  the  left  bank,  and  soon  after  sunset  came  too  close 

to  the  right  bank  below  Mount  Vernon  settlement,  which 

is  of  the  same  character  as  Evansville,  only  of  a  more  recent 

date  &  smaller.     All  these  settlements  we  were  told  were 

advancing  but  slowly,  &  we  observed  a  silence  &  dullness 

about  them  which  seemed  to  confirm  such  an  opinion.    The 

distance  by   water   to    Mount   Vernon    from    Louisville    is 

nearly    300   miles,    the    river   making    several    considerable 

bends  to  all  points  of  the  compass ; — The  fall  of  the  river 

is  very  little,  therefore  its  current  is  slow.     As  the   land 

through  which  it  winds  is  low  &  of  a  loose  sandy  clay,  the 

river  washes  the  banks  away,  spreads  wide  forms  a  great 

many  islands,  and  has  but  an  inconsiderable  depth  during 

the  low  water.     [*]  It  is  then  necessary  that  vessels  drawing   (Wednesday  15th. 

6  or  8  feet  w^ater  should  be  careful  to  keep  the  deepest  channel  Dec-",  contd) 

and  steer  across  the  river  where  it  bends. — We  had  supper 

when  we  landed  and  were  moderately  put  up  at  the  inn. 

About  seven  o'clock  we  rose  breakfasted,  and  set  out  in  Thursday  the 
two  four  horse  waggons  for  Harmonie.  As  the  waggons  i6th.  Dec. 
travelled  slowly  Mr.  Albers  &  myself  walked  forward.  The 
road  lay  through  the  forest.  It  crossed  over  a  few  trifling 
risings  and  then  continued  flat,  sandy  &  muddy.  Occasionally 
we  passed  log  houses  with  a  few  acres  cleared  around  them. 
The  inhabitants  replied  to  our  questions  in  a  friendly 
manner;  but  living  so  much  out  of  the  world  several 
appeared  shy  &  without  animation.  We  crossed  a  creek 
between  20  &  30  feet  wide  called  Big  creek,  and  after 
walking  two  miles  further  we  reached  Springfield,  a  small 
settlement  surrounded  by  the  forest.  This  is  the  county 
Town.  It  is  8  1/2  miles  from  Mount  Vernon  &  7  1/2  from 
Harmonie.  The  County  is  called  Posie.  It  is  400  sq.  miles 
in  extent.  It  consists  of  a  square  brick  building  for  the 
courthouse,  [*]  which  stands  in  the  center  of  a  small  square 
of  detached  wooden  buildings.  One  of  these  is  an  Inn  kept 
by  a  german  of  the  name  of  Schnee.  Here  we  ordered 
dinner    &    waited    for    two    hours    expecting    our    party's 


244  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

arrival ;  but  they  had  taken  a  road  to  the  left,  which  did  not 
pass  through  Springfield;  It  was  a  mile  shorter,  though  a 
much  worse  road. — While  we  were  waiting  Mf.  Stewart 
a  lawyer  came  in  &  conversed  with  us.  He  told  us  that  the 
people  of  the  county  were  dissatisfied  at  Springfield  being 
made  the  county  town.  Some  wished  it  to  be  Harmonic, 
others  M.  Vernon.  It  is  likely  to  be  as  it  is,  while  so  much 
disagreement  prevails  relative  to  the  proper  place  for  it.  On 
learning  that  our  friends  had  taken  the  other  road  we 
dined.  Mi'.  Schnee  proposed  accompanying  us  to  Harmonie 
on  horseback,  and  taking  turns  to  ride  &  walk.  We  gladly 
accepted  his  company.  From  Springfield  the  road  was  a 
little  better.  The  timber  in  the  forest  was  tall  but  not 
enormously  thick.  We  remarked  large  vines  covering  many 
of  the  largest  trees,  stretching  from  the  ground  40  or  50  feet  to 
the  first  branch  on  which  they  are  fastened  ;  thus  shewing  that 
these  [*]  trees  &  vines  must  have  grown  up  together.  The 
forest  was  composed  of  varieties  of  oaks,  of  beeches,  tulip 
trees,  white  &  black  walnuts,  [Dog-wood  &  ash]  &  mulberry. 
The  number  of  dead  leaves  &  decayed  trees  made  the  soil 
of  a  fat  nature.  We  saw  a  great  number  of  little  birds,  wood 
peckers,  some  parroquets,  and  several  covies  of  very  tame 
partridges.  Mr.  Schnee  told  us  that  wild  turkies  &  geese, 
opossums,  racoons  &  deer,  were  in  abundance,  and  that  two 
fine  venison  hams  would  cost  about  half  a  dollar.  Rattle 
snakes  are  common,  but  no  one  has  the  least  fear  of 
them ;  they  always  give  warning  by  their  rattles,  and  then 
children  are  very  fond  of  running  after  them  to  kill  them 
which  is  easily  done  as  they  cannot  move  away  fast  and  as 
a  blow  from  a  small  stick  kills  them.  M''.  Schnee  said  that 
the  climate  is  not  very  unhealthy,  but  that  they  are  subject 
to  agues.  The  winter  is  not  extremely  cold  nor  the  summer 
oppressively  hot.  They  have  mosquitoes  in  the  summer 
time,  but  do  not  mind  them  much. — We  met  a  person  on 
horseback  who  we  learnt  was  Major  General  Wilson,  the 
mail  contractor,  himself  carrying  the  mail  as  he  was  going 
round  his  district  making  some  new  regulations.  Halfway 
from  Springfield  to  Harmonie  we  came  upon  the  Harmonie 
grounds,  good  soil  &  waving  land.  In  one  or  two  places 
the  land  had  been  cleared  and  log  houses  built.    These  farms 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  245 

had  been  let  to  the  country  people,  who  [*]  paid  grain 
rents — ten  bushels  an  acre  of  Indian  corn,  and  one  third  of 
the  crops  of  wheat.  About  one  mile  from  Harmonie,  we 
opened  upon  the  cleared  lands,  consisting  of  good  sheep-walks 
over  roling  ground  &  knolls.  These  lands  are  about  an 
hundred  feet  higher  than  the  flat  alluvial  soil  on  the  river 
side  on  which  the  town  of  Harmonie  is  situated.  From 
this  elevation  we  looked  north  west  down  upon  the  flat  land 
half  a  mile  wide.  About  3octo  acres  of  land  is  cleared 
around  the  village.  In  the  back  ground  lay  the  Wabash 
river  about  lOO  yards  wide,  backed  by  the  forest  on  its  right 
bank,  &  lost  in  the  forests  above  &  below  the  village.  On 
the  side  of  the  hills  were  the  vineyards;  &  to  the  left  of  the 
road  down  to  the  village,  lay  meadows,  orchards  and  a  neatly 
designed  labyrinth.  The  village  stood  about  a  couple  of 
hundred  yards  nearer  to  us  than  the  river  on  rather  a  more 
elevated  bottom,  the  space  between  being  subject  to  inunda- 
tion for  a  few  weeks  during  the  height  of  the  floods  in 
March.  This  ground  however  is  cultivated  after  the  waters 
run  off  &  yield  a  fine  produce.  The  ground  on  the  right 
and  between  the  village  &  the  hills  was  divided  into  corn 
fields.  The  village  consisted  of  four  streets  running  towards 
the  river,  &  six  crossing  [*]  these.  In  the  middle  was  an  (Thursday  i6th. 
open  space  in  which  stood  a  wooden  church  with  a  Dec^.  contd) 
steeple,  and  close  to  it  a  large  new^  brick  church,  which  I 
afterwards  learnt  was  built  to  replace  the  old  one  which  was 
not  large  enough.  In  various  streets  stood  large  &  small 
brick  habitations,  but  the  majority  of  the  houses  were  either 
log  houses  or  small  wooden  ones.  At  the  back  of  the  houses 
were  gardens,  all  divided  by  wooden  palings.  The  village 
had  a  dark  appearance,  occasioned  by  unpainted  wood 
exposed  to  the  air  becoming  of  a  dusky  slate  colour ;  but 
the  red  bricks  formed  an  agreeable  contrast.  To  a  traveller 
just  emerging  from  a  forest  where  little  or  no  improvement 
has  taken  place,  and  remembering  the  many  days  he  has 
spent  in  wandering  through  a  thinly  peopled  &  badly 
cultivated  country,  the  view  from  these  hilly  pastures  down 
upon  a  rich  plain,  flourishing  village,  and  picturesque  river 
winding  through  a  magnificent  forest,  is  highly  gratifying. 
Then  are  his  [*]  eyes  opened  to  the  benefits  attending  the 


246  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

union  of  numbers,  and  he  hastens  on  with  desire  to  enjoy 
the  society  of  beings  who,  having  made  so  great  an 
improvement,  he  expects  must  be  of  a  superior  order.  En- 
tering the  village  we  overtook  two  teams,  and  saluted  the 
drivers,  who  appeared  plain,  simple,  hard  working  men.  The 
horses  were  small  but  handsome.  The  Inn  is  a  large  plain 
built  wooden  house,  standing  on  one  side  of  the  open 
space.  Near  it  is  a  large  brick  house  belonging  to  Mr.  Rapp, 
and  another  which  is  a  public  store  or  shop  where  all  articles 
are  for  sale.  Here  the  country  people  from  a  distance  round 
come  to  deal,  but  they  must  pay  ready  money  for  every 
thing.  On  the  front  of  the  Inn  is  painted  Private  Enter- 
tainment, which  enables  the  landlord  to  enforce  a  regulation 
to  turn  out  all  irregular  or  drunken  persons.  Our  party 
had  arrived  at  2  o'clock  &  dined,  &  when  we  reached  the 
Inn  we  found  that  M^".  Owen  &  his  son  had  gone  out  with 
Mr.  Frederick  Rapp.  I  followed  them  &  was  introduced  to 
Mr.  Rapp  who  is  a  tall,  rawboned,  sallow  complexioned, 
serious  &  plain  german.  He  wore  a  small  [*]  crowned 
hat  with  a  large  brim  over  long  brown  hair,  and  a  loose 
grey  surtout.  He  took  us  up  to  the  top  of  his  father's 
house,  from  which  we  had  a  good  view  of  the  village.  [The 
village  is  about  600  yards  long  &  between  400  &  500  yards 
wide.]  We  then  returned  to  the  inn  for  the  rest  of  the 
evening. — We  had  tea  &  supper  between  6  &  7  o'clock  at 
which  were  two  or  three  persons  from  the  country,  who 
Ayere  stopping  at  the  inn  for  the  night.  Among  the  number 
was  Mr,  Stewart  from  Springfield. 
Fnday  i;th.  [Temperature   this   morning   54°.      It   rained   hard   all 

night.  The  wind  was  easterly.  It  continued  cloudy  all 
day.]  After  breakfast  we  accompanied  Mr.  Rapp  to  visit 
the  two  churches,  and  ascended  to  the  top  of  the  new  one  from 
which  we  had  a  still  better  view  of  the  village.  [Mr.  F  Rapp 
informed  us  that  the  band  of  the  village  sometimes  assembled 
on  the  top  of  the  church  to  play  to  the  village.]  Adjoining 
to  Mr.  Rapp's  house  is  a  garden  in  which  the  old  gentleman 
takes  great  pleasure  to  work.  In  the  center  is  a  small  mound 
of  petrefactions  made  at  a  spring  on  the  Harmonic  Property. 


Drcr. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  247 

In  the  yard  is  a  large  lime  stone  slab,  bearing  the  im- 
pression of  two  naked  feet  and  an  irregular  square  drawn 
seemingly  by  the  point  of  a  stick.  This  slab  was  found  on 
the  banks  of  the  Missouri  not  far  from 
St.  Louis  by  M^.  Frederick  Rapp  who  sent 
a  boat  for  it.  He  conjectures  that  at  some 
distant  period  while  the  materials  of  it  were 
in  a  soft  state,  an  Indian  [*]  might  have 
stood  there  and  drew  the  line  marking  the 
irregular  shape.  These  materials  must  have 
afterwards  been  petrefied  by  some  natural 
process.  The  portion  on  which  the  impres- 
sions are  was  cut  off. — Adjoining  to  the  gar- 
den is  a  moveable  greenhouse,  made  to  pull 
during  the  frosty  weather  over  some  fine  orange  &  lemon 
shrubs.  Behind  this  is  a  lofty  brick  granary  built  in  the  ger- 
nian  fashion,  to  keep  the  grain  cool.  There  is  another  of  wood 
at  one  corner  of  the  village,  near  which  are  three  wooden 
buildings,  one  a  large  barn,  &  thrashing  machine  moved 
by  8  horses,  another  a  cotton  and  woolen  manufactory  &  dying 
house,  with  a  steam  engine,  and  the  third  a  cotton  mill,  worked 
by  an  inclined  circular  plane  moved  by  a  horse  &  an  ox.  Under 
the  new  church  are  two  cellars  for  wine,  cider  &  beer.  Over 
the  church  &  under  the  roof  is  a  large  room,  where  the 
population  may  meet  when  they  give  great  entertainments ;  but 
the  building  is  not  yet  finished.  We  afterwards  went  through 
the  granaries,  the  store,  the  barn  &  manufactories,  and  some 
of  the  dwelling  houses.  The  store  is  divided  into  several 
rooms  well  arranged.  The  manufactories  are  small  and  do 
not  contain  many  of  the  late  improvements  in  machinery.  The 
work  people  [*]  do  not  seem  very  expert  at  their  work.  The  (Friday  17th. 
larger  dwelling  houses  are  of  brick.  Galleries  run  through  ^^^"^  ^°"^  ^ 
the  center  of  them.  The  Women's  appartments,  opening 
one  into  the  other,  are  on  one  side  and  the  men's  on  the 
other.  Stoves  stand  in  the  middle  of  the  rooms.  The  people 
keep  their  rooms  too  warm  and  close,  which  evidently  gives 
them  a  pale  &  unhealthy  appearance.  At  eleven  o'clock  we 
found  them  all  going  home  to  dinner.  The  soil  on  which 
the  village  stands  is  sandy.     The  streets  had  not  been  made 


248  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

with  much  attention,  and  the  rain  water  lay  in  several 
places,  but  soon  sank  into  the  ground. — At  one  o'clock  we 
dined  with  M'".  F.  Rapp.  His  neice  was  at  table.  She  is  a 
young  and  pleasing  person.  The  dinner  was  good.  We 
drank  some  red  &  white  wine  made  in  the  village.  It  was 
of  a  pleasant  quality.  We  likewise  tasted  cider  &  beer  made 
here;  both  very  good.  After  dinner  M"".  Rapp's  neice  played 
on  the  piano,  and  sang  some  german  airs  accompanied  by 
three  of  the  females  who  were  sent  for. — We  then  walked 
through  the  blacksmith's  &  coopers'  shops,  the  cow  houses, 
and  looked  into  the  deer  yard.  We  saw  some  fine  cattle  and 
a  beautiful  elk.  [*]  In  the  cotton  manufactory  we  remained 
some  time,  &  M^".  Owen  shewed  them  a  few  alterations  in 
their  manner  of  working  which  they  ought  to  make.  While 
we  were  there  the  females  from  two  rooms  lo  in  numbers, 
assembled  and  sung  us  some  german  songs  on  the  subject 
of  friendship,  composed  &  harmonized  by  themselves.  It 
was  pleasing  &  well  done,  but  too  much  in  a  melancholy 
dull  style,  &  without  sufficient  animation. — This  evening 
Mr.  George  Flower  arrived  from  Albion  to  meet  his  father. 
[This  evening  we  had  wind  &  rain  from  the  South  West.] 
Saturday  iS^h.  [Thermometer  this  morning  30°.     About  8  o'clock  this 

^^^'^-  morning  Mi".  Ronald's  arrived.     He  came  to  the  ferry  last 

night,  but  the  weather  being  stormy  &  the  night  dark,  the 
ferry  man  could  not  venture  across  with  him.]  After 
breakfast  we  walked  with  Mr.  Rapp  to  the  labyrinth  & 
yineyards,  which  were  well  laid  out.  From  some  of  the 
knolls  where  the  vines  were  trained,  we  had  a  good  view 
of  the  village.  The  vineyards  are  fenced  in.  On  our  return 
we  visited  the  hatter's  shop,  the  shoemaker's,  the  tannery, 
and  a  room  where  the  females  were  making  clothes.  All 
appeared  actively  employed.  Between  11  &  12  o'clock, 
Ml".  Rapp  having  some  business  with  his  people,  we  walked 
down  to  the  ferry,  where  we  found  3  or  4  flats  lying,  and 
one  lately  made  by  the  Harmonites.  In  these  flats  they  send 
their  produce  to  the  market  at  New  Orleans. — At  12  o'clock 
Mr.  Rapp  dined  with  [*]  us  at  the  Inn.  After  dinner  he 
supplied  us  with  horses,  and  we  rode  with  him  four  miles 
to  a  corn  mill,  which  they  have  erected  on  a  small  passage  of 
the  Wabash  which  separates  a  large  flat,  &  forms  a  short 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  249 

cut  where  the  river  makes  a  considerable  bend.  They  have 
built  a  strong  &  large  wooden  mill  close  to  a  dam  which 
the[y]  have  thrown  entirely  across  this  cut.  There  is  water 
all  the  year  to  turn  this  mill  which  grinds  for  a  great  many 
of  their  neighbours.  At  the  back  of  the  mill  the  ground 
rises  from  one  to  two  hundred  feet,  and  the  bank  contains 
good  free  stone.  From  the  mill  we  rode  through  the  forest 
nearly  to  the  Springfield  road,  and  found  a  good  many  parts 
of  the  higher  ground  in  the  woods  level  and  well  situated 
as  sites  for  villages.  We  returned  between  3  &  4  o'clock.  This 
day  was  cold,  cloudy  &  frosty.  In  the  morning  &  forenoon 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  wind,  which  frequently  blew  a 
good  deal  of  sand  along  the  street  roads.  In  the  evening 
the  wind  decreased. 

[In  the  night  it  froze  a  little.  This  morning  the  temper-  Sunday  19th. 
ature  was  26°.  Weather  cloudy.]  At  nine  o'clock  the  church  Dec". 
bell  called  the  Population  to  Divine  Service.  It  was  an 
interesting  sight  to  see  the  males  &  females  [*]  coming  in 
strings  to  the  church  from  the  different  parts  of  the  village. 
The  men  dress  in  a  plain  blue,  brown  frock  coat  or 
surtout,  trowsers  &  shoes ;  the  females  wear  white  caps, 
checked  neck  handkerchiefs,  cloth  gowns,  and  checked 
aprons.  They  all  had  a  stouter  &  healthier  appearance  this 
morning  than  when  we  saw  them  at  their  work.  There 
were  a  good  many  young  persons  among  them,  and  we 
understood  that  they  had  several  children  who  remained  at 
home.  The  men  in  general  had  strong  and  coarse  features. 
They  all  wore  long  loose  hair.  The  females  occupied  half 
the  church,  the  males  the  other  half.  Mr.  Frederick  Rapp 
sat  at  an  elevated  desk  and  gave  out  the  psalms  and 
preached.  His  sermon  was  about  friendship,  working  for 
one  another,  having  common  property,  and  the  approaching 
millenium,  which  would  be  brought  about  by  these  &  such 
like  practices  &  method  of  life.  There  was  a  mildness  & 
amiable  expression  of  countenance  in  the  whole  congregation 
which  was  extremely  pleasing.  Several  of  both  the  males  & 
females  were  good  looking  strong  &  healthy,  and  a  very 
general  contentment  seemed  to  prevail  among  them.  The 
service  lasted  about  an  hour  &  a  half.  [There  were  about 
500  persons  present.]    We  dined  between  11  &  12  o'clock. 


250 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


(Sunday  I9*'». 
Dec.  cont<l) 


From  Monday 
20th.  Dec.  to 
Monday  27th, 
Decf. 


Between  12  &  i  o'clock.  The  village  band  [*]  consisting 
of  8  or  10  wind  instruments,  assembled  in  front  of 
Mr.  Rapp's  house,  played  one  or  two  slow  movements  and 
then  preceded  us  into  the  church. — We  were  followed  by 
about  300  of  the  inhabitants,  mostly  of  the  younger  part 
of  the  population.  We  remained  there  between  one  &  two 
hours,  which  time  was  devoted  to  music  &  singing  psalms. 
The  males  and  females  are  formed  into  sections  of  8  or 
10.  They  are  in  the  habit  of  assembling  together  for  the 
purpose  of  practising  singing.  The  verses  which  they 
select,  they  themselves  arrange,  to  music  and  sing  in 
parts.  Mr.  Rapp  called  out  8  or  ten  sections  to  sing,  after 
which  the  females  retired.  We  then  quitted  the  church 
followed  by  the  males.  There  was  an  afternoon  service 
similar  to  the  morning  one,  which  we  did  not  attend.  The 
afternoon  which  was  very  fine,  clear  &  frosty,  was  spent 
by  us  in  walking  and  riding.  At  six  o'clock  we  drank  tea 
at  Ml".  Rapp's,  after  which  about  a  dozen  of  the  young 
men  &  women  came  in  and  the  rest  of  the  evening  was 
occupied  with  music.  Mt".  Rapp's  neice  Miss  Gertrude  Rapp 
played  the  piano,  D^".  Millar  an  elderly  person  who  was 
formerly  physician  &  surgeon  to  the  Society  &  who  now 
is  schoolmaster,  played  the  violin,  two  of  the  men  played  [*] 
flutes,  and  the  women  sang.  A  variety  of  music  was 
performed.  The  Canadian  Boat  Song,  All's  well.  Away 
with  Melancholy,  were  sung  out  of  compliment  to  our 
party.     We  retired  about  nine  o'clock. 

(About  half  past  10  o'clock  on  Monday  20th.  ins*. 
Mr.  Ronalds,  Miss  Ronalds,  W»".  Owen  &  myself  set  out 
on  horseback  for  M"".  Flower's  place  near  Albion  Town  in 
Edwards  County  in  the  State  of  Illinois;  leaving  Mr.  Owen 
to  inspect  more  fully  and  at  his  leisure  the  Harmony  Estate, 
and  to  shew  &  explain  his  plans  to  Mr.  Frederick  Rapp. 
Wm.  Owen  &  myself  left  our  Portmanteaus  to  come  in  a  cart 
with  Mr.  Owen's  baggage  when  he  should  set  out,  and  only 
brought  a  change  of  linen  in  our  pockets.  The  day  though 
frosty  was  beautifully  fine.  We  crossed  the  Wabash  by 
the  ferry,  which  is  kept  by  an  American,  and  passed  through 
a  thick  wood  filled  with  canes  with  a  green  leaf  upon 
them,    across    a    flat    island    to    Fox's    Creek    which    we 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  251 

forded.  In  the  time  of  floods  this  island,  except  in  the 
center  is  overflowed  &  the  creek  cannot  be  forded.  The 
part  of  the  island  which  is  not  subject  to  be  overflowed 
belongs  to  the  Harmonites.  The  road  is  merely  a  track 
cut  through  the  forest,  and  in  consequence  of  its  flatness 
and  of  the  richness  of  the  soil,  is  deep  &  bad.  The  frost 
had  however  hardened  [*]  the  ground  &  rendered  it  tolerable 
riding.  In  these  cane  bottoms  the  wolves  take  shelter.  They 
have  destroyed  many  of  the  sheep  belonging  to  the  Har- 
monites. After  crossing  Fox's  Creek  we  ascended  an 
undulating  country,  almost  entirely  covered  with  oak 
timber.  After  riding  from  20  to  25  miles  from  Harmonie 
we  opened  upon  the  English  Prairie,  an  open  space  of  about 
4000  acres  of  good  land  covered  with  long  wild  grass,  with 
a  few  scattered  clumps  of  trees  &  surrounded  by  the 
forest.  The  scene  had  the  appearance  of  a  fine  and 
extensive  Park.  Here  &  there  on  the  skirts  of  the  woods 
we  could  perceive  the  habitations  of  English  settlers  from 
whom  this  prairie  derives  its  name.  Prairie  is  the  name 
which  the  French  settlers  who  in  the  course  of  the  past 
century  established  themselves  at  New  Orleans  Vincennes, 
St.  Louis  &  the  surrounding  country,  gave  to  these  open 
tracts  of  country,  and  it  has  from  usage  been  adopted  into 
the  English  language.  The  cause  of  their  formation  seems 
yet  to  be  a  question,  though  it  be  generally  considered  that 
fierce  fires  so  thoroughly  destroyed  the  roots  of  the  trees  as 
to  prevent  any  regrowth  of  timber.  Towards  the  close  of 
the  year  and  during  the  Indian  summer  when  [*]  the  long 
prairie  grass  is  both  dry  &  dead,  frequent  fires  take 
place.  Some  are  accidental,  but  most  of  them  are  done 
designedly  by  the  inhabitants  who  take  advantage  of  a  wind 
blowing  from  their  premises  to  fire  the  grass,  and  send 
the  danger  in  a  different  direction.  For  the  fire  is  so  rapid 
when  the  wind  is  high,  that  it  flies  over  the  land  at  a  horse's 
speed,  frequently  destroying  the  fences  &  farm  yards  on 
the  borders  of  the  forest  to  which  its  course  is  directed. 
When  any  such  danger  is  apprehended,  the  farmer  towards 
whose  property  the  fire  is  advancing,  will  if  time  permit,  call 
in  the  assistance  of  his  neighbours,  pull  down  fences  attempt 
to  beat  out  the   flames,  or  light  a    fire   near  to   his  own 


252 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


From 
Monday 
20ti».  Dec. 
to  Do. 
27th. 


premises  &  direct  its  course  to  meet  the  other  fire.  The 
destruction  by  these  fires  of  fences  &  hay  &  corn  stacks  is 
so  common  &  timber  &  food  so  plentiful  in  this  country,  that 
the  natives  talk  of  them  with  apparent  unconcern.  Riding 
with  a  party  to  view  the  country  we  passed  a  farmer  &  his 
little  boy  toiling  away  with  long  shovels,  beating  out  a  fire, 
and  after  looking  on  for  a  few  minutes  continued  our  ride 
without  any  further  notice. — About  1/2  past  four  we  [*] 
reached  M^.  Flower's  Place,  situated  on  the  northern  skirt  of 
the  English  Prairie,  &  about  a  mile  south  of  the  settlement 
.cont''.  town  of  Albion.  In  the  year  18 16  M^.  George  Flower  & 
Mr.  Birkbeck  came  over  to  America  for  the  purpose  of 
fixing  upon  an  eligible  settlement.  In  the  course  of  the 
following  year  they  visited  this  place,  and  being  struck  with 
the  beauty  of  the  scene,  its  similarity  to  England,  &  the 
facility  of  cultivating  a  large  tract  of  good  land  already 
cleared  of  timber,  they  purchased  several  thousand  acres  both 
of  prairie  &  woodland  which  they  divided.  M"".  Birkbeck 
afterwards  called  his  place  Wanbro.  His  house  is  two  miles 
^from  Albion  which  was  fixed  upon  by  M^.  Flower  and  some 
who  came  from  England  with  him  as  a  convenient  situation 
for  a  town.  The  surrounding  trees  were  cut  down  to  build 
temporary  log  houses,  after  which  a  few  brick  &  stone  & 
frame  houses  were  commenced.  The  place  is  as  yet  very 
inconsiderable,  consisting  of  only  a  few  houses  scattered 
on  each  side  of  the  road.  It  is  about  40  miles  south  of 
Vincennes.  A  horse  post  passes  through  this  place  once 
a  week  to  Shawneetown  which  stands  on  the  low  land  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio  near  the  place  where  it  is  joined  [*]  by 
the  Wabash.  Mi".  Flower  has  built  himself  an  English 
cottage,  adjoining  to  which  is  a  large  log  house,  and 
offices  &  farm  yard,  where  his  eldest  son  M"".  George  Flower 
lives.  Several  acres  of  land  have  been  enclosed  with  wooden 
fences,  &  cultivated  about  their  houses.  Their  gardens 
abound  with  peach  trees,  which  they  informed  us  yield  a 
profusion  of  the  finest  peaches.  This  place  in  summer  time 
must  be  extremely  beautiful.  At  the  back  &  to  the  right  &  left 
of  these  houses  a  forest  of  oaks  raises  its  lofty  head,  and 
in  front  a  rich  and  extensive  prairie  which  is  gradually 
coming  into  cultivation  is  spread  out.     The  limits  of  the 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  253 

prairie  are  lost  in  the  distant  woods,  clumps  of  trees  decorate 
its  surface,  wild  deer  roam  over  it,  and  the  cattle  &  sheep 
of  the  farm  herd  upon  it.  Half  a  mile  off  in  different 
directions,  reside  Mf.  Pickering  &  Mr.  Ronalds,  married 
to  two  of  Mr.  Flower's  daughters.  Al^.  Ronalds  is  building 
a  tannery. — We  were  received  by  M^.  Flower  &  all  his 
family  with  the  utmost  hospitality.  W*".  Owen  lodged  in 
his  house,  and  I  at  M"".  George  Flower's.  We  had  numerous 
discussions  relative  to  M"".  Owen's  views  &  plans,  and  I 
derived  much  information  therefrom.  The  activity  of  mind 
displayed  by  all  the  party,  aided  by  their  experience  acquired 
by  settling  in  a  new  [*]  country  where  each  often  has  almost 
every  duty  and  business  to  perform,  tended  to  throw  much 
light  upon  enquiries  into  the  nature  of  Society  and  the  most 
beneficial  mode  of  associating  &  cooperating  together.  The 
advantage  of  the  Union  of  many  families  for  the  purpose  of 
mutually  assisting  one  another  &  at  the  same  time  properly 
dividing  &  apportioning  the  various  employments,  seemed 
to  be  well  understood,  and  the  want  of  such  an  agreement 
and  arrangement  forcibly  felt  by  them ;  but  the  habits  of  the 
Old  Country  &  the  difficulties  attending  novel  &  extensive 
arrangements  had  hitherto  prevented  the  accomplishment  of 
such  an  enterprise.  The  next  morning,  (Tuesday)  we 
walked  about  the  farm,  and  into  the  Prairie,  and  called  at 
several  houses.  We  observed  several  elevated  spots  on 
which  villages  might  be  built,  and  we  conversed  with  some 
of  the  farmers  on  the  advantages  of  Union  as  the  way  to 
produce  abundance,  and  encrease  of  comfort,  and  secure  an 
education  for  their  children.  On  Wednesday  we  walked 
to  Albion,  and  I  gave  letters  which  had  been  entrusted  to 
Mr.  Owen,  to  D"".  Spring  and  Mr.  Birkett.  Dr.  Spring  is  a 
young  medical  gentleman  who  has  I  learnt  ["'']  received  a  good 
education  and  is  getting  into  good  practice  here, — Mr.  Birkett 
is  a  settler  from  the  West  Indies.  There  is  another  Doctor  liv- 
ing in  Albion,  Dr.  Pugsley.  We  likewise  saw  Mr.  W"\  Orange 
who  keeps  the  Washington  Tavern,  Mr.  Wood  who  keeps  a 
Tavern  belonging  to  Mr.  Birkett  who  lives  in  the  house, 
Mr.  Lewis,  a  merchant  emigrated  from  London  &  now  living 
retired  here  in  a  small  house  with  his  wife  &  family,  and 
Mr.  Johnston  a  blacksmith  (late  a  stone  mason).     As  he  is 


From 
Monday 
2otii   Dec. 
to  Do. 
27th 


254  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

one  of  the  justices  he  is  called  Squire  Johnstone. — We 
looked  into  a  corn  mill  turned  by  an  inclined  circular  plane 
worked  by  oxen,  belonging  to  M^.  Flower;  and  we  saw 
a  machine  with  saws  for  separating  the  cotton  from  the 
seed. — We  called  on  M^.  Pickering,  whose  wife  had  a  day 
or  two  before  our  arrival  been  confined.  M^.  Pickering  is 
the  son  of  a  Yorkshire  farmer.  He  was  a  land  surveyor 
in  England,  came  out  single.  &  is  now  a  married  man  with 
a  family  &  a  farmer. — We  likewise  called  on  M^.  Ronalds, 
who  lives  in  a  small  cottage  near  his  unfinished  tannery.  He 
has  some  patent  for  tanning.  He  officiates  in  turns  with 
Mr,  Lewis  as  clergyman  on  Sundays,  and  his  congregation 
meet  in  a  room  in  Albion.  M^^.  Ronalds  was  in  delicate 
health,  being  in  a  fair  way  to  increase  her  family. — The 
next  day  (Wednesday)  we  rode  out  with  [*]  Mr.  Flower, 
Mr.  George  Flower,  Mr.  Ronalds  &  his  sister,  Mr.  Birkett, 
►contd.  Dr  Spring  &  Mr.  W^.  Orange  with  some  greyhounds,  to 
have  a  deer  hunt.  We  passed  a  field  of  cotton,  of  which 
I  gathered  a  sample.  It  grows  on  a  small  bush  in  pods  which 
contain  the  cotton,  and  which  open  when  ripe.  Crossing  the 
prairie  to  the  East  we  put  up  two  which  soon  escaped  into 
the  woods.  We  then  called  on  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Daniel  Orange 
who  have  a  farm  on  the  east  side  of  the  prairie,  and  were 
introduced  to  Mrs.  Jolly — .From  Mr.  Orange's  we  crossed 
through  a  belt  of  wood  into  a  small  prairie  called  French 
Creek  Prairie.  The  grass  had  been  burnt,  and  we  were 
obliged  to  return  without  seeing  any  deer  in  it.  In  the 
wood  we  came  upon  an  opossum.  It  is  a  small  animal,  with 
short  legs,  having  a  body  about  18  inches  long,  gray 
hair,  long  snout  &  tail,  &  large  mouth.  It  laid  down  and 
pretended  to  be  dead.  The  back  woodsmen  have  the  expres- 
sion that  a  person  is  opossuming  when  he  is  shamming. — As 
we  again  crossed  the  English  Prairie  we  put  up  3  or  4  more 
deer.  They  bounded  over  the  long  grass  displaying  their 
white  bushy  tails,  &  were  soon  in  the  woods.  We  turned 
southward  along  the  prairie  and  soon  found  as  many  more, 
which  in  like  manner  went  off  into  the  woods.  As  [*]  the 
grass  in  this  wood  had  not  been  burnt,  the  greyhounds  did 
not  once  get  sight  of  the  deer,  and  we  found  it  fatiguing 
work    riding    through    it.      Our    horses    were    hardv,    and 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  255 

displayed  more  intelligence  than  I  had  remarked  among 
horses  in  England.  Here  they  are  little  groomed,  have  to  lie 
out  a  great  deal,  and  often  have  to  feed  themselves.  The  day 
was  very  fine,  and  the  thermometer  above  temperate  in  the 
shade.  In  the  evening  I  played  at  chess  with  M"".  Ronalds. 
On  Friday  we  walked  to  Albion,  and  saw  the  school  kept 
by  Mr.  Warangton.  It  is  in  a  small  room  where  he  teaches 
reading  writing  &  arithmetic  to  about  30  boys  &  girls. — A 
County  Hall  is  building  in  Albion.  The  brick  walls  &  the 
roof  are  finished.  We  afterwards  took  the  road  to 
Wanbro,  and  called  at  Mr.  Browns.  He  is  a  shoe  maker  & 
weaver.  His  wife  is  a  fine  looking  woman.  They  have 
a  large  family.  They  received  us  in  a  very  friendly 
manner  &  we  w^ere  introduced  to  their  two  oldest  daughters, 
both  fine  young  women.  Mr.  George  Flower  invited  himself 
and  family  to  drink  tea  with  them  on  Tuesday  next.  They 
hoped  that  we  would  be  of  the  party.  M^.  Owen  arrived 
about  sunset.  Mr.  Fred.  Rapp  had  delayed  his  visit  till 
Monday,  [*]  as  he  could  not  be  from  home  Xmas  day  & 
Sunday.— Friday  evenings  are  set  apart  by  Mr.  Flower  and 
his  friends  for  music. — The  party  assembled  consisted  of 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Lewis,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Orange  &  Mrs.  jolly,  Mr.  Cave, 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Carter,  Dr.  Spring  &  Mr.  Flower's  family.  In 
consequence  of  Mrs.  Pickering's  confinement  the  best  per- 
former on  the  piano  w'as  absent,  but  we  had  a  violin  violin- 
cello,  flute,  &  several  good  voices.  Mr.  Lewis  &  his  wife 
sang  very  prettily  together.  Mrs.  Carter  also  sang  some 
pretty  songs.  Mr.  Carter  is  a  trader ;  he  trades  sometimes 
with  the  Indians.  I  learnt  from  him  that  not  long  since 
a  party  of  Miami  and  Kickapoo  Indians  were  hunting  in 
this  neighbourhood.  It  was  also  said  that  they  were  painted 
for  war,  and  intended  going  down  the  river  to  Tennessee 
in  the  spring  to  fight  the  Little  Osage  Tribe,  whose  lands 
they  wished  to  occupy.  Some  few  years  ago  a  large  party 
five  young  men  of  one  of  these  tribes  went  down  the  river 
in  canoes  for  the  same  purpose.  They  stopped  at  Harmonic 
had  refreshment  of  corn  and  water,  &  continued  their 
journey.  They  were  defeated  and  all  destroyed. — We  felt 
anxious  to  gain  some  information  where  this  hunting  was 
at  presint,  but  could  not  obtain  any  certain   [*]   informa- 


256 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


From 
Monday 
2cih   Dec', 
to  Do.  27* 
Dec. 


i>cont<l. 


tion. — In  the  course  of  the  evening  we  discovered  a  fire  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  prairie  but  as  the  night  was  calm 
it  did  not  blaze  very  much. — The  next  morning  (Saturday 
Xmas  day)  Mr.  Flower  having  prevailed  on  Mr.  Owen  to 
have  a  meeting  to  explain  his  Plans,  a  notice  was  written 
advertising  it  for  the  next  day  at  1/2  past  one  in  Albion.  I 
rode  with  Mf.  George  Flower,  and  left  it  in  Albion.  Thence 
we  rode  into  the  East  prairie,  about  two  miles  distant,  called 
at  the  Distillery  &  gave  notice,  and  then  went  to  Mr.  Woods 
farm.  Mr.  Wood  is  a  farmer  from  Nottinghamshire.  His 
family  live  with  him.  His  eldest  son  is  married  to  the 
daughter  of  Mr.  Flower's  housekeeper.  They  belonged  in 
England  to  a  society  of  free  thinkers^  We  had  some 
conversation  relative  to  the  advantages  of  associating  in 
community,  which  they  said  that  they  had  wished  for  a  long 
time.  The  father  said  that  in  England  the  people  could  not 
so  soon  understand  the  advantages  of  such  a  plan,  because 
they  had  never,  like  his  family,  had  the  experience  of 
beginning  the  world  in  a  new  country ;  and  the  son  remarked 
that  he  wished  to  live  in  such  a  society — as  he  was  convinced 
it  would  be  the  happiest  life  that  could  be  led  by  man- 
kind.— In  [*]  the  evening  Mr.  Owen  had  a  long  argument 
with  Mr.  Flower  and  Mr.  Ronalds  relative  to  the  consistency 
of  his  Principles,  their  connexion  with  a  religious  belief,  & 
the  distinctions  between  right  &  wrong,  virtue  &  vice. 

Sunday  morning  we  went  to  meeting  held  in  a  room  in 
Albion,  where  about  2  dozen  persons  were  present.  The 
day  was  remarkably  clear,  calm  and  temperate.  A  little 
before  2  o'clock  so  many  persons  collected  that  it  was  judged 
necessary  to  have  Mr.  Owen's  meeting  in  the  open  air. 
Benches  were  brought  out  of  the  houses,  &  when  these  were 
filled  numbers  sat  on  the  logs  of  trees  which  lay  on  the 
grass.  The  meeting  consisted  of  about  200  persons,  the 
great  majority  of  whom  were  English  settlers.  Many 
who  are  methodists  did  not  attend.  There  were  very  few 
Americans  present.  The  company  formed  into  a  ring  & 
Mr.  Owen  stood  in  the  center  and  spoke  to  them  for  about 
2  1/2  hours.  All  were  extremely  attentive  and  both 
interested  and  pleased.  Husbands  brought  their  wives  & 
daughters,  and  many  infant  children  were  to  be  seen  in  their 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  257 

mothers  arms,  as  they  could  not  be  left  alone  at  home.  [*] 
Mr.  Owen  commenced  by  congratulating  himself  at  being 
surrounded  by  so  many  speaking  his  own  language  &  brought 
up  as  he  had  been,  &  so  far  from  his  own  home.  He  then 
stated  the  principles  of  Human  Nature  that  Man's  character 
consists  of  &  is  formed  first  by  the  Power  that  creates  him  & 
2"dly.  by  the  circumstances  in  which  he  is  placed  after 
birth.  Thence  he  traced  the  effect  of  charity,  kindness  & 
benevolence,  and  the  absence  of  the  angry  passions. — He 
told  them  that  such  alone  was  pure  religion,  and  that  they 
might  be  certain  it  did  not  exist  wherever  anger,  ill  will,  and 
uncharitable  conduct  was  found.  Heo  [^called  their  attention 
to  the  necessity  of  placing  themselves  in  the  best  and  excluding 
the  worst  circumstances, — ]  commented  on  the  advantages 
of  Union,  and  spoke  of  those  principles  alone  being  able  to 
produce  it.  He  shewed  his  plans  &  read  the  rules  &  regulations 
for  a  community  as  drawn  out  &  adopted  by  the  British  & 
Foreign  Philanthropic  Society,  formed  in  London  four  years 
ago.  About  sunset  the  meeting  broke  up  quietly  &  in  high 
good  humour.  Several  persons  spoke  of  his  views  &  plans 
as  l^eing  highly  satisfactory. — In  the  evening  M«".  Owen 
shewed  his  plans  to  M^.  Pickering  at  M*".  Flower's. 

On  Monday  morning  Mf.  Owen  rode  out  to  call  upon 
some  families  in  the  neighbourhood  [*]  and  I  remained  at 
home  and  wrote  my  journal.  The  weather  was  calm  &  tem- 
perate, but  cloudy.  Between  3  &  4  oclock  M^.  Fred.  Rapp 
&  his  neice  Gertrude  Rapp  arrived.  About  5  o'clock  the 
following  party  set  down  to  dinner  at  M"".  George  Flower's, 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Birkett,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Carter,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Cave, 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Lewis,  Mrs.  Jolly,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Orange,  Miss  Rapp, 
Miss  Ross,  Miss  Ronalds,  Mr.  Rapp,  Dr.  Spring  Mr.  Flower's 
Family  &  ourselves.  After  dinner  an  interesting  discussion 
took  place  relative  to  Mr.  Owen's  doctrine  of  Man's  non 
responsibility.  Mr.  Flower,  Mr.  Ronalds  &  ^[r.  Pickering, 
contended  that  Man  was  a  subject  for  merit  &  demerit,  of 
praise  &  blame,  and  of  reward  &  punishment;  and  they 
supported  their  opinion  by  connecting  it  with  religion,  the 
Christian  dispensation  of  a  belief  in  a  God  in  a  resurrection, 
a  heaven  &  hell,  &  future  rewards  &  punishments,  and  by 
endeavouring  to  shew  that  Mr.   Owen's  statement  of  the 


258 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Tuesday  28^^ 
Decf. 


(Tuesday  28th. 
Dec'',  contd) 


Formation  of  Human  character  and  his  Exposition  of  the 
influence  of  circumstances  over  human  nature,  were  in 
contradiction  to  such  creed.  M"".  Owen  repHed  that  he  was 
not  aware  how  his  statement  that  the  child  was  created  by 
a  power  over  which  he  had  no  controul  [*]  could  be 
considered  as  a  denial  of  a  Supreme  Being;  his  endeavour 
to  draw  public  attention  to  the  consideration  of  the  influence 
of  circumstances  over  the  child  after  birth,  was  no  denial 
of  a  Resurrection;  and  his  wish  to  do  away  with  all  human 
artificial  rewards  &  punishments,  was  no  interference  with 
the  future  state  of  man  after  this  life,  or  with  those  natural 
punishments  which  necessarily  follow  ignorance  &  bad 
habits,  and  those  natural  rewards  which  ensue  from 
knowledge  &  good  habits.  The  discussion  was  carried  on 
till  past  10  o'clock.  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Lewis,  &  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Carter, 
sang  some  extremely  pretty  songs ;  after  which  the  Party 
broke  up. — Mr.  Rapp  remarked  that  he  agreed  with 
Mr,  Flower  in  his  arguments;  Mr.  Lewis  &  Mr.  Carter 
were  very  favorable  to  Mr.  Owen's  views,  and  Mr.  Birkett 
declared  that  he  would  not  have  missed  being  present  at 
the  discussion  for  500  dollars.  [In  the  afternoon  the 
glass  was  54°.] 

This  morning  the  glass  was  at  48°  with  foggy  &  rainy 
weather.  Mr.  Owen  passed  the  greater  part  of  the  day  in 
business  with  Mr.  Rapp.  I  sat  with  Miss  Ronalds,  Miss 
Rapp,  &  Mr.  Pickering  &  Mr.  Ronalds.  These  gentlemen 
earnestly  opposed  the  system  of  Mr.  Owen  with  religious 
objections.  Mr.  John  Wood  came  in  to  see  Mr.  Owen.  He 
expressed  how  much  he  was  in  favour  of  his  Plan,  remarked 
that  when  in  England,  he  had  laboured  hard  but  never 
acquired  an  independence  and  a  place  that  he  could  call  his 
own,  and  that  now  though  he  had  property  of  [*]  his  own 
and  little  labour,  he  found  himself  more  dependent  than 
ever.  The  present  system,  he  said,  was  man  against  man ;  if 
he  gained  today,  it  was  his  neighbour's  loss,  and  if  his 
neighbour  gained  tomorrow,  it  was  at  his  expense.  He 
would  do  anything,  he  added,  as  far  as  he  was  concerned 
to  bring  the  plan  of  community  into  practice.  Mr.  Owen 
agreed  to  have  some  conversation  tomorrow  evening  after 
dusk  on  the   subject,   with   Mr.    Wood   &  6  or   8  of   his 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  259 

friends,  if  they  felt  disposed  to  come  &  spend  the  evening  at 
Mr.  Flower's.  Mrs.  Pickering  being  very  unwell,  Mr.  & 
Mrs.  Flower  went  &  passed  the  night  at  her  house. — In  the 
course  of  the  evening  Mr.  Carter  &  Mr.  Lewis  came  from 
Albion  as  deputies  to  request  Mr.  Owen  to  hold  another 
meeting,  as  many  persons  both  of  Albion  &  Wanbro  wished 
to  discuss  with  him  the  merits  of  his  plan.  They  shewed 
a  paper  containing  a  dozen  &  a  half  of  signatures,  offering 
to  become  members  of  a  community.  Among  the  number 
I  observed  the  names  of  Messrs.  Birbeck  (son)  Birket, 
Johnston,  Lewis,  Orange,  Spring  &  Carter.  Mr.  Owen 
appointed  one  o'clock  on  Thursday  at  Albion,  for  the 
meeting.  He  shewed  and  explained  the  drawings  of  his 
plan  to  Messrs.  Carter,  Lewis  &  Ronalds.  I  had  some 
conversation  [*]  with  Miss  Gertrude,  who  is  pretty,  mild, 
amiable,  and  extremely  pleasing.  She  sang  a  few  little 
german  songs  in  an  unaffected  manner,  &  was  a  fine 
specimen  in  her  own  manners,  how  charming,  simple, 
innocent  &  interesting  a  character  a  Harmonic  life  is 
capable  of  producing. 

Fog  &  Rain.     Ther.  50°.     Mr.  Rapp  &  his  neice  set  off  Wednesday  29th 
after  breakfast  for  Harmonic,  Mr.  Owen  having  engaged  " 

either  to  go  over  there  on  Friday  or  Saturday,  or  meet  him 
on  Monday  at  Vincennes  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the 
Shaker  establishment  at  Bussora.  Mr.  Owen  occupied 
himself  looking  over  his  papers.  In  the  course  of  the  day 
the  post  arrived  at  Albion  from  Vincennes,  bringing  a 
variety  of  newspapers  for  Mr.  Flower.  These  engaged 
our  attention  during  the  evening.  One  of  them  contained 
the  Presidents  Message,  in  which  he  spoke  of  civilizing 
the  Indians.  It  struck  us  that  should  Mr.  Owen  purchase 
Harmonic,  he  would  be  a  good  agent  for  that  purpose 
between  the  U.  States  &  the  Tribes,  and  the  establishment 
of  Harmonic  a  place  of  interest  &  attraction  to  them.  [A 
Farmer  of  the  name  of  Michels  called  on  Mr.  Owen.  He  is 
a  Methodist,  but  very  desirous  of  becoming  a  member  of  a 
community.  He  is  an  industrious  man.]  Mr.  Owen  talked 
to  Wm.  and  myself  about  our  remaining  at  Harmonic  to 
make  ourselves  acquainted  with  the  several  operations  carried 
on  in  the  village,  while  he  proceeded  to  Washington. 


260  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

Thursday  30**'.  This   (lay   was   calm   &   cloudy,    without    rain.      Ther^. 

Dccf.  ranged  between  40°  &  50''.    About  one  o'clock  [*]  we  went 

up  to  Albion.  Before  two  o'clock  about  70  persons  had 
assembled  in  a  room  in  the  Brick  Tavern.  Among  the 
number  were  several  from  Wanbro;  half  a  dozen  respectable 
looking  females;  about  two  dozen  hard  working  looking 
farmers  &  inechanics ;  several  young  persons  and  5  or  6  black 
men  &  women.  They  shewed  by  their  appearance  the 
irregular  habits  of  life  followed  by  them,  but  with  the 
exception  of  a  noisy  drunken  man  who  came  in  for  a  few 
minutes,  they  behaved  with  great  attention  and  propriety. 
M^.  Owen  shewed  them  his  plans,  and  mentioned  that  his 
object  in  visiting  Harmonic  had  been  to  see  whether  that 
place  would  serve  as  a  temporary  residence  for  an  association 
of  persons  while  they  were  acquiring  the  habits  and  infor- 
mation requisite  for  persons  entering  an  establishment  of  the 
construction  he  had  been  shewing  them.  He  continued,  that 
he  had  found  a  great  many  advantages  at  Harmonic,  and 
considered  that  any  population  removing  to  that  situation 
would  immediately  find  themselves  in  a  superior  situation. 
The  report  of  the  unhealthiness  of  Harmonic  was  incor- 
rect. Before  the  land  was  cleared  the  inhabitants  were 
sickly.  The  sickness  diminished  as  they  cleared  the  land ;  and 
out  of  800  persons  5  died  in  1822  &  2  only  in  1823.  He 
mentioned  that  from  his  experience,  he  found  it  better 
to  [*]  manage  a  population  without  praise  or  blame,  reward 
or  punishment.  He  said  that  he  intended  that  the  utmost 
toleration  of  opinion  should  prevail  in  associations  formed 
upon  his  principles ;  for  he  could  not  conceive  a  more 
irrational  proceeding  or  greater  injustice,  that  [sic]  to  be 
angry  with  or  censure  any  person  for  his  opinions,  or  prevent 
him  having  the  fullest  &  f reeest  exercise  of  worship  according 
to  his  Belief.  He  said  that  it  had  occurred  to  him  that 
morning,  that  were  he  to  purchase  Harmonic,  an  association 
of  persons  might  rent  it  of  him,  and  he  could  make  all  the 
arrangements  and  direct  their  proceedings  till  every  thing 
should  be  well  understood  &  went  on  in  its  regular  course. 
To  questions  as  to  the  method  to  be  adopted  by  persons 
having  houses,  lands  &  stock  around  Albion,  who  might  be 
disposed  to  join  him,  he  replied  that  he  had  been  considering 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  261 

the  difficulty  stated,  and  that  he  had  been  thinking  that 
cotton  might  be  grown  on  the  dry  lands,  &  that  the  wet 
ground  might  be  turned  into  grass  land.  Mr.  Owen  concluded 
by  saying  that  they  might  reflect  upon  all  these  matters ;  that 
he  intended  to  return  again  to  Harmonic,  and  further 
examine  that  concern;  that  if  they  thought  they  could  form 
themselves  into  an  association  upon  any  other  plan,  he  would 
be  most  happy  to  [*]  give  them  every  assistance  in  his  (Thursday  3otiv 
power. — After  the  meeting  broke  up,  several  persons  ^^^''-  contd) 
remained  for  some  time  conversing  together  on  the  subject. 
We  dined  at  Mrs.  Wattle's.  Her  husband  Judge  Wattle 
was  absent  on  law  duty.  While  M^.  Clinton  was  Governor 
of  the  State  of  New  York  &  in  high  public  estimation 
Judge  Wattle  was  likewise  in  consideration  in  the  east.  Upon 
the  change  of  Politics  which  put  Mf.  Clinton  out  of  office, 
and  some  failures  at  the  same  time  by  which  Judge  Wattle 
lost  considerable  sums  of  money;  the  Judge  determined  to 
retire  into  the  Western  States,  and  ultimately  fixed  his 
residence  at  Albion,  where  he  has  built  a  small  house.  The 
dinner  was  cooked  &  served  by  M^s.  Wattle,  Miss  Ross,  & 
Mrs.  Lewis.  We  had  most  of  the  persons  present  \^ho 
were  at  M^".  George  Flower's.  We  returned  home  early  in  the 
evening,  and  found  Mi".  Warangton,  the  schoolmaster,  waiting 
to  converse  with  M^".  Owen  as  to  the  improved  method  of 
managing  his  school.  M^.  Warangton  allowed  that  he  thought 
Man's  character  to  be  formed  for  him,  &  approved  of  a 
system  of  tuition  without  praise  or  blame,  reward  or  punish- 
ment, but  he  involved  the  question  in  the  discussion  of 
whether  blame  must  not  necessarily  be  attached  to  the  Deity 
for  all  the  bad  actions  of  men,  if  we  relieved  them  of 
blame,  and  went  on  to  contend  that  such  a  consequence 
proved  that  man  must  be  a  free  agent,  and  that  it  [*]  would 
be  inconsistent  not  to  praise  &  blame,  reward  &  punish.  The 
discussion  was  carried  on  for  at  least  two  hours. — 

This  day  was  calm  but  cloudy.  We  sent  our  portmanteaus   Friday  31st. 
by  Mr.  Benton's  cart,  which  was  going  on  business  to  Har-  Dec^. 
monie.     We  started  on  horseback  about   10  o'clock.     We 
travelled  at  an  easy  trot  through  the  prairie  &  oak  forest, 
called  the  barrens,  came  into  the  Shawnee  town  road  8  miles 
south  of  the  village  of  Bon  pas ;  soon  left  this  road  &  crossed 


262  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

to  the  left  over  the  Fox  Creek,  which  was  very  low ;  crossed 
Fox  island  which  owing  to  the  wet  weather  was  very 
muddy;  and  passing  the  Wabash  ferry,  reached  Harmonie 
about  3  o'clock. — Mr,  Fred.  Rapp  spent  the  evening  with 
us.  He  brought  a  bottle  of  red  wine  for  us  to  taste,  made 
from  the  wild  grapes.  It  had  been  5  years  in  bottle,  at  first 
fermented  &  sickened  very  much,  &  was  a  long  time  before  it 
cleared.  It  had  a  sweet,  &  sharp  aromatic  flavour,  &  reminded 
me  of  the  common  sort  of  vin  de  moulin,  made  in  the  South 
of  France.  He  said  that  he  had  tried  pruning  the  wild 
vines,  but  that  they  ceased  to  bear  grapes  when  pruned. — In 
the  course  of  our  day's  ride  I  saw  2  wild  deer,  and  3 
turkey  buzzards. 
Saturday  !«<.  This  morning  the  wind  which   [*]   had  been  southerly 

January  1825.  £qj.  ^^^  |^g^  week  came  round  to  the  north  of  West.  It 
threatened  snow,  but  the  glass  standing  about  33°.  the  cold 
kept  it  off. — The  wind  was  sharp  &  the  day  cloudy  &  dry. — 
After  breakfast  M^.  Owen  went  out  with  Mi".  Rapp  & 
W™.  Owen  &  myself  went  with  M"".  George  Flower  to  see 
the  Harmonite  sheep.  There  are  3  flocks  of  merinoes,  the 
whole  number,  including  rams,  wethers,  ewes  &  lambs, 
amounting  to  between  800  &  900.  M^".  Rapp  proposed  to 
leave  700.  We  found  the  flocks  in  three  fold  houses,  which 
appeared  to  be  well  kept  and  of  a  convenient  size. — Mr.  Flower 
took  samples  of  the  wool  of  two  of  the  rams,  which  proved 
to  be  very  fine  wool.  In  winter  time  the  sheep  always  sleep 
in  the  houses,  but  in  summer  they  lay  out  and  shepherds  sleep 
out  with  them  to  protect  them  from  the  wolves. — For  this 
purpose  they  have  covered  carts. — When  we  returned  to  the 
inn,  Mr.  Ronalds  arrived  from  Albion,  having  set  out  early 
in  the  morning  in  the  expectation  of  meeting  his  sister  on 
her  way  home.  We  dined  at  midday,  and  between  one  &  two 
Mr.  &  Miss  Ronalds  &  Mr.  G.  Flower  left  us  for  Albion. 
Mr.  Owen  again  went  out  with  Mr.  Rapp  &  W»".  &  myself 
walked  upon  the  hills  a  mile  from  the  village  towards  the 
mill.  These  [*]  hills  are  at  least  200  feet  high,  descending 
abruptly  to  the  cut  which  runs  to  the  mill.  [From  the 
highest  point  of  these  hills  the  prospect  is  extensive  & 
beautiful.  A  few  judicious  openings  would  present  many 
picturesque  views  of  the  winding  river ;  and  a  little  taste 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  263 

in  leaving  here  &  there  small  clumps  of  trees  when  the  land 
is  cleared,  and  planting  a  few  artificial  shrubs  evergreens  & 
bushy  trees  would  much  augment  the  richness  of  the 
scenery.]  The  small  island  on  the  other  side  of  the  cut  is 
flat,  &  flooded  in  the  rainy  season,  &  covered  with  trees 
of  large  size,  which  retain  the  mark  several  feet  up  of  the 
river  water.  Through  the  trees  we  could  see  some  large 
stacks  or  barns  in  the  middle  of  the  island,  belonging  to 
the  Harmonites.  The  banks  of  the  river  are  very  picturesque 
in  this  part,  and  with  some  management  there  might  be 
made  many  extremely  beautiful  walks  &  rides.  We  returned 
at  the  back  &  west  of  the  orchards  which  are  large  &  shut 
in  by  good  palings.  The  town  &  these  orchards  stand  on 
a  kind  of  second  flat.  Between  them  &  the  river  is  a  lower 
one,  which  the  river  inundates  in  the  flooding  season.  This 
lower  flat  is  a  rich  soil  and  will,  I  have  no  doubt,  ultimately 
be  secured  by  embankments  from  the  inundation.  In  the 
evening  the  wind  went  down  &  it  began  to  freeze. — Mf.  Owen 
spent  some  part  of  the  evening  with  Mr.  Rapp,  occupied 
about  the  business  of  settling  for  the  purchase  of  Harmonie. 
Our  landlord  Mr.  Eckensberger  shewed  me  a  good  toned 
german  violoncello  which  he  played  [*]  at  the  musical  (Saturday  i**. 
meetings  of  the  Society.  In  the  course  of  conversation  he  J^"^-  ^5  contd) 
told  me  that  he  came  from  the  mountains  of  Suabia.  That 
he  &  several  others  of  the  surrounding  country  of  Wurtem- 
burg,  were  of  a  peculiar  religious  opinion,  not  merely 
forms  &  words;  that  M^".  Rapp  was  their  preacher,  &  that 
they  used  to  assemble  together  for  the  purpose  of  carrying 
on  their  peculiar  mode  of  worship.  The  clergy  at  length 
got  them  fined  every  time  they  met  together.  In  consequence 
of  this  they  determined  to  emigrate  to  America.  Their 
neighbours,  considering  them  to  be  the  most  orderly,  in- 
dustrious, &  honest  people  in  the  country,  were  much  averse 
to  this  step ;  but  they  finally  succeeding  in  carrying  their 
project  of  removal  into  execution.  When  they  purchased 
the  Estate  of  Harmonie  &  removed  from  the  neighbourhood 
of  Pittsburg,  they  hoped  to  be  joined  by  a  great  number 
of  their  countrymen,  &  therefore  took  a  much  greater  extent 
of  land  than  they  immediately  required.  Two  years  back 
finding  that  few  joined  their  association,  they  sent  some 


264 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


to  the  old  country  to  try  &  [*]  obtain  an  accession  to  their 
members.  Their  missionaries  however  proved  unsuccessful 
&  returned  about  this  time  twelve  months.  Soon  after  they 
resolved  to  sell  this  property,  &  purchase  a  smaller  one  in 
Pennsylvania  nearer  to  that  part  of  the  country  which  is 
peopled  by  germans. 
Sunday  2nd  At  7  oclock  this  morning  the  glass  was  at  22°.    The  day 

Jaiiv  1825.  ^yjjj;  calm  &  beautifully  clear.     The  sun  shone  brilliantly.   At 

nine  o'clock  the  Population  went  into  church.  As  they  passed 
our  window  they  looked  remarkably  respectable  &  orderly; 
their  dress  very  plain  &  old-fashioned,  but  clean  &  decently 
put  on.  W^i.  went  to  church,  while  Mf.  Owen  &  myself 
remained  at  home.  M'".  Owen  had  in  the  morning  received 
a  letter  from  Mr.  Rapp,  relative  to  their  discussions  last 
night,  and  containing  his  terms. — After  church  M^.  Owen 
received  another  note  from  Mi".  Rapp  to  inform  him  that  he 
had  received  notice  of  the  arrival  of  goods  at  Shawneetown, 
that  in  consequence  he  intended  to  send  a  keel  boat  down 
tomorrow,  &  that  other  business  would  prevent  [*]  him 
going  to  Vincennes.  M^.  Owen  therefore  determined  to  go 
to  Shawneetown,  &  a  person  was  dispatched  on  horseback 
with  a  letter  to  M'".  George  Flower,  as  that  gentleman  had 
arranged  to  meet  M^.  Owen  at  Vincennes.  After  dinner 
we  went  to  the  nursery  garden  which  was  full  of  apple 
trees.  There  were  also  two  small  patches  of  apple  trees  in 
an  orchard.  These  were  neatly  bound  round  with  straw  to 
preserve  them  from  the  rabbits.  We  afterwards  walked 
along  the  bank  of  the  cutoff,  turned  up  the  hills  on  our 
left,  crossed  along  by  the  vineyards,  and  returned  soon  after 
four  o'clock  to  the  town.  Mf.  Schnee  from  Springfield 
came  in  and  had  a  long  conversation  with  Mr.  Owen.  He 
has  been  a  woolen  manufacturer,  and  seemed  disposed  to 
join  an  association  &  take  part  in  the  direction  of  that 
branch  of  business. 
Monday  3'd.  During  breakfast  a  M^.  Clarke  from  the  neighbourhood 

Jany.  of   the    Illinois    River    arrived.      He   brought    a    letter    of 

introduction  to  Mr.  Owen  from  Mr.  Birkbeck.  He  had 
formerly  been  a  farmer  near  Rye  in  Kent,  had  been  12  years 
in  America,  traded  with  the  Indians,  been  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains    in    pursue    of    furs,    and    wintered    with    his 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  265 

companions  under  those  mountains.  We  had  [*]  con- 
siderable conversation  with  him  relative  to  the  manners  & 
customs  of  the  Indians,  the  new  system  of  society,  and  the 
rapid  progress  of  the  settling  in  the  Western  States.  He 
spoke  much  of  the  superior  fertility  of  the  western  country, 
and  said  that  during  the  last  fall  300  families  had  settled 
in  his  neighbourhood.  After  dinner  he  set  out  on  his  road 
east.  Mr.  George  Flower  arrived  from  Albion.  Having 
made  a  final  agreement  with  M"".  Fred.  Rapp  for  the 
purchase  of  Harmonic,  M"".  Owen  sent  his  baggage  down 
to  the  keelboat,  and  having  taken  leave  of  the  Harmonites 
we  embarked  about  3  o'clock.  The  afternoon  was  calm  &  clear 
but  cold.  We  had  six  rowers,  a  cook  and  a  captain.  Mr.  Rapp 
had  sent  provisions,  blankets  &  buffaloe  skins  on  board  for 
our  use.  The  cargo  was  light,  consisting  only  of  a  few 
barrels  of  flour.  There  was  a  stove  and  benches  in  the 
after  part,  and  altogether  we  were  tolerably  well  off.  We 
occasionally  rowed,  and  sometimes  the  Captain  played  on 
the  key  bugle  or  the  crew  sung  glees.  The  river  was  low 
for  the  season  of  the  year,  &  the  current,  which  sometimes 
ran  between  2  &  ^  miles  an  hour  &  at  other  times  not  above 
one,  [*]  was  rapidly  falling.  When  rowing,  the  boat  would  (Monday  3^^ 
often  go  from  3  to  4  miles  an  hour.  In  the  most  shallow  Jan^  cont*') 
parts  of  the  channel,  the  water  was  from  3  to  5  feet  deep ;  but 
we  often  had  above  two  fathoms.  The  night  was  beautifully 
illuminated  by  a  full  moon.  The  sides  of  the  river  are 
flat,  the  soil  rich  &  covered  with  large  timber.  The  cotton 
wood  is  very  abundant,  in  consequence  of  this  ground  being 
subject  to  be  flooded  in  the  Spring.  The  river  winds  very 
much,  &  has  several  islands  in  it. 

This  day  was  cloudless.  Though  the  morning  was  Tuesday  4^^- 
frosty  &  cold,  yet  the  rising  sun  gradually  warmed  the  air  Jany. 
and  produced  an  agreeable  temperature.  Before  we  reached 
the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  we  passed  the  mouth  of  the  little 
Wabash.  We  saw  several  Turkey  buzzards  and  some  smaller 
birds,  flocks  of  wild  geese  &  ducks,  but  we  did  not  get  near 
enough  to  shoot  any.  Some  of  the  river  bends  are  cut  off 
by  narrow  channels  forming  islands.  Some  of  these  channels 
may  be  navigated  during  high  water  &  in  the  day  time. 
One  [*]  of  them  saves  18  miles  of  distance.     We  entered 


266  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

the  Ohio  opposite  an  Island  belonging  to  the  State  of 
Kentucky,  called  Wabash  Island.  The  river  Wabash  may 
be  about  400  yards  wide  at  its  mouth;  below  the  Wabash 
island  the  Ohio  may  be  from  600  to  800  yards  broad.  At 
low  water  their  depth  where  they  meet  may  be  3  fathoms ;  at 
the  height  of  flood  from  7  to  9  fathoms.  We  arrived  at 
Shawneetown  about  half  after  3  o'clock.  From  the  mouth 
of  the  Wabash  Harmonie  may  be  65  miles,  &  Shawneetown 
10  miles  distant.  This  place  stands  on  the  edge  of  the  right 
bank  of  the  Ohio.  It  consists  of  two  straggling  streets.  The 
wood  is  cut  down  for  about  1/4  of  a  mile  every  way  round 
the  town  which  contains  about  150  houses,  including  log, 
frame  &  brick  buildings.  The  latter  description  of  house  is 
confined  to  a  very  small  number.  The  foundations  of  the 
brick  houses  are  built  from  2  to  4  feet  above  the  ground,  & 
those  of  the  wooden  buildings  are  raised  on  logs,  by  way  of 
protection  from  the  spring  inundation,  which  generally 
floods  the  whole  town.  We  put  up  at  the  Columbian  Inn,  at 
the  sign  of  Washington's  Head,  painted  by  Mi".  Harding 
of  Kentucky  [*]  who  went  to  England  last  spring,  and  took 
a  good  likeness  of  Mr.  Owen  in  London. — M^.  Rawlings,  the 
proprietor  was  very  attentive.  This  is  the  best  house  in  the 
town.  All  the  latest  papers  are  to  be  seen  here. — Mr.  Rapp 
has  a  store  here ;  his  agent  is  Mr.  Caldwell,  a  very  respectable 
man.  He  is  land  agent  for  the  United  States. — Shawneetown 
was  first  settled  as  the  nearest  port  on  the  Ohio,  from  the 
salt  spring  which  are  about  10  miles  inland.  There  is  a  post 
weekly  between  this  place  &  Harmonie.  The  distance  is  12 
miles  to  the  ferry  on  the  Wabash,  and  24  miles  from  thence 
through  Springfield.  We  supped  at  6  o'clock  and  spent  the 
evening  reading  the  papers  &  in  conversation  with  the  people 
of  the  place.  We  slept  in  a  room  with  two  other  persons. 
Wednesday  5^^.  Early  this  morning  the  Indiana  steamboat,  arrived  here 

■^^"^'  from  Louisville.   It  &  the  Congress  had  been  engaged  to  take 

a  cargo  &  some  of  the  Harmonie  people  up  to  Economy.  The 
captain,  Mr.  Clarke,  put  a  person  on  shore  at  Mount  Vernon, 
to  cross  over  &  give  notice  at  Harmonie  that  he  would  be 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  in  waiting  for  them,  and  called 
at  Shawneetown  to  take  on  board  several  articles  from  the 
store.     In  the  course  of  the  forenoon  Mr.  Owen  conversed 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  267 

with  some  of  the  people,  among  the  number  D^.  Reid,  &  sub- 
scribed for  the  [*]  Shawneetown  Gazette,  3  dollars  per 
annum,  published  every  Saturday.  About  mid-day  we 
embarked  on  board  the  steamboat,  which  took  the  keelboat 
alongside.  As  there  was  no  pilot  on  board  acquainted  with 
the  navigation  of  the  Wabash,  we  only  went  2  miles 
up  the  river  &  anchored  on  the  river  side.  [The  weather 
calm  &  clear.]  In  the  evening  the  crew  of  the  Harmonic 
boat  sang  to  the  company  in  the  cabin,  consisting  of 
Captn.  &  Mi-s.  Clarke,  M",  Fitch  from  New  Albany.  &  our- 
selves.    I  wrote  to  my  uncle. 

We  spent  the  whole  of  this  day  waiting  for  the  Thursday  6*^. 
Harmonites.  During  dinner  M*".  Rawlings  the  master  of  Janx 
the  Shawneetown  Inn.  We  amused  ourselves  part  of  the 
time  making  fires  in  the  wood.  About  4  o'clock  3  flat 
boats  arrived  with  a  cargo  from  Harmonic  &  the  notice 
that  M"".  Rapp  &  the  party  would  meet  the  steamboat  at 
Mount  Vernon.  In  the  evening  I  wrote  to  Skene,  and  gave 
my  letters  to  M^.  Owen  to  forward  from  Washington. 
Between  10  &  11  o'clock  at  Night  every  thing  being  on 
board,  we  set  off  up  the  river  Ohio  leaving  the  Harmonic 
boats  to  return  up  the  Wabash.  On  our  way  one  of  the 
fire  men  fell  over  board,  his  foot  slipping  on  the  icy  deck 
as  he  stopped  for  wood.  He  slid  so  far  out  as  to  escape 
the  wheel  which  only  grazed  the  skin  off  one  of  his  knees. 
The  engine  was  immediately  stopped  &  a  row  boat  sent  after 
him.  As  he  swam  in  the  water  he  kept  halloeing  out  to 
give  notice  where  he  was.  At  this  moment  the  Magnet 
steamboat  overtook  us  [*]  coming  up  the  river,  and  it  was  (Thursday  6^^. 
with  difficulty  that  he  swam  out  of  her  way.  At  length  he  ^^^^  *^°"^**) 
was  safely  got  on  board.  One  of  the  passengers  mentioned 
that  he  was  standing  near  the  wheel  of  a  steamboat  when 
a  man  fell  over  the  bows,  and  coming  under  the  wheel 
between  two  of  the  flappers  was  safely  picked  up  with 
the  water  &  pitched  upon  the  deck  again  without  further 
injury  than  being  almost  drowned  with  water. 

About   4   o'clock   this   morning   we   arrived   at    Mount   Friday  7th. 
Vernon.  M^.  Rapp  &  his  party  who  had  been  waiting  at  night  ^^"^ 
in  Mr.  James's  inn,  immediately  came  on  board.   M^".  Schnee 
from  Springfield  had  accompanied  them.     Wm.   Owen  & 


268 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Saturday  S^^ 
Jany 


Sunday  9<h, 
Jany 


myself  took  leave  of  Mr.  Owen  &  landed. — We  breakfasted 
at  the  inn  with  M^.  Rawlings,  J\Ir.  Schnee,  two  or  three 
other  persons,  and  the  sheriff  of  this  county  and  a  young 
man  taken  up  for  murder,  whom  he  was  conveying  prisoner 
to  the  state  of  Tennessee.  After  breakfast  we  rode  to 
Harmonic  on  two  of  M"".  Rapp's  horses,  by  the  lower  road 
which  is  a  mile  shorter,  better  for  horses,  but  not  so  good 
for  carriages  as  the  Springfield  road,  on  account  of  the 
hills  &  creeks. — As  I  did  not  find  myself  very  well,  I  rested 
the  rest  of  the  day.  The  afternoon  was  cloudy  but 
calm  &  not  cold.  [*] 

This  day  was  calm,  cloudy  &  mild  weather.  After 
breakfast  we  called  and  saw  M's.  Rapp  and  her  grand 
daughter  jMiss  Gertrude,  &  then  returned  to  the  inn  to  write 
our  Journals.  We  dined  between  12  &  one  o'clock.  After 
dinner  Mr.  Schnee  &  his  wife  came  in.  In  the  course  of 
conversation  I  learnt  that  there  are  52  counties  in  this 
state,  and  5  Judges.  The  circuit  in  which  this  county 
(Posey)  is,  contains  nine  counties.  The  Judges  have  700$ 
a  year,  &  are  elected  for  5  years.'  The  Judge  of  this  circuit 
is  Goodlet.  A  Gazette  is  published  every  week  at  Evansville. 
In  the  afternoon  we  took  a  long  walk  into  the  wood. 

This  morning  the  glass  was  at  34°.  &  the  weather  calm 
and  cloudy.  As  M^.  Rapp  was  from  home,  the  Harmonians 
had  no  church.  W"\  Owen  &  myself  drew  out  an  altered 
form  of  notice  relative  to  the  persons  &  the  terms  on  which 
they  would  be  admitted  as  members  of  the  New  Society. 
After  dinner  we  walked  into  the  woods.  On  our  return  we 
found  a  large  party  which  had  arrived  from  Princetown, 
consisting  of  General  Evans  &  his  lady,  General  Lely  [Neely] 
Postmaster  &  his  lady,  Mr.  Brown  tavern  keeper,  M"".  Hall 
lawyer,  Mr.  Arbuthnot  saddler,  and  another  gentleman.  The 
ladies,  as  is  customary,  occupied  the  private  [*]  sitting  room 
and  the  gentlemen  the  public  room.  We  spent  the  evening 
in  conversation  with  them.  They  seemed  much  pleased  with 
Mr.  Owen's  plans,  and  remarked  that  the  country  round 
were  delighted  at  the  change  which  was  about  to  take  place 
in  this  settlement.  Mr.  Hall  made  several  enquires  relative 
to  the  plan  about  to  be  adopted,  which  induced  me  to  enter 

'The  term  of  the  judges  was  seven  years. — Ed. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  269 

fully  upon  the  subject  with  them.  They  expressed  their 
concurrence  with  me  in  the  opinions  I  expressed  relative  to  the 
nature  of  Man  &  the  system  of  cooperation.  Mr.  Arbuthnot 
said  that  he  had  been  much  taken  with  the  subject,  and 
should  not  wonder  if  upon  a  satisfactory  communication 
with  M^'.  Owen  he  should  join  the  Society  with  his  wife  & 
family.  General  Evans  expressed  himself  much  to  the  same 
purpose.  M"".  Brown  wished  us  to  write  to  M"".  Owen  that 
he  might  use  his  influence  with  the  postmaster  General  to 
have  the  mail  carried  between  this  place  &  Princetown  in  a 
stage  instead  of  on  horseback  as  at  present.  General  Evans 
conversed  with  me  a  considerable  time  about  the  Indian 
Tribes.  He  said  that  he  settled  in  this  country  about  9  years 
ago,  when  it  was  covered  with  Indians,  that  he  had  constant 
intercourse  with  them,  learnt  enough  of  their  language  to 
have  a  little  conversation  with  them,  and  that  he  discovered 
much  to  admire  in  them.  When  he  had  [*]  occasion  to  go 
away  from  home  for  a  few  days,  he  would  go  to  some 
neighbouring  camp  where  he  had  Indian  acquaintance,  tell 
them  he  wished  them  to  protect  his  house  &  family  while 
he  was  away ;  &  two  or  three  of  the  men  &  squaws  would 
remove  &  build  their  hut  close  to  his  house,  remaining  there 
as  a  guard  of  safety  till  his  return.  He  added  that  he  never 
was  so  safe  as  when  surrounded  by  Indians.  Sometimes 
his  horses  would  get  loose  &  stray  away  into  the  woods.  He 
would  acquaint  the  Indians  of  it,  &  2  or  3  young  men  would 
start  off,  &  never  return  till  they  caught  them.  This  service 
he  repaid  with  corn  or  whisky.  When  a  party  of  them 
began  drinking,  one  would  always  take  their  arms  &  put 
them  on  one  side  and  keep  himself  sober  as  a  guard  over 
the  others.  Afterwards  if  any  quarrelled  they  would  run 
for  their  arms,  but  finding  them  set  apart  &  a  sober  com- 
panion in  charge,  they  would  cease  their  dispute,  being  above 
contention  by  blows  or  wrestling.  Sometimes  they  would 
borrow  from  him,  or  trade  with  him  for  rifles  or  other 
articles  which  he  had  purchased  for  the  purpose  of  bartering 
with  them.  If  they  could  not  pay  at  the  time,  [*]  they  (Sunday  9^^. 
would  promise  to  return  &  pay  him  on  a  certain  day.  If  they  J^"^  contd) 
had  procured  their  furs  before  the  appointed  time,  &  returned 
to  their  camps  they  would  not  come  to  him  till  the  day  they 


270  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

had  named;  but  he  never  was  once  deceived  by  any  of 
them.  He  then  gave  me  some  description  &  account  of 
Tecumseh.  This  Indian  chief  was  a  fine  figure  of  a  man, 
and  a  wonderful  clever  &  well  informed  person  for  a  natural 
Indian.  When  he  had  his  interview  with  General  Harrison 
Governor  of  the  state,  the  general  first  invited  his  own 
company  &  friends  to  be  seated,  after  which  he  told  the 
interpreter  to  say  to  Tecumseh  that  his  Father  wished  to 
have  a  friendly  meeting  with  him  &  invited  him  to  be 
seated.  He  used  the  term  father  in  imitation  of  the  Indians 
who  style  the  President  of  the  U.  States  their  great  Father. 
Tecumseh  who  had  been  much  huffed  that  he  himself  had 
not  been  looked  upon  as  the  greatest  person  in  company 
and  given  a  chair  before  the  General's  friends,  replied 
indignantly  "You,  my  Father!  No.  The  Sun  is  my  Father. 
"The  Earth  is  my  Mother,  and  I  will  repose  myself  upon 
"her  lap,"  and  seating  himself  upon  the  ground,  was  imitated 
by  all  his  followers. 
Monday  loth  This   morning   was   beautifully    [*]    clear.      The   glass 

J*"*"  stood  at  22°.    When  the  sun  rose  the  day  became  pleasantly 

warm  in  the  sun.  The  Princetown  party  conversed  much 
about  Mr.  Owen's  new  system.  General  Evans  described 
to  me  the  way  the  State  of  Indiana  is  divided  into  Dis- 
tricts &  Ranges.  A  base  line  was  fixed  running  East  &  west 
nearly  through  the  middle  of  the  State,  and  a  meridian  line 
on  the  eastern  extremity.  Another  meridian  line  was  marked 
off  every  6  miles  west,  and  other  lines  every  6  miles 
'north  &  south  of  the  base  line,  were  marked  off  parallel  to 
that  line.  Thus  each  District  contains  36  square  miles  or 
sections  as  they  are  called,  containing  640  acres,  and  is 
described  as  being  the  i^t  2nd  or  y^  &c  district,  north  or 
south  of  the  base  line,  and  in  the  i^t  2nd  or  3rd  &c  West  range. 
Engineers  were  appointed  by  government  to  survey  these 
lines,  as  well  as  the  lines  dividing  the  sections,  at  the  rate 
of  $3  a  day.  They  measured  straight  through  the  woods,  and 
at  the  angles  marked  4  convenient  trees,  &  specified  upon 
them  the  distance  &  the  direction  by  compass  to  the  exact 
spot  where  they  drove  in  a  picket  to  mark  the  point  where 
the  lines  crossed. — The  unsold  lands  are  called  congress 
lands.     There  is  a  land  office  in  every  county  for  the  sale 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  271 

of  lands/  [*]  The  government  price  is  one  and  a  quarter 
dollar  an  acre,  and  the  smallest  lot  is  i/8th  of  a  section 
or  80  acres,  amounting  to  ioOv$.  The  Eastern  Mail  leaves 
Princetown  every  Thursday  morning.  There  are  2  senators 
and  3  representatives  in  congress  for  the  State  of  Indiana. 
Mr.  Jacob  Call  residing  in  Vincennes  is  one.  They  receive 
3  dollars  a  day  during  the  sitting  of  congress,  and  this  is 
continued  20  days  before  &  after.  Their  letters  go  free  of 
any  weight.  The  members  of  this  State's  Legislature 
receive  2$  a  day.  Every  proprietor  is  taxed  for  the  repair 
of  roads ;  but  no  one  can  be  taxed  more  than  4  days 
labour,  the  tax  upon  a  quarter  section  of  land.  General  Evans 
wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Call  the  member,  introducing  Mr.  Owen 
to  him ;  this  letter  we  put  under  another  cover  together  with 
letters  to  Mr.  Owen  &  a  copy  of  the  notice.  In  the  afternoon 
we  visited  some  of  the  farmyards  &  stables,  &  cotton 
manufactory,  &  walked  about  three  miles  up  the  river  bank.  In 
the  evening  we  went  to  the  church,  where  about  10  of  the 
band  of  the  Harmonians  played  some  marches  &  waltzes  to 
us.  Wm.  Owen  received  a  note  from  Mr.  George  Flower 
mentioning  that  Mr.  Mcintosh  who  lives  at  the  falls  of  the 
Wabash  below  Vincennes  was  desirous  of  becoming  [*]  a 
member  of  the  Society,  and  he  added  that  a  disagreement  had 
lately  taken  place  in  Vincennes  between  several  f rench  families 
&  their  priest,  &  that  as  these  families  were  going  to  remove, 
he  thought  about  30  of  them  would  join  the  Society. — This 
information  we  gave  in  our  letters  to  Mr.  Owen. 

This  day  was  beautifully  fine  &  clear.  At  7  o'clock  Tuesday  nth. 
in  the  morning  the  therr.  stood  at  24°  but  the  sun  soon  ^^'^' 
made  the  day  agreeably  warm.  After  breakfast  I  looked  at 
two  horses,  one  a  large  grey  barb  belonging  to  General  Evans 
for  100$,  the  other  a  Black  well  made  little  horse  for  45$. 
Mr.  Baker  at  the  Harmonite  store  looked  at  one  for  us,  a 
young  bay  horse  out  of  condition  for  55$.  I  understood 
that  an  excellent  hack  ought  not  to  cost  above  40$,  though 
the  price  had  been  higher  4  years  ago. — The  Princetown 
party   left   us   with    many   invitations   to    visit   them ;    and 

^Macdonald  was  in  error.  Land  offices  were  widely  scattered  over 
the  state,  at  Vincennes,  Jeffersonville,  Brookville,  Crawfordsville,  and 
Fort  Wayne. — En. 


272  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

Mr.  Carter,  &  Mr  &  Mrs.  Birkett  arrived  from  Albion.  We 
shewed  our  notice  to  them,  and  Hkewise  to  a  blacksmith 
trader  from  Wheeling.  They  approved  much  of  it. — After 
dinner  we  went  to  visit  the  wooden  granary,  and  the 
mill,  cotton  &  woolen  Manufactours  &  dye  house,  all  turned 
(Tuesday  ii^h  by  a  steam  Engine  [*]  In  the  evening  I  gave  Mr.  Baker,  the 
Jany  contd)  storekeeper,  the  notice  to  read.  A  Mr.  Alexander  Stuart  from 

Perthshire  called  with  a  letter  from  Mr.  George  Flower.   He 
is  settled  15  miles  west  of  Wanborough.     He  is  a  farrier  & 
veterinary  surgeon  by  trade,  &  wished  to  have  a  copy  of 
Mr.  Owen's  proposals. 
Wednesday  12^^.  A  beautifully  clear  &  calm  morning.     Therr.  24°.     The 

J^"''-  sun  rose  brilliantly.    I  omitted  to  mention  that  in  the  course 

of  conversation  on  Sunday  evening  General  Evans  described 
the  state  of  French  Society  at  Vincennes  when  he  first 
arrived  there  9  years  ago.  There  were  there  then  many 
very  respectable,  intelligent  french  families  in  good  circum- 
stances. They  carried  on  business  enough  to  make  them 
comfortable  and  keep  up  an  active  intercourse  with  the 
inhabitants  of  S^.  Louis  &  the  other  french  settlements. o 
[c>they  kept  the  settlement  in  a  pretty  &  flourishing  state. 
Their  houses  were  neat,  and  the  grounds  around  them  well 
cultivated  &  dressed  up  with  flower  gardens.]  On  Sundays 
he  would  see  them  coming  in  crowds  from  mass  and  hastening 
to  the  race  course  where  they  would  amuse  themselves  all 
day,  &  in  the  evening  have  dances  &  balls.  The  first  ball 
he  was  at  he  was  made  acquainted  with  one  of  their  customs 
by  having  the  trick  played  upon  himself.  While  standing 
in  conversation  with  a  gentleman  [*]  at  one  end  of  the 
ball-room,  a  lady  came  up  entered  into  conversation  with 
him  &  before  he  was  aware  of  it  sewed  a  ticket  on  the  lappet 
of  his  coat.  This  was  a  signal  that  he  was  engaged  to  give 
the  next  ball  &  be  the  king  of  it.  His  friend  then  informed 
him  that  he  must  choose  his  queen  from  among  the  ladies 
in  the  room,-"^  [-^in  the  same  manner,  by  fastening  the 
ticket,  when  unobserved,  on  the  sleeve  of  one  of  them,  then] 
presenting  his  hand  to  her,  kissing  her  cheek  (not  her  mouth 
which  would  be  an  offence)  and  dancing  with  her.  This 
he  performed,  gave  his  ball  which  cost  him  above  60$  (as 
it  was  customary  to  pay  for  a  new  ball-dress  for  his  queen) 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  273 

and  afterwards  was  considered  a  member  of  their  society 
and  admitted  to  all  their  amusements.  Latterly  however  he 
observed  that  many  of  the  principal  families  had  gone  away 
and  the  majority  of  the  remaining  settlers  were  poor  &  less 
industrious.  Princetown  is  26  or  28  miles  from  this,  and 
Vincennes  22  or  24  from  thence.  After  dinner  we  rode 
two  of  Mr.  Rapp's  horses  8  miles  into  the  woods  to  see  an 
oil  mill  and  a  saw  mill  separated  from  one  another  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile.  &  built  on  a  small  creek  which  was 
dammed  up  to  give  sufficient  falls  of  water.  They  were 
not  at  work.  Thence  we  rode  a  couple  [*]  of  miles  through 
the  wood  on  the  Princetown  side  to  a  small  prairie  about  100 
yards  long  &  a  field  &  cowherd's  shed  by  the  river  side.  Here 
they  send  their  cattle  &  young  horses  in  the  spring  to  get 
young  grass.  No  one  was  at  either  of  the  mills,  &  the 
hostler  who  rode  with  us  told  us  that  it  was  very  seldom 
that  any  thing  was  touched  or  taken  away.  On  our  return 
we  found  two  Shakers  from  Bussora  at  the  Tavern,  and 
had  some  conversation  with  them.  They  were  dressed  in 
grey  frock  coats  &  chocolate  coloured  trowsers.  Their 
manners  were  plain  and  their  behaviour  quiet  &  unassuming. 
One  of  them  had  lived  at  Waterfliet,  and  appeared  well 
pleased  at  learning  that  we  had  been  there.  Their  number 
at  Bussora  is  between  40  &  50.  There  are  altogether  in  the 
states  13  societies  consisting  of  about  4000  persons.  They 
only  trade  with  the  public  enough  to  supply  themselves 
with  the  articles  of  consumption  which  they  cannot  produce 
at  home.  They  feed  silkworms  from  the  leaves  of  the 
wild  mulberry,  and  make  silks.  One  of  them  shewed  me 
a  black  silk  handkerchief  of  their  own  making,  which  he 
was  wearing  round  his  neck.  It  was  strong  and  well 
made.  Some  of  [*]  the  longer  established  societies,  he 
said,  made  silks  of  a  very  superior  description.  They  use 
coffee  made  from  rye,  which  they  are  very  fond  of.  They 
are  going  to  try  to  grow  the  tea  plant  which  they  have  been 
assured  is  likely  to  thrive  in  this  country.  Bussora  is  18 
miles  by  the  road  but  only  12  miles  directly  north  up  the 
Wabash  from  Vincennes.  They  think  the  vine  will  thrive 
particularly  well,  as  it  is  the  natural  &  abundant  production 
in    every   part   of    the    woods    around    them.      The    warm 


274  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

sun  &  the  cold  nights  &  sharp  frosts  sometimes  injure  &  kill 

the  S.  West  sides  of  the  apple  &  peach  trees.     They  make 

a  great  deal  of  cider,  which  they  consider  the  best  beverage. 

When  going  to  travel  on  horseback  in  cold  weather  they  take 

a  draught  of  cider  with  ginger  in  it,  which  warms  the  whole 

body.  The  names  of  the  Shakers  were  Meecham  &  M^Leland. 

Thursday  J3*^  [Weather  cloudy  &  damp.]     After  breakfast  we  rode 

Jan^-  over  to  Albion  to  see  the  Flowers.     We  were  accompanied 

the  greater  part  of  the  way  by   M^.   Steele  who  lives   in 

(Thursday I i*''       Albion.      M>".    Flower    [*]    was   confined    with   the    gout; 

Jany  contd)  jyjrs.  Pickering  still  seriously  ill  in  bed;  &  Mrs.  Ronalds  just 

brought  to  bed  of  a  girl. 
Friday  Mt**.  The  early  part  of  the  morning  was  rainy,  &  the  whole 

Jany-  of  the  day  cloudy,  but  not  cold. — Judge  Wattles  called  in 

the  afternoon,  and  had  some  conversation  about  Mr.  Owen's 
plan.  He  expressed  himself  very  favorable  to  it,  and  said 
that  he  thought  if  Mr.  Owen  made  it  well  understood  in  the 
Eastern  States,  that  a  great  many  of  the  best  Mechanics 
would  join  him  at  once.  M^.  Brissenden  a  farmer  &  friend 
of  Mr.  John  Wood  called ;  he  seemed  very  desirous  of 
joining  the  Society,  but  spoke  of  some  small  cash  debts 
which  he  &  his  friend  had,  which  they  must  settle  before 
they  could  leave  their  property  and  bring  their  stock  into 
the  Society.  In  the  evening  we  received  a  joint  letter  from 
the  two,  asking  several  questions  relative  to  the  arrangements 
of  the  association,  which  we  answered  by  telling  them  that 
Mr.  Owen  would  answer  them  on  his  return.  [Mr.  George 
Flower  told  us  that  Mr.  Mcintosh  seemed  disposed  to  join 
the  Society,  that  his  property  on  the  falls  of  the  Wabash 
would  hereafter  be  very  valuable ;  and  that  the  french  families 
who  were  thinking  of  removing  from  Vincennes,  were 
talking  of  settling  on  the  land  between  the  Ohio  &  Wabash 
rivers,  &  near  the  mouth  of  the  latter.] 
Saturday  15*^  The  morning   was    fine,   &   though   there   was   a   little 

^^^^  breeze    &    flying    clouds    from    the    south,    the    day    was 

mild,  &  like  spring  weather.  After  breakfast  we  called 
at  Mr.  Ronalds,  Judge  Wattles  &  Mrs.  Carters  &  returned 
to  Harmony. — On  our  way  we  [*]  met  Mr,  &  Mrs.  Birket  & 
Mr.  Carter,  returning  to  Albion.  As  we  came  out  of 
Judge  Wattles'  house  we  met  Dr.  Pugsley  who  introduced 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


275 


Tuesday  18*^. 


himself    &    said    he    intended    riding    over    to    Harmonie 
tomorrow.     We  found  the  two  Shakers  still  at  Harmonie. 

In  the  night  it  froze,  but  at  seven  o'clock  the  morning  Sunday  i6ti». 
was  beautiful,  without  a  cloud  &  the  theri".  at  34°.  &  rising  Janv 
fast.  The  wind  was  blowing  a  pleasant  breeze  from  the 
west  by  south.  The  Shakers  left  very  early.  After  dinner 
we  walked  to  the  bank  of  the  Wabash  below  the  cut  off. 
From  these  ridges  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  river.  On  our 
return  we  found  D^.  Pugsley,  &  jVIf.  Hall  &  Mr.  Clarke  from 
Albion.     We  sat  in  conversation  with  them  all  the  evening. 

After  breakfast  we  walked  south  through  the  woods  to  the  Monday  17^^. 
banks  of  the  Wabash  below  the  cut  off.     The  three  English 
visitors  were  very  much  pleased  with  the  scenery.  We  returned 
by  the  cut  off  mill.    We  spent  the  evening  in  discussion. 

After  Breakfast  we  [*]  went  with  the  English  visitors 
to  see  the  oilmill  &  saw  mill.  There  were  two  men  at  work 
at  each.  After  dinner  we  went  to  see  the  Distillery,  the 
Steam  Engine,  the  Thrashing  machine  and  Piggery. 

This  day  the  3  English  returned  to  Albion.   After  dinner  Wednesday  19th. 
we  went  through  the  Turner's  shop,  Tanyard,  soap  boiler's, 
Washhouse  &  hat  manufactory.    [This  evening  a  letter  came 
from  Richd.  Brenchley  tailor  in  Albion  offering  to  join.] 

We  rode  to  Springfield  &  thence  went  to  M^.  Phillips  Thursday  20th. 
schoolmaster  &  land  surveyor.  The  school  is  a  poor  one.  The 
children  looked  rather  pale  &  not  healthy.  He  himself  was 
sickly.  We  dined  at  Springfield  with  M"".  Schnee  & 
Mr.  Stewart.  After  dinner  we  saw  a  Hatter  who  resides 
there  &  is  disposed  to  join  the  Society  at  Harmonie.  He 
is  not  in  good  health.  On  our  return  in  the  evening  we 
found  two  English  settlers  arrived  from  the  Hornbrook 
settlement  10  miles  from  Evansville  &  28  miles  from 
hence.  Their  names  Mr.  Saunders  Hornbrook  who  had  a 
Woolen  Manufactory  near  Plymouth  &  emigrated  to  this 
country  about  6  years  ago;  &  Mr.  Medloe  who  had  a 
farm  in  Hampshire  &  came  over  at  the  same  time.  They 
conversed  [*]  in  a  way  to  shew  that  they  would  be  willing  to 
join  the  Society  here,  if  Mr.  Owen's  terms  should  suit  their 
views. —  [This  evening  two  letters  arrived  for  &  one  from 
Mr.  Owen.  The  latter  dated  Louisville  the  9th  inst.]  The 
weather  has  been  fine  &  dry  all  this  week,  &  the  nights  frosty. 


276 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Friday  2ist. 


(Tuesday  25th. 
Jany  contd) 


A  beautiful  morning,  ther'".  23°  at  7  o'clock. 

On  Saturday  we  sent  of  f  a  letter  to  Hunter  by  a  Traveller 
going  to  New  Orleans.  On  Monday  we  took  some  measure- 
ments of  the  Town.  On  Tuesday  we  rode  through  the  Cut  Off 
Island  with  M^.  Richard  one  of  the  store  keepers.  Various 
parts  are  above  the  flood  mark.  Some  of  them  are  cleared 
&  log  houses  built  for  cattle.  We  saw  a  good  many 
feeding.  &  some  colts.  There  is  a  small  prairie  on  which 
there  is  good  grass.  M'".  Richard  believes  that  there  is 
something  in  the  nature  of  the  ground  which  prevents  the 
growth  of  wood.  The  island  is  about  6  miles  long  &  from 
two  to  three  wide.  We  met  one  of  the  farmers;  he  said 
that  there  were  too  deer  in  the  island.  We  saw  a  few  at 
a  great  distance.  The  wild  turkies  are  abundant.  People 
from  the  boats  going  up  &  down,  are  in  the  habit  of 
landing  [*]  and  shooting  a  great  many.  They  take  dogs 
with  them,  who  stand  at  the  foot  of  the  trees  barking  while 
the  shooter  takes  a  deliberate  aim  from  behind  a  neighbouring 
trees.  The  turkies  are  too  intent  looking  down  at  the  dogs 
to  observe  him.  The  island  is  a  rich  soil  and  the  timber 
upon  it  large  &  thick.  We  saw  a  great  number  of  very 
large  buckhorn  trees. — 

On  Wednesday  we  wrote  letters.  I  wrote  Mi's.  Kemmis 
&  Mr.  Hamilton.  In  the  afternoon  some  American  gentlemen 
called  to  inquire  about  M"".  Owen's  plan ;  from  Evansville 
a  Ml".  Crockwell,  baker  &  grocer ;  from  Cynthiana  a  farmer, 
&  another  person :  &  a  M^".  Morris  Tavern  keeper  from 
Carmi  Illinois,  wishing  to  rent  the  Harmonic  tavern. 

On  Thursday  Mi".  Jaques  &  his  son  in  law  M^.  Rankins, 
[Likewise  a  ^l^.  Mathew  from  beyond  Bon  pas.]  conversed 
with  us,  &  invited  us  to  visit  them  9  miles  on  the  Prince 
town  road.  In  the  afternoon  we  rode  3  miles  south  to  a 
sawmill,  on  a  creek  which  runs  down  to  the  river  opposite 
to  Denis'  ferry.  The  creek  has  enough  water,  but  the  dam 
was  broken  down  last  flood.  The  situation  is  pleasant  &  the 
buildings  new.  It  would  not  [*]  be  much  trouble  to  repair 
the  dam,  &  set  the  mill  again  at  work.  It  is  a  mile  from 
the  \Vabash.  \Ve  thence  rode  down  to  the  river.  The 
Ferryman  lives  on  the  other  side,  on  a  tract  of  rich  land 
belonging  to  this  property.     On  this  side  there  is  a  small 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  277 

farm.     In  the  course  of  our  ride  we  passed  2  old  farms,  out 

of  which  the  people  had  been  bought. — A  great  part  of  our 

time    we    passed    in    visiting    the    town,    measuring    many 

places,  looking  at  the  manufactories,   workshops  &  empty 

houses,  and  making  a  rough  plan  as  a  memorandum,  till  the 

complete  one  made  by  M^.  Pickering  last  fall  shall  arrive.    In 

the  evenings  we  observed  the  stars  and  had  astronomical 

conversations    with    Miss    Gertrude    &    D^.    Millar.      The 

weather  continued  remarkably  clear  &  fine.    A  little  frost  at 

night  &  a  warm  sun  in  the  day.  No  wind,  &  only  now  &  then 

a  small  thin  cloud. — The  ther^".  in  the  morning  ranged  from 

16°,    18°,    22°    &    24"    to    29°,    30^    ^f    &   41°    for   the   Friday  28th. 

last  week. —  [*]  Janx 

Ml".  Lewis  from  x\Ibion  arrived.  We  visited  some  of  Saturday  29th. 
the  workshops,  &  continued  taking  notes  for  our  rough  Jany- 
sketch.  On  Sunday  M"".  Clarke's  two  sons  arrived.  We  saw 
in  the  Shawnee  town  Paper  a  letter  stating  that  M^.  Owen's 
'New  View  of  Society'  was  in  the  New  York  Press.  We 
therefore  sat  down  to  write  a  statement  of  the  Principles  & 
Practice  for  insertion  in  that  Paper,  thinking  that  the  subject  Sunday  30**1. 
was  misunderstood  &  that  a  letter  relative  to  it  would  be 
well  received.  This  day  our  letters  went  off. — The  Post 
arrives  here  from  Princetown  every  thursday  forenoon  &  goes 
on  to  Shawneetown,  which  it  again  leaves  on  Saturday  & 
passes  through  this  place  early  on  Sunday  morning,  the 
distance  from  Shawneetown  being  from  35  to  40  miles. 
There  are  two  or  three  roads;  one  by  Rood's  ferry  &  across 
Fox  Island  into  the  Vincennes  road ;  another  to  Denis'  Ferry 
3  miles  down  the  Wabash  ;  and  a  third  by  Springfield  &  across 
the  Wabash  5  miles  above  its  mouth.  The  latter  is  the  post 
road.  The  first  has  6  miles  of  bad  road  through  a  part  of 
Fox  Island  &  a  creek  to  cross ;  and  the  second  has  a  marsh 
to  cross. — We  got  D^".  Miller  to  print  a  hundred  copies  of 
the  Notice  which  we  had  drawn  out.  and  we  [*]  gave  some 
to  the  neighbours  who  called  to  enquire  about  Mr.  Owen. — A 
M''.  Owens  from  Bloomington,  Monroe  County  in  this 
State,  about  50  miles  south  of  Indianapolis  &  130  north  of 
this,  arrived;  he  came  for  the  purpose  of  making  enquiries 
concerning  the  Harmonie  flocks  &  the  management  of 
sheep,    &    likewise    to    hear    something    of    M*".    Owen's 


278 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


]st.  Feby. 
Tuesday 


Wednesday  2"^ 
Feby 


Friday  4*^. 
Feby 


Plan. — Mr.  Lewis  went  back  to  Albion  &  returned  on 
Tuesday  i^t.  Febx.  for  the  purpose  of  making  himself 
acquainted  with  the  process  of  making  candles  &  boiling 
soap,  which  business  he  proposed  to  follow  in  Mr.  Owen's 
Establishment. — We  had  long  conversations  with  Mr.  Owens 
&  excited  so  much  interest  in  his  mind  relative  to  the  New 
System  that  he  requested  to  copy  the  Letter  to  the  Editor  of 
the  Shawneetown  Paper,  promising  to  have  it  printed  in  the 
Paper  published  in  his  town. — The  two  Young  Clarke's  after 
visiting  the  different  manufactories  &c  in  the  Town  re- 
turned; and  likewise  Mr.  Lewis.  We  sent  by  Mr.  Lewis 
copies  of  the  Notice  to  Mr.  Flower  &  to  Mr.  Birbeck.  A 
Mr.  Maguire,  settled  on  the  Princeton  road,  called.  He 
wished  to  join  Mr.  Owen.  Li  the  afternoon  we  saw  [*]  him 
drunk.  We  read  in  the  Baltimore  American  Farmer  a  notice 
relative  to  an  Italian  gentleman  wishing  to  be  engaged  to 
manage  vineyards.  We  therefore  wrote  to  the  Editor  to  beg 
he  would  direct  him  to  apply  to  Mr.  Owen.  I  had  a  long 
discussion  with  Dr  Smith  about  Mr.  Owen's  Plan.  [The 
weather  for  some  days  had  been  clear  &  frosty.] 

[About  5  o'clock  this  morning,  the  thermometer  being 
down  at  6°.,  about  80  of  the  men  turned  out  with  clubs  & 
hoes,  and  knocked  off  all  the  corn  stalks  standing  on  from 
60  to  80  acres  of  land,  before  breakfast.  They  chose  this 
hour  as  the  stalks  are  very  brittle  during  a  hard  frost  &  be- 
fore sunrise ;  &  shewed  by  this  method  the  power  of  Union. 
After  the  above  process  the  stalks  are  left  to  rot  on  the 
ground  if  any  crop  be  in  it  already;  otherwise  they  are 
sometimes  cut  in  two  or  three  pieces  &  plowed  in,  or  they  are 
harrowed  together  &  burnt.  We  went  out  and  for  some  time 
joined  in  the  work.]  We  set  out  after  breakfast  for 
Princeton  on  two  of  Mr.  Rapp's  horses  with  a  pair  of  saddle 
bags  &  with  Kentucky  leggins,  which  consist  of  pieces  of 
cloth  passed  twice  round  the  leg  from  the  heel  to  a  few 
inches  above  the  knee  &  tied  with  garters.  They  are  very 
convenient.  We  had  Mr.  Owens  as  a  travelling  companion. — ■ 
The  weather  was  dry  but  cold  &  cloudy.  The  road  was 
through  well  timbered  lands  for  above  10  miles,  &  several 
small  settlements.  It  was  rough  &  ran  over  the  ends  of 
small  ridges  which  lose  themselves  on  the   flats  near  the 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  279 

course  of  the  Wabash.  The  road  afterwards  went  for  some 
miles  over  the  sandy  barrens  where  the  timl^er  was  extremely 
stunted,  &  consisted  of  a  dwarf  black  oak. — The  last  8  or 
ten  miles  of  the  road  [*]  to  Princeton  passed  through  a 
roling  country  of  rich  land  thickly  timbered.  [We  overtook 
a  brother  of  Gen^.  Evans  on  the  road,  who  accompanied  us 
into  the  Town.]  We  reached  Princeton  distant  28  miles, 
between  4  &  5  o'clock,  and  put  up  at  Mr.  Brown's  Tavern, 
which  is  at  present  kept  by  M^".  Daniels.  Here  we  again  met 
Gen's.  Evans  &  Neily,  Mr.  Arbuthnot,  &  Mr.  Hall. — We 
were  attended  to  as  well  as  the  house  could  afford,  but  had 
to  sleep  in  the  .same  bed,  while  Mr.  Owens  occupied  another 
in  the  same  room. 

Princeton  stands  on  an  open  level  place.  The  land  Saturday  5th. 
around  is  rich  &  well  wooded.  The  town  is  scattered ;  it  ^^*'^- 
has  a  sort  of  a  square  in  the  middle  with  a  courthouse  & 
small  jail ;  the  former  built  of  brick.  Many  of  the  houses 
are  frame  built,  &  some  of  them  painted.  There  may  be 
from  150  to  200  families  in  this  settlement. —  [Mr.  Owens 
left  us  this  morning  for  Vincennes.]  After  breakfast 
we  walked  with  Mr.  Brown  &  Genl  Evans  &  called  on 
Mr.  Phillips  an  Englishman  who  has  been  settled  on  some 
lands  adjoining  to  the  town  for  6  years.  His  farm  house 
is  built  upon  a  hill  overlooking  the  town.  He  has  cleared  a 
large  quantity  of  ground  &  brought  it  into  a  good  state  of 
cultivation.  In  Great  Britain  he  was  a  considerable  Mail 
coach  proprietor  &  well  known.  He  left  off  business  on 
account  of  the  bad  state  of  his  health,  travelled  through  the 
United  States,  and  [*]  at  length  taking  a  fancy  to  this  spot 
fixed  himself  here.  He  says  that  he  was  very  much  imposed 
upon  &  had  many  difficulties  to  contend  against.  We  called 
on  Mr.  Hall  who  was  in  his  law  office,  &  on  I\Ir.  Arbuthnot 
who  was  in  his  saddler's  shop.  We  conversed  with  several 
of  the  inhabitants  relative  to  Mr.  Owen's  Plans,  &  drank  tea 
at  Gen'  Evans  where  we  were  introduced  to  Mrs.  Evans  & 
three  of  his  sisters. — It  was  in  Princeton  that  Mr.  Birbeck 
remained  with  his  family  for  several  months  after  he  first 
came  to  this  country,  and  here  he  wrote  his  pamphlet  on 
Emigration.  He  spent  a  good  deal  of  ready  money  &  lost 
a  season  by  his  unwillingness  to  adopt  the  American  system 


280  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

of  farming  in  those  resi^ects  which  were  best  fitted  for  this 
soil  &  cHmate,  and  in  the  postage  money  which   he   was 
continually  paying.      His   two  daughters   made   themselves 
disliked  by  the  females  here. — 
Sunday  6th.  After  breakfast  we  set  out  for  Vinceimes,  Mi".  Phillips 

^^^^  accompanying  us.     We  were  overtaken  by  Genl  Evans  who 

accompanied  us  through  a  thick  wood  &  rich  land  to  the 
other  side  of  the  Patoka  river  to  a  settlement  called  Columbia 
which  was  first  established  with  the  idea  that  it  would  be 
made  a  county  town;  but  that  not  [*]  being  the  case  it  had 
declined.  It  has  now  only  two  or  three  families  in  it.  [In 
the  course  of  the  ride  Genl  Evans  expressed  to  me  his  good 
opinion  of  M*".  Owen's  plan,  &  said  that  he  should  make 
haste  to  return  from  Virginia  whither  he  was  about  to  go  on 
business,  in  order  to  see  M^.  Owen.  Should  he  be  able  to 
make  an  agreement  w^ith  him,  he  would  be  happy  to  join 
the  Society.]  The  Patoka  is  a  small  stream  not  above  40  feet 
wide ;  it  has  however  a  long  winding  course,  swells  in  rainy 
weather,  and  enters  the  Wabash  river  a  short  distance  below 
the  mouth  of  the  White  river.  &  a  little  lower  down  than 
Mount  Carmel  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Wabash. — We 
crossed  a  bridge  &  proceeded  by  Major  Rob's  farm  to  the 
White  river  which  is  nearly  as  broad  as  the  Wabash,  &  is 
navigable  for  boats  a  great  distance  inland.  There  are  two 
ferries;  we  took  the  upper  one.  which  is  12  miles  from 
Princeton.  The  river  was  very  low,  caused  by  the  long  dry 
weather.  The  banks  are  sandy. — The  river  makes  a  bend 
between  the  two  ferries,  so  that  on  the  north  side  the  distance 
from  one  to  the  other  is  not  above  a  mile ;  so  we  were 
told. — Ml'.  Dick  a  Scotch  farmer,  has  a  property  here,  his 
house  is  near  the  lower  ferry. — Both  sides  of  this  river  are 
flooded  on  the  rising  of  the  waters.  We  travelled  the  rest 
of  the  way  to  Vincennes  through  small  black  oak  &  a  sandy 
soil.  The  Evansville  coach  which  arrived  last  evening  at 
(Sunday  6tii.  Princeton,   [*]  overtook  us  at  a  settlement  where  we  stopt 

cont  )  £qj.  ^  £g^  minutes.    It  is  a  covered  two  horse  spring  waggon. 

It  runs  once  a  week  between  Vincennes  &  Evansville.  It 
takes  two  days  to  go  the  distance  which  is  23  &  27  =  50 
miles; — fare  3  1/2  dollars.  We  reached  Vincennes  between 
3  &  4  o'clock,  &  put  up  at  M's.  Jones,  a  tolerable  tavern  for 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  281 

this  country.  The  town  is  a  scattered  place  standing  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Wabash,  and  surrounded  on  the  other  sides 
by  a  prairie  of  small  extent,  which  resembles  in  some  manner 
an  English  race  course.  The  houses  are  for  the  most  part 
small  frame  buildings ;  but  there  are  a  few  brick  houses.  The 
gardens  are  inclosed  by  palings,  but  they  do  not  appear 
neat.  [The  population  we  understood  to  be  from  300  to  400 
families.  The  opposite  side  of  the  river  is  woody  &  low 
for  some  distance  back.  The  prairie  behind  the  town  is 
subject  in  part  to  inundation  during  the  high  stages  of  the 
river  floods.]  This  tow'n  was  settled  more  than  a  century 
ago  by  a  colony  of  Canadian  French  of  a  poor  and  illiterate 
description.  They  used  to  carry  on  an  active  trade  with  the 
native  Indians,  who  inhabited  in  great  numbers  all  the 
surrounding  country.  By  their  conciliatory  manners  they 
contrived  always  to  live  on  good  terms  with  them,  and 
latterly  when  the  Americans  w'ere  at  war  with  the  Indians  & 
wished  to  buy  their  lands  or  drive  them  west,  their  friendly 
behaviour  to  the  Indians  [*]  served  to  produce  a  coldness 
on  the  part  of  the  Americans,  which  has  prevented  them 
mixing  together.  Within  the  last  few  years  several  french 
families  have  moved  away ;  some  into  the  woods  &  others 
to  St.  Louis,  Kascaskia  &  other  French  settlements  on  the 
Mississippi  &  Alissouri  &  in  the  western  territories.  We 
remarked  a  number  of  houses  out  of  repair,  or  shut 
up. — Before  supper  we  called  on  M^".  Hay,  the  agent  for 
Mr.  Rapp.  He  was  not  at  home,  but  we  found  M's.  Hay  & 
Mrs.  Elston,  wife  of  an  Englishman,  who  has  a  situation 
in  the  land  office  here.  We  then  walked  to  the  end  of  the 
town,  v.here  we  saw  some  flat  &  keel  boats  building.  They 
are  intended  to  carry  down  produce  to  the  Orleans  market 
as  soon  as  the  waters  rise.  A  "Si^.  Massey  a  gentleman  from 
the  north  of  England  settled  here  joined  us.  Two  of  the 
boats  belonged  to  him.  One  he  was  building  on  a  new 
construction,  to  carry  cattle  below  &  grain  above.  He 
intended  to  go  down  himself.  Air.  Phillips  said  that  he 
went  down  in  company  with  Gen'.  Neily  one  season,  but 
that  the  fatigue  of  it  was  so  great  &  the  chance  of  selling 
produce  to  such  advantage  as  to  defray  all  expences  so 
uncertain  [*]  that  he  Avould  never  embark  again  on  another 


282 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Monday  7^^. 
Feby. 


(Monday  7th. 
Feby  contd.) 


similar  expedition.  The  boats  sometimes  cost  100$  build- 
ing, &  when  sold  after  discharging  the  cargo  frequently  fetch 
no  more  than  5$.  There  is  no  water  power  at  Vincennes. 
This  want  has  in  some  degree  been  supplied  by  a  steam  &  an 
ox  mill.  Some  years  back  a  bank  was  set  up  here.  While  it 
was  in  credit,  business  was  alive  in  the  place  &  the  town 
l^egan  to  improve;  but  it  failed  &  since  that  period  things 
have  been  on  the  decline.  M"".  Hay  called  just  before 
supper  &  asked  us  to  his  house  in  the  evening.  There  we 
met  Judge  Blackford  who  is  Judge  of  this  district  including 
Posey  County.  He  is  an  agreeable  &  well-informed  man.  He 
boards  at  M^s.  Jones'.  We  also  met  Mf.  Elston.  They  were 
all  desirous  of  hearing  about  M^.  Owen. — This  day  was  very 
fine  &  mild.  In  the  evening  however  it  became  cloudy,  and 
at  night  a  warm  S.  W.  wind  brought  rain. 

After  breakfast  we  called  on  M^".  Hay  and  saw  the 
Harmony  store  which  is  in  a  large  room  of  his  house  which 
is  one  of  the  best  in  the  town  &  stands  at  the  corner  of  the 
two  principal  streets,  and  close  to  the  Illinois  Ferry.  The 
room  opens  into  the  street  &  seems  to  be  much  resorted 
to.  Mr.  Hay  walked  through  part  of  the  [*]  town  with,  and 
called  on  D^.  MacName  who  has  a  good  brick  house,  one  of 
the  best,  if  not  the  best  in  the  place. — Mf.  Phillips  took  his 
leave  of  us,  &  set  off  in  the  rain  for  Princetown.  We  walked 
with  M*".  Massey  to  the  Receiver's  office  in  a  large  brick 
building.  The  principal  room  is  made  a  Public  Library.  As 
it  was  a  day  of  meeting  for  the  Shareholders,  we  met  &  were 
introduced  to  several  persons.  Among  the  number  were 
Mr.  Baddolet  Head  of  the  Land  office,  a  frenchman,  &  father 
in  law  to  M^.  Caldwell  at  Shawneetown ; — M^.  Harrison,  son 
of  General  Harrison  &  receiver,  &  librarian  ;  Judge  Blackford, 
President  of  the  Library  Directors  ;  D^ .  Kuykendall ;  M"".  Scott 
Presbiterian  minister ;  &  some  others  whose  names  we  did 
not  hear  distinctly.  Several  resolutions  were  passed  relative 
to  buying  new  books,  exchanging  others  &  selling  old  ones, 
and  relative  to  subscribers  in  debt  &  reducing  the  annual 
subscription  from  2$  down  to  one.  This  last  proposal  was 
rejected. — This  business  occupied  two  or  three  hours,  & 
proved  the  poverty  of  the  inhabitants. — In  the  [*]  course 
of  the  afternoon  we  wrote  a  letter  to  iM^.  Owen  &  inclosed 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  283 

one  of  the  Notices.  The  Post  from  Louisville  arrives 
Tuesday  morning  about  lo  o'clock,  &  sets  out  again  about 
mid-day.  The  calculation  is  that  letters  reach  Washington 
City  in  14  or  15  days,  &  thence  to  Vincennes  in  17  or  18 
days. — We  drank  tea  at  M^,  Hay's  where  we  met  a  widow  lady 
of  the  name  of  Smith,  and  the  Misses  MacName  &  Kuykendall 
two  fine  girls. — A  great  want  in  the  free  States  is  attendance 
for  all  domestic  purposes ;  and  persons  in  good  circumstances 
have  either  to  do  the  duties  of  the  house  entirely  themselves, 
or  procure  the  uncertain  help  of  free  blacks.  This  must  be 
the  case  in  a  state  of  society,  where  families  live  separately 
and  uphold  the  practice  of  equality. — Surely  if  Equality  be 
a  good  principle  of  society,  the  proper  practice  to  be  followed 
in  a  country  where  it  prevails  is  to  unite  in  associations,  in 
each  of  which  all  the  children  should  be  educated  together 
in  the  best  manner,  &  taught  in  early  life  to  wait  upon  the 
old,  with  the  prospect  of  being  waited  [*]  upon  in  their 
turn  when  they  were  advanced  in  years. — Without  such  a 
regular  proceeding  the  many  disadvantages  of  rudeness, 
folly.  &  discomfort,  will  be  sure  to  follow  from  uncultivated 
minds,  irregular  habits  &  want  of  system  in  performing  the 
various  duties  of  social  life.    [Wind  S.  West.] 

[The  day  was  mild  &  cloudy  when  we  set  out.  After  Tuesdaj  8^^. 
midday  it  began  to  rain  &  continued  the  rest  of  the  day  &  all  ^^^^• 
night.  Wind  N.  E.]  After  taking  leave  of  our  friends  we 
set  out  for  M«".  W"^.  Mcintosh's.  We  were  accompanied  for 
a  few  miles  by  M^.  Hay  &  Mi".  Elston.  We  rode  down  the 
left  bank  of  the  Wabash  through  a  prairie  &  passed  a  small 
settlement  of  French  families,  situated  on  the  more  elevated 
part,  as  a  great  portion  of  the  prairie  is  subject  to  inunda- 
tion. We  then  entered  the  forest  &  passed  over  a  rich 
bottom.  We  had  intended  to  keep  the  Shawneetown 
road  &  cross  the  river  at  Vallees  ferry,  but  missed  the  road 
to  the  right  &  continued  down  the  low  ground  passing  over 
a  creek  &  between  some  ponds  till  we  reached  a  small  rapid 
in  the  river  and  a  small  settlement  on  both  sides  of  the 
river.  On  the  right  bank  stood  a  mill  belonging  to  a 
Ml".  Beedel.  Thinking  this  to  be  the  ferry  we  ought  to  cross 
at,  we  hailed  the  boat,  which  in  a  few  minutes  passed  us 
over  to  the  other  side.     Had  [*]  we  continued  three  miles 


284  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

further  we  should  have  reached  the  Grand  rapids  where  we 
could  have  got  across  &  soon  reached  our  destination.  We 
asked  the  ferryman  the  way  to  Mr.  Mcintosh's.  He  directed 
up  the  hill  about  two  miles  along  the  road  to  Vincennes 
which  we  should  have  taken  had  we  crossed  where  we 
intended.  The  ground  over  which  we  travelled  is  covered 
by  water  in  the  flood  season  to  the  depth  of  several  feet. — At 
length  we  reached  a  small  squared  loghouse  at  which  an 
little  elderly  man  was  standing.  We  asked  him  if  he  were 
M"".  M<^Intosh ;  he  said  he  was,  invited  us  to  dismount  & 
hoped  we  would  stop  the  night  with  him.  As  soon  as 
we  were  in  his  house,  we  discovered  that  we  were  with  a 
Mr.  John  Mcintosh,  &  not  the  gentleman  we  intended  to 
visit.  We  mentioned  our  error  but  expressed  our  thanks 
for  his  hospitable  reception.  His  wife  gave  us  a  good 
dinner  of  eggs,  ham  &  cornbread  &  tea,  and  we  passed  the 
evening  talking  with  him  &  his  son,  relative  to  M^.  Owen's 
plan  &  concerning  Scotland  and  the  American  revolution 
in  which  the  old  man  was  concerned.  About  9  o'clock  he 
gave  us  prayers  &  read  a  chapter  from  the  Bible  recommend- 
ing a  community  of  goods.  [*]  We  sung  a  psalm  in  favor  of 
Union,  and  in  his  prayer  he  remembered  it  likewise,  praying 
that  communities  might  be  established. — He  told  us  that  he 
was  a  Baptist,  but  wished  to  live  on  a  liberal  footing  with  all 
men.  He  also  observed  that  [he]  was  a  turner,  &  could 
make  as  good  spinning  wheels  as  any  man,  and  while  his 
'Woman'  spun  &  worked  in  the  house,  they  could  easily 
ea'rn  a  comfortable  support  for  themselves.  The  son  was 
married  &  lived  in  an  adjoining  house.  The  old  man  &  his 
wife  slept  in  a  bed  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  &  W"i.  Owen  & 
myself  in  another.  The  rain  fell  heavily  during  the  night. 
Wednesday  9th  After  breakfast  we  set  out  for  M^.  W^.  Mcintosh's.  The 

Feby  old  man  rode  part  of  the  way  to  shew  us  the  road  &  then 

took  his  leave  after  giving  us  very  pointed  directions.  [We 
passed  a  farm  belonging  to  M^.  Kean,  &  stopped  to  wish 
Iiim  good  day.]  Our  road  lay  along  the  ends  of  the 
ridges,  just  above  the  flat  ground  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Wabash.  After  riding  four  or  five  miles  we  came  to 
Palmyra,  a  settlement  on  a  bank  by  the  river  side.  It  was 
a  county  seat,  but  as  this  was  removed  the  place  declined,  and 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  285 

at  length  only  one  family  remained  in  it.   jMr.  Wm.  Mcintosh 

afterwards  alluded  to  this,  &  remarked  that  changes  of  this 

sort  were  sometimes  made  through  the  influence  of  interested 

persons,  and  [*]  thus  much  capital  was  wasted  in  roads  &   (Wednesday  g^K 

other  puljlic  works. — From  Palmyra  we  crossed  two  creeks,   ^^^^  cont'i.) 

one  by  a  bridge  &  the  other  by  a  ford.  In  consequence  of  the 

heavy  rain  these  creeks  were  full  of  water ;  &  we  were  much 

wet  crossing  the  ford.     We  were  much  puzzled  to  find  the 

footpath  which  turned  off  to  the  left  after  crossing  the  ford. 

The  road  which  we  had  come  thus  far,  led  across  a  prairie 

to  Bon  Pas. — At  length  we  found  a  track  which  led  us  up  to 

Mr.  Simon's  farm,  where  we  received  directions  &  thence 

crossed  down  to  the  river  side  and  found  M"".  Mcintosh's 

house  on  a  little  rising  bank  close  to  a  small  descent  in  the 

channel  of  the  river,  which  is  called  the  Grand  Rapids.    The 

rising  of  a  few  feet  of  water  renders  this  place  navigal^le 

for  flat  &  keel  boats,  and  the  house  during  the  height  of 

the    flood    becomes    isolated.      M>'.    Mcintosh    received    us 

kindly,  and  as  the  following  day  proved  very  rainy  detained 

us  at  his  house.     He  has  a  black  housekeeper  by  whom  he  Thursday  loth. 

has  several  children.    His  partiality  for  the  Blacks  procures 

the  assistance  of  one  who  comes  from  Mount  Carmel  distant 

two  miles.     His  house  is  a  frame  building  containing  two 

rooms.     There  are  some  small  out  buildings.     He  has  very 

little  land  [*]  cleared  or  cultivated  around  his  house  which 

is  shut  in  on  all  sides  by  the  forest  except  next  the  river  the 

opposite  bank  of  which,  however  is  thickly  covered  with  wood 

and  a  very  low  bottom. — In  consequence  of  M^.  IMcIntosh's 

connection  with  this  black  female,  his  character  is  lost  among 

the  Americans,  and  he  lives  quite  retired  from  all  society. 

Our  time  was  passed  in  conversation.     He  spoke  of   the 

fall  of  the  value  of  land  &  his  embarrassments  therefrom  :  of 

the  advantageous  situation  he  resided  upon  for  the  site  of 

a  mill,  &  his  want  of  capital;  of  his  Hfe  while  he  resided 

at  Vincennes.     He  was  a  Major  &  public  treasurer  under 

General    Harrison,    and    had    much    intercourse    with    the 

French  &  Indians.     He  came  from  Inverness,  held  a  British 

commission  in  Canada,  resigned  it  as  he  could  not  live  on 

his  pay.     He  gave  us  an  account  of  the  proceedings  of  the 

Americans  in  purchasing  &  getting  possession  of  the  lands 


286  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

of  the  Indians,  and  the  wars  which  had  taken  place.  On  this 
subject  he  had  a  misunderstanding  with  General  Harrison  & 
resigned  his  public  office.  He  intended,  he  said,  if  his  mind 
should  ever  be  in  a  state  for  it,  to  [*]  write  some  account 
of  these  matters  &  place  them  in  a  more  correct  point  of  view 
than  as  they  appeared  in  General  Harrison's  life.  He  seemed 
very  fond  of  his  children.  His  little  son  had  been  subject 
to  ague  fits  for  two  years.  Mr.  Mcintosh  frequently  spoke 
of  his  intention  of  sending  his  children  to  Mi".  Owen's 
Society;  but  we  said  nothing  on  the  subject  as  we  did  not 
know  how  far  it  would  be  wise,  in  the  first  instance  so 
decidedly  to  oppose  the  feelings  of  the  American  People.  We 
slept  together  in  one  bed,  in  a  room  in  which  M^.  Mcintosh 
slept  with  one  or  two  of  his  children.  In  the  evenings  the 
Black  man  &  his  housekeeper  sat  in  the  same  room 
with  &  occasionally  joined  in  the  conversation.  We  observed 
that  a  bed  &  bedclothes  were  brought  into  the  sitting  room.  I 
suppose  that  in  consequence  of  our  occupying  one  of  their 
beds,  they  were  obliged  to  make  up  beds  in  the  sitting  room. 
Friday  ii^K  This  morning  the  wind  was  to  the  west  of  South,  and 

^"^-  the  weather  appeared  to  be  clearing  up.     After  breakfast  we 

set  out  to  return  to  Harmony.  M*".  Mcintosh  accompanied 
us  as  far  as  Mount  Carmel,  two  miles  from  his  house.  This 
settlement  contains  between  20  &  30  families.  It  was  settled 
about  6  years  ago.  It  stands  on  a  high  ridge  of  rich  soil 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  Wabash,  opposite  to  [*]  the 
mouths  of  the  White  river  and  Patoka  creek  which  run 
very  near  to  each  other  before  they  fall  into  the  Wabash.  We 
called  on  Mf .  Stewart  who  keeps  a  small  store.  He  rode  down 
to  the  river  side  with  us  and  his  son-in-law  ferried  us  across 
to  the  left  bank  &  landed  us  just  below  the  Patoka.  They 
were  preparing  boats  to  set  out  for  the  Orleans  market.  With 
the  late  rain  the  river  had  risen  already  between  two  &  three 
feet,  and  it  was  expected  to  continue  rising  as  all  the 
creeks  &  tributary  streams  were  full  of  Water.  Mount 
Carmel  is  considered  a  healthy  place.  It  has  one  doctor. 
Dr.  Smith,  resident  in  it.  When  the  place  is  more  settled, 
cleared  out  &  arranged,  it  will  be  a  pleasant  situation.  It  is 
18  miles  from  Albion.  Our  ferryman  went  a  few  hundred 
yards  through  the  Cane  Brake  to  put  us  into  a  foot  path 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  287 

which  he  directed  us  to  follow  south  for  some  miles.     The 

land    was    flat,    rich    &   thickly   wooded.      The    little    foot 

path  wound  along  the  side  of  a  bayou   for   four  or  five 

miles,   when   we  came   to  a   small   settlement  on  a  rising 

bank.     Here   we  received   further   directions   for   crossing 

some  creeks  &  a  long  slash  &  following  a  cow-path  to  the  left 

hand.   The  road  was  extremely  bad  &  difficult  to  find.   The 

slash,  as  it  is  called  in  the  language  of  the  country,  is  a  swamp 

made  by   [*]   a  creek  running  into  a  flat  bottom,  quitting   (Friday  ri*i>. 

its  banks,  spreading  right  and  left  &  losing  itself  on  the   ^^^^-  co"**) 

low  ground.     At  length,  after  travelling  7  or  8  miles,  we 

got  out  of  this  low  ground  and  reached  Judge  Montgomery's 

where  we  got  further  directions,  &  proceeded  by  cross  roads 

over  a  roling  country  till  we  came  upon  the  sandy  barrens 

which   we  crossed   on   our   way  to   Princeton.      We   made 

several  enquiries  at  the  settlements  by  which  we  passed,  to 

keep  us  on  the  right  road,  and  always  met  with  great  civility 

from   the    inhabitants.      All   these   settlements   are   of   one 

description ;    small    frame    or    log   houses    with    small    out 

buildings  of  the  same  sort,  irregularly  built :  a  few  acres  of  the 

forest  cleared  around  them;  irregular  fences  inclosing  the 

fields,  and  a  general  appearance  of  careless  habits,  discomfort 

&  poverty.   Most  of  the  people  appear  thin  &  pale,  and  where 

settled  on  the  flat  grounds,  subject  to  cold  fever  &  ague. — Ten 

or  twelve  miles  further  on  we  came  into  the  Princeton  road 

north  of  the  Bridge  over  Black  Creek.     We  found  the  road 

very  muddy  &  bad.      It   is  ten  miles   from  this   creek  to 

Harmony  where  we  arrived  a  little  after  7  o'clock  in  the 

evening.     The  delay  in  getting  across  the  river,  the  badness 

of  the  roads,   and  our   having  to  turn  off    frequently  to 

different  settlements  to  enquire  our  way,  made  this  day's 

ride  long  &  fatiguing — Our  horses  were  very  tired.     It  is 

necessary   [*]   when  one  stops  to  ask  the  way,  to  remain 

a  few  minutes  after  receiving  directions,  to  converse  with 

the  people  &  in  return  for  their  information  give  them  some 

of  the  news  of  the  day  and  say  where  you  are  from,  &  where 

going.     The  curiosity  of  the  people  seems  very  natural.  &  it 

is  very  proper  to  do  one's  best  to  gratify  it,  when  it  is 

considered  that  they  live  scattered  over  an  extensive  country. 

having  but  little  society  &  rarely  meeting  strangers.    On  our 


Fcby. 


288  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

arrival  we  found  that  Mr.  F.  Rapp  had  returned  home 
the  day  after  our  departure.  He  had  been  in  Pittsburg  with 
Mr.  Owen  w'ho  had  a  pubhc  meeting  there  on  the  22"d.  It 
was  very  fully  attended,  but  he  did  not  hear  the  result  of 
it,  as  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the  place  soon  after  it 
opened. — \Ve  had  taken  about  20  of  the  Notices,  all  which  we 
gave  away  to  different  persons  in  the  course  of  our  Journey. 
From  Friday  iitJ»  This  week  we  spent  in  looking  about  us,  talking  with  the 
to  Friday  18*  .  people  of  the  country  who  came  in,  and  associating  a  little 
with  the  Harmonites.  Among  the  enquirers  were,  M"".  Server 
a  farmer  from  Springfield,  M"".  Rankin  a  farmer  on  the 
Evansville  road,  M^".  Gamble,  M^".  W^".  Downey  joiner  by 
trade,  12  miles  on  the  Cynthiana  road,  &  M^.  Thos.  Anderson, 
tailor,  6  miles  on  the  same  road. — We  bought  a  horse  for 
60  dollars  of  a  M^.  Stallion.  M^.  Fred.  Rapp  was  com- 
missioned [*]  by  M^.  Owen  to  rent  out  the  outlying  fields 
for  the  present  year  as  probably  he  would  not  have  people 
to  attend  to  the  whole  of  the  farm  this  season.  Thursday 
17th  was  kept  by  the  Harmonites  in  commemoration  of  their 
Union  on  the  15th  of  Feby  1805,  20  years,  &  nearly  11  years 
here.  At  daybreak  the  band  played  on  the  square ;  at  9 
o'clock  they  went  to  church;  at  a  little  after  12  they  dined 
together  in  a  large  room  over  the  church ;  at  3  o'clock 
they  had  Divine  service  again :  at  6  o'clock  they  supped 
together,  after  which  they  had  service  till  past  9  o'clock.  [A 
Mr.  Marshall  &  his  daughter  called  on  their  way  from  Shaw- 
neetown  to  Vincennes]  No  strangers  were  admitted.  [While 
they  were  engaged  in  their  festival  I  kept  the  Tavern.]  When 
they  came  from  the  afternoon  service  they  proceeded  in  two 
bodies,  men  &  women,  headed  by  their  band  of  music  having 
their  psalm  books  in  their  hands,  playing  &  singing  to  the  front 
of  Mf.  Rapp's  house  where  they  remained  a  few  minutes  & 
then  dispersed  to  their  several  homes  till  supper  time. — 

Mr.  Rapp  gave  us  a  ground  plan  of  Harmony  copied 
from  Mr.  Pickering's  by  the  young  man  who  assisted  him. 
M"".  John  Ayres  a  miller  called  with  a  recommendation 
from  Ml".  Hall  as  a  miller.  We  engaged  to  write  to  him 
on  the  subject. — M^.  Wm.  Orange  came  over  from  Albion. — 
Mr.  Rapp  spoke  to  us  about  recommending  a  Post  Master  in 
place  of  Dr.  Smith.     We  were  of  opinion  that  M^.  Schnee 


MAGDONALD  DIARIES  289 

should  be  recommended  in  the  mean  time.     The  security 

is  two  persons,  each  in   1000$;  the  benefit  is  50  p.  c  on 

Papers.  [*]  30  p.  c  on  letters,  &  letters  not  weighing  above 

1/2  an  ounce  free. — The  weather  was  very  clear  &  temperate 

all  this  week.     Wednesday  evening  there  was  some  heavy 

rain. — The    glass    in    the    mornings    ranged    from    30''    to 

above  40°  &  in  the  day  it  was  generally  a  very  agreeable 

temperature.     Everybody  was  saying  that  the  weather  was 

too   warm   for  this   season,   and   that   no  one  remembered 

so  fine  a  winter  as  the  present  one.— Our  time  was  passed  Feby  &  March 

from   Feby   till   April,   getting   information   at   Harmonic,  *  ^P"* 

conversing    with   the   neighbours,    and   sometimes    pruning 

trees.   Dr.  ]\liller  was  printing  a  small  pamphlet  for  Mr.  Rapp 

relative  to  the  Harmonite  system.     As  it  was  a  translation 

from  the  German,  we  assisted  him  in  correcting  both  the 

language   &   the   press. — The   Harmonic    Steamboat   called 

the  Wm.    Penn,   came  up  the  Wabash.   &  the   Ploughboy, 

and  took  several  of  the  Harmonians  away,  &  much  of  their 

baggage  &  stores.     It  was  an  interesting  sight  to  see  them 

taking  leave  of  one  another.      Miss  Wright  &  her  sister 

came  here  for  a  day  on  their  way  down  the  river  to  join 

La  Fayette  who  is  coming  up  the  river  in  a  steam  boat  in  a 

few  weeks.   They  have  lived  5  years  with  him.   They  visited 

the   English   settlement,    &    Miss    Ronalds   went   down   the 

river  with  them  [*]  to  see  New^  Orleans. — George  Flower  April 

came  here  and  staid  two  or  three  days,  to  get  information 

relative  to  the  farms  &  stock.     Mr.  Rapp  rented  out  several 

of  the  outlying  fields,  as   Mr.  Owen's  delay  in  returning 

at  this  season  of  the  year  would  put  it  out  of  the  power 

of  the  Society  to  farm  the  whole.     The  river  rose  slowly 

and  only  partially  overflowed  the  banks.     The  Spring  has 

been  warm,  but  it  has  been  called  rather  wet. 

As    Mr.    Rapp    wished    to    transact    some    business    at  Sunday  3rd  April 
Vincennes  &  Shakertown.    I  rode  to  keep  him  company ;  we 
reached  Vincennes  by  1/2  past  7  this  evening,  having  taken 
the  long  ferry  of  two  miles  down  the  river.     The  distance 
from  hence  to  Vincennes  is  52  or  53  miles. 

I  saw  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Hay.  Judge  Blackford,  Major  Hurst.  4'''  Monday 
Judge    Porter,    Mr.    Wm.    Mcintosh,    Mr.    &    Mrs.    Elston. 
Mr.   Baddolet,   Dr.   Mrs.  5.  Miss  McName.     As  the  court 


290 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Apiil   5^** 
Tuesday 


Otb   Wednesday. 


7th  Thursday 
8tl>  Friday 
9*h  Saturday 
9th  April 
Saturday 


was  sitting,  I  went  in  to  see  what  was  doing,  &  heard  a 
charge  brought  against  some  young  men  for  gambling  [*] 
but  it  was  not  admitted  in  consequence  of  some  informality. 
In  the  afternoon  we  rode  to  Shakertown,  20  miles  north 
of  Vincennes,  about  a  mile  from  the  left  bank  of  the 
Wabash,  near  Busseron  creek,  and  on  some  rising  ground 
surrounded  by  a  prairie.  The  place  looks  tolerably  neat,  but 
it  is  said  to  be  rather  unhealthy,  as  a  pond  of  water  is  close 
to  it.  Several  of  the  young  men  have  been  leaving  this 
society  lately.  It  does  not  appear  very  active  or  regular  in  its 
labour.  It  is  not  conducted  either  in  a  clever  or  enterprising 
manner.  The  number  is  said  to  be  under  200,  &  composed 
for  the  most  part  of  women  &  old  men.  They  entertained 
us  very  hospitably,  &  would  not  receive  payment.  The  next 
morning  we  walked  through  some  of  their  houses,  but  did 
not  see  their  system  of  worship. — Mr.  Rapp  had  some 
conversation  relative  to  private  affairs,  after  which  one 
of  the  Brethren,  George  Miller  wrote  [^ic]  8  miles  with  us  to 
two  farms  [*]  belonging  to  the  Harmonite  Society,  which 
they  had  taken  for  debts,  &  on  which  two  families  which  had 
lived  with  the  Harmonies  now  reside.  We  remained  there 
about  an  hour,  &  after  parting  with  our  Shaker  friend,  we 
rode  through  the  woods  &  some  muddy  roads  to  Vincennes, 
where  we  arrived  between  7  and  8  o'clock  at  night. 

I  called  and  saw  M"".  Rogers  who  keeps  the  Globe 
tavern,  he  gave  me  certificates  of  his  character,  &  said  he  was 
ready  to  join  M^.  Owen  at  a  day's  notice.  I  likewise  called  with 
Mr.  Mcintosh  on  a  Mr.  Baker  who  wishes  to  join. — In  the 
evening  there  was  a  ball  at  Mrs.  Jones,  where  about  15  couple 
danced.  I  met  Mrs.  Clarke  &  her  sister  Mrs.  Armstrong. 
Mrs.  Tibbs  her  cousin  remained  in  New  Albany. 

We  rode  to  Princeton 

We  returned  to  Harmony. 

Mr,  Schnee  and  his  family,  his  son-in-law  Mr.  Todd 
and  family,  Mr.  Gaston  &  family  [*]  and  Mr.  Haleman 
and  family,  had  come  to  live  in  Harmony  while  we  were 
absent.  I  was  busy  through  the  day  arranging  with  them 
in  their  houses,  and  for  cutting  bark. — This  evening  one 
male  &  3  female  shakers  arrived  in  a  spring  waggon. — On 
my  return  from  my  journey  I  found  an  order  which  I  have 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  291 

preserved,  from  the  Sergeant  of  the  MiHtia  Company  of  this 
district,  ordering  attendance  at  Muster  at  Springfield. — 

This   day   I   wrote   some   Articles   of  Association,   and   Sunday  10*^ 
shewed  them  to  Mr.  Schnee.   In  the  afternoon  I  walked  with  ^P^'' 
him  Mr.  Todd  &  a  neighbour  through  the  Orchard.    The 
weather  has  been  dry,  fine  &  warm  for  some  days  and  the  ther- 
mometer ranging  in  the  shade  from  70°  to  80°    [Mr.  Clarke 
of  Illinois  brought  a  letter  from  Mr.  Owen  dated  27th  Feby.] 

This  morning  W^  Owen  was  in  the  store  taking  an  In-  Monday  nth. 
ventory.  I  fixed  for  M^.  Haleman,  AI^.  Gaston,  Mr.  Schnee's  ^P"' 
son  &  some  hands  for  barking.  I  also  attended  at  the  Dye 
house  and  saw  the  articles  to  be  left  by  the  Dyer.  Mr.  Schnee 
went  &  received  over  the  Cut  off  Mill  &  Island.  I  got 
bier  for  the  party  barking  in  the  woods. — After  dinner 
I  went  out  [*]  to  the  farm  with  Mr.  Rapp  to  see  their  method  (Monday  nth. 
of  planting  corn. — Four  boys  or  lads  carried  poles  with  ^^"^  continued) 
small  flags  which  they  placed  four  &  1/2  feet  apart  then 
followed  four  ploughs  forming  furrows  in  the  direction 
these  marks.  These  furrows  crossed  other  furrows  which 
had  been  made  the  day  before.  Thus  squares  of  4  1/2  feet 
were  formed  by  the  crossing  of  the  furrows.  A  female 
with  a  small  basket  on  her  arm.  full  of  corn  grains,  walked 
a  long  each  furrow  dropping  4  or  5  grains  in  a  square  at 
each  crossing  furrow.  Behind  her  came  another  with  a  hoe 
to  cover  them  over.  Two  girls  went  before  with  pumkin 
seeds  of  which  they  dropped  2  or  3  grains  at  every  third 
crossing.  Fred.  Rapp,  took  off  his  coat  &  walked  along  with 
them,  sometimes  conversing — sometimes  dropping  corn.  I 
took  off  my  coat,  got  a  basket  and  went  in  my  own  furrow. 
We  sometimes  worked  fast  &  when  a  few  furrows  in 
advance  assisted  our  neighbours.  At  four  o'clock  we  sat 
down  under  a  shady  tree,  had  some  bread,  butter,  cheese, 
apples  &  beer,  and  a  song  in  chorus,  and  continued  work 
till  near  sun  set.  This  method  makes  the  business  of  corn 
planting  really  a  party  of  pleasure,  and  is  a  very  expeditious 
process. — American  females  have  great  aversion  to  working 
out  of  doors.  This  prejudice  must  [*]  arise  from  bad 
management  &  over  work  at  injudicious  times ;  for  unless 
with  females  in  the  family  way  or  who  have  young  children, 
no  system  of  business  can  be  so  well  arranged  or  prove  of 


292  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

more  advantage  for  health,  good  spirits  &  improvement  than 
the  one  which  contrives  that  both  males  &  females  should 
have  regular  &  moderate  occupation  &  exercise  at  least  twice 
a  day  out  of  doors.  Fresh  air  is  good  for  the  constitution  & 
enlivens  the  spirits;  while  sitting  continually  in  doors,  or 
working  in  confined  space  &  air,  is  of  no  benefit  either  to 
mind  or  body.  It  is  indeed  both  debilitating  &  graceless ;  and 
all  who  wish  to  become  delightful  companions  to  their 
neighbours,  will  choose  to  have  a  fair  proportion  of  employ- 
ment in  one  another's  company  out  of  doors. 

Mr.  Owen  arrived  on  the  13*11  inst.  w^ith  M^.  Roe  & 
Mr.  Watson,  members  of  the  New  Jerusalem  Church  and 
deputies  from  a  society  in  Cincinnati  which  is  forming  for 
the  purpose  of  establishing  a  conmiunity.  a  Mr.  Bourne  from 
Baltimore  who  had  been  undersecretary  to  the  Embassy  at 
Paris,  and  a  german  gentleman  who  brought  an  introduction 
[*]  to  Mr.  Rapp.  The  sister  of  the  latter  is  married  to  the 
VVurtemburg  minister  at  Washington.  This  traveller  was 
in  the  Wurtemburg  army,  went  to  the  grecian  war,  &  at 
length  came  to  wander  in  the  Woods  of  Western  America. 
Mr.  Owen  saw  several  neighbours  who  engaged  to  join.  He 
stated  that  many  were  coming  from  the  East.  A  meeting 
was  appointed  for  Wednesday  the  2ot^>.  ins*,  in  the  Harmony 
New  Church,  and  we  sent  notices  to  the  English  settlements 
at  Albion,  &  Wanbro;  to  Shawneetown.  &  Carmi,  in 
Illinois,  and  to  Springfield,  Mount  Vernon,  Cynthiana, 
Evansville,  Princeton,  and  Vincennes  in  this  State. 
At  the  meeting  on  the  20th.  from  600  to  800  persons 
assembled,  and  Mr.  Owen  occupied  between  two  &  three 
hours  after  midday  delivering  his  discourse.  A  Com- 
mittee was  nominated  to  commence  on  the  following 
Monday  25th.  inst.  The  Cincinnati  gentlemen  left  us  on 
the  17th.  to  return  home. — 

Sunday  24th.  April. 
Some  families  arrived  from  Cincinnati.  Among  the  num- 
ber [*]  were  Mr.  Jennings,  Laurence,  &  Kellogg.  These 
gentlemen  were  put  on  the  Committee.  Mr.  Jennings  had 
refused  a  good  living  &  church  from  the  Universalists,  in 
order  to  establish  himself  in  a  Community  on  the  New 
System.     Mr.  Laurence  had  a  good  business  as  blacksmith. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  293 

They  reported  that  numerous  other  famiHes  were  coming-.  In 
the  course  of  the  week  the  Committee  made  many  arrange- 
ments. A  Constitution  for  the  Preliminary  Society  was 
made  out,  &  I  rode  over  to  Evansville  &  got  it  printed.  On 
the  way  I  had  to  swim  my  horse  over  a  creek  &  cross 
in  a  canoe.  The  Harmonian  steam  boat  got  aground 
off  Shawneetown  which  delayed  the  departure  of  the 
Harmonians.  While  at  Iwansville  I  saw  one  boat  load 
pass  up.  Finally  the  William  Penn  reached  Harmonie  on 
the  morning  of  the  5th.  May.  By  two  o'clock  every  thing 
being  on  board,  the  remainder  of  the  Harmonians  assembled 
at  M''  Rapp's  house,  the  females  sang  some  farewell  [*]  (Thursday  stii. 
hymns  &  the  band  played  several  tunes  in  front  of  the  ^^^y  ^825) 
house.  All  the  families  that  had  come  into  town  as 
M"".  Owen's  settlers  had  collected  round.  About  3  o'clock 
the  Party  proceeded  towards  the  river  side  singing  &  playing 
music.  At  the  end  of  the  town  they  stopped,  turned  round  & 
sung  a  farewell  hymn  and  blessing  to  the  Settlement,  and 
afterwards  continued  on  to  the  boat.  Before  embarking 
Ml'.  Owen  caught  the  opportunity  to  express  aloud  his  great 
sense  of  their  integrity,  strict  justice  &  kindness,  and  said 
that  in  all  the  course  of  his  experience  he  had  never  met 
with  so  honest  and  affectionate  [*]  a  body  of  people.  He 
was  so  much  affected  during  his  address  that  he  could 
sometimes  hardly  speak.  The  whole  scene  was  truly 
interesting  and  appeared  to  make  great  impression  upon  the 
persons  assembled.  All  the  men  &  women  shook  hands  with 
the  company  around,  &  then  went  on  board.  A  gun  was  fired  & 
the  steam  boat  got  under  way.  As  she  went  down  the 
stream  both  parties  continued  for  some  time  waving  hats  & 
handkerchiefs,  while  the  band  played  a  march.  I  never  in 
my  life  returned  home  after  parting  with  friends,  with  so 
sad  a  feeling  as  that  (to  me)  melancholy  afternoon. 

[Mr.  Jennings  &  M^.  Laurence  &  Mr.  Upjohn  took  a 
passage  on  board  the  boat  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  back 
with  them  their  friends  from  Cincinnati. — ]  [*]  While  I 
was  away  at  Evansville  the  two  Miss  Wrights  &  Miss  Ronalds 
arrived  from  New  Orleans.  They  had  parted  from  General 
La  Fayette  who  had  gone  to  St.  Louis.  &  were  to  meet  him 
again  at  Louisville  about  the  middle  of  the  month. — Several 


i825 


294  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

Other  gentlemen  &  families  were  daily  joining  from  the 
neighbourhood  and  from  the  East.  Five  young  men  arrived 
from  Washington  City.  The  committee  were  constantly 
occupied  taking  down  the  names  and  particulars  relative  to 
applicants,  arranging  the  duties  of  the  town  &c. 

Friday  6th.  May  M^.  Owen  accompanied  by  his  son  & 
Mr.  Rogers  proceeded  to  Vincennes  by  the  [*]  way  of 
Princeton  for  the  purpose  of  declaring  his  intention  of 
becoming  a  Citizen. — The  Miss  Wrights  set  out  with 
Miss  Ronalds  to  Albion  on  their  way  to  Louisville. 

On  Sunday  the  i^t.  May  Mf.  Owen  had  his  first  meeting 
in  the  Frame  Church  of  the  New  Inhabitants  &  gave  them  a 
short  discourse.  In  the  afternoon  M^.  Jennings  was  requested 
to  preach  to  them. — On  the  Evening  of  Wednesday  y^  May 
there  was  a  business  meeting  of  the  Society,  to  arrange 
the  hours  of  meals  &  work  &  to  give  several  explanations. — 
Saturday  May  7th  [*y 
Sunday  5th.  June  j-;^r.   Birkbeck  who  had  been   staying  a    few   days   at 

Harmony  was  drowned  attempting  to  swim  on  horseback 
over  the  Fox  creek  on  his  way  home  to  Wanbro  on  Friday 
afternoon.  One  of  his  sons  who  was  with  him  endeavoured 
in  vain  to  save  his  life.  His  body  was  buried  in  the  New 
burying  ground  at  Harmony.  A  great  portion  of  the 
population  accompanied  the  funeral.  From  marks  on  the 
face  &  forehead,  it  is  concluded  that  the  horse  must  have 
struck  him. — While  he  was  at  Harmony  M^.  Owen  had 
contrived  to  bring  all  the  various  disputes  between  Mf.  Birk- 
beck &  M"".  Flower  &  the  inhabitants  of  the  two  settlements 
to  an  amicable  ajustment.] 

Immediately  after  dinner  M^.  Owen  went  into  the  Hall 
where  a  great  number  of  the  Harmonians  were  assembled, 
and  took  leave  of  them  by  shaking  hands  with  every 
one.  Many  of  the  women  were  affected  to  tears.  We 
then  mounted  our  horses  and  set  out  about  2  o'clock  for 
Mount  Vernon,  accompanied  by  D^.  McNamee  M^.  Schnee, 
Wm.  Owen,  and  M".  Smith  &  her  daughter,  Mr.  Smith  & 
Mr.  Williams,  the  three  latter  being  on  their  return  to 
Cincinnati  to  settle  their  affairs.  We  rode  by  the  proposed 
site  of  a  New  town  which  is  to  be  commenced  on  Mr.  Owen's 

'The  first  book  of  Macdonald's  Diarv  ends  here.— Ed. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


295 


return.  It  is  near  the  Springfield  road,  3  miles  from 
Harmony.  Choice  has  been  made  of  this  spot,  because  it 
is  a  flat  space  of  from  400  to  500  yards  square  with  the 
ground  falling  away  on  every  side.  It  is  a  convenient 
distance  from  Harmony,  and  has  excellent  timber  standing 
on  it,  which  will  [*]  be  cut  down  in  the  fall  of  the  year.  We 
left  Di".  M^Namee  to  ride  over  the  ground,  &  proceeded 
on  our  road  to  Mt.  Vernon  which  place  we  reached  before 
dark.  Springfield  has  been  almost  deserted  since  the  Court 
House  has  been  removed  &  M^.  Schnee  joined  the  New 
System.     We  slept  at  Squire  Wilburn's. 

[We  found  a  Mr.  Tyler  with  a  (MS  blank)  at  Mt.  Ver- 
non, He  started  for  Harmony  next  day,  when  W'"i.  Owen 
&  Mr.  Schnee  returned.] 

This  forenoon  while  waiting  for  a  steam  boat,  M"".  Owen  Monday  6th. 
was  requested  to  give  an  explanation  of  his  system  to  the  J""e 
inhabitants.  Having  acceded  to  their  request  they  assembled 
to  the  number  of  40  or  50  persons,  and  he  explained  in  about 
half  an  hour  his  Principles  of  Human  Nature  &  the  Practice 
he  was  commencing  at  New^  Harmony.  The  meeting  broke 
up  without  any  questions  or  remarks  being  made  to 
him.  About  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Pioneer  the 
best  built  &  fastest  boat  on  the  river  appeared  in  sight;  [*] 
We  immediately  got  our  baggage  into  a  flat  boat  and  rowed 
out  into  the  middle  of  the  river  &  were  soon  safe  on  board. 
Our  rate  of  going  was  about  7  miles  an  hour. 

The  banks  of  the  river  appeared  very  beautiful,  &  much  Tuesday  71^. 
improved  to  my  eye  since  my  winter  voyage,  by  the  full 
foliage  on  the  trees.  In  the  evening  Mr.  Owen  by 
request,  stated  the  general  principles  of  his  system  to  the 
passengers  assembled  in  the  Cabin ;  they  retired  to  rest  all 
occupied  with  the  question  whether  or  not  Man  be  a  Machine. 

About  1/2  past  6  this  morning  we  reached  Shippingport  Wednesday  gth. 
about  270  miles  from  M*.  Vernon.  &  came  up  to  Louisville. 
Mr  Owen  called  upon  Mr  Isaak  Thom,  Mr  Stewart 
Mr  Breden,  &  Mr  Sabine.  Mr.  Walter  had  we  understood 
gone  down  to  visit  Harmony.  We  saw  Mr.  Williams  & 
Mrs.  Smith  off  for  Cincinnati  by  the  Velocipede,  [*]  but 
Mr.  Owen  remained  to  give  a  discourse  in  the  evening  &  went 
to  dine  with  Mr.  Thom.  Mr.  Wilman  was  occupied  purchasing 


296 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


goods  for  Harmony.  The  room  chosen  for  the  meeting  was 
not  very  large ;  it  was  filled  and  many  went  away  who  could 
not  get  in.  Mf.  Owen  stated  &  argued  his  general  Principles. 
No  reply  was  made.  The  meeting  lasted  i  1/2  hour.  Con- 
siderable impression  seemed  to  have  been  made. 

Thursday  9*''-  We  breakfasted  at  Shipping  port  with  a  french  gentleman 

a  rich  merchant,  who  had  been  much  interested  wMth  the  Sys- 
tem, and  embarked  in  the  course  of  the  forenoon  on  board  the 
General  Pike  steam  boat  laying  off  Louisville  &  bound  to 
Cincinnati.  It  started  a  little  after  2  o'clock  &  reached  its 
destination,  150  miles  about  1/2  past  11  the  next  morning. 

Friday  10*''.  When  we  landed  at  Cincinnati  we  put  up  at  the  City 

hotel,  called  at  Mr.  Smith's  and  several  other  families. — At 

(Friday  lo*''.         M^.  Clarke  &  [*]  Green's  store  we  found  that  M^.  Owen's 

June  contd)  Essays,  his  discourses  at  Washington  City,  his  discourse  at 

Harmony,  the  Rules  &  regulations  for  a  Community,  the 
Constitution  of  the  New  Harmony  Society,  &  his  son's 
Outline  of  the  System  of  Education  at  New  Lanark,  had 
been  printed  &  for  sale  there.  M^.  Owen  purchased  a 
complete  assortment  of  printing  materials  to  be  sent  to 
Harmony  that  a  Paper  may  be  immediately  commenced. 
Mf.  Ow^en  had  a  large  meeting  at  the  Court  House  in  the 
Evening.  I  saw  Mf .  Williams'  school ;  he  told  me  that  he 
found  every  thing  wrong  in  it  since  his  return  from  Har- 
mony. This  day  was  extremely  warm.  Ther.  in  the  shade  94°. 

Saturday  n*''.  ]\Ir    Owen  saw  and  conversed  with  a  great  number  of 

people.  We  walked  much  through  the  town.  The  houses 
are  fine  brick  buildings,  the  streets  wide  &  regular.  The 
situation  of  this  city  is  beautiful  surrounded  by  fine  hills 
covered  with  wood.  It  is  encreasing  in  size  very  rapidly.  A 
great  number  of  its  inhabitants  are  desirous  of  [*]  forming 
communities.  Some  land  has  already  been  purchased  for 
that  purpose  about  60  or  70  miles  in  the  interior,  &  a  society 
is  at  present  forming  to  remove  there.  The  Eliza  steam 
boat  arrived  this  morning,  and  took  us  on  board  between 
2  &  3  o'clock  &  started  up  the  river.  Several  gentlemen  & 
ladies  on  summer  excursions  were  on  board.     The   river 

Sunday  12th.  ^as  very  low. 

Monday  13th.  We   passed    Sunday,   Monday   &   part   of   Tuesday  on 

Tuesday  14*''.        board,  but  the  \\'ater  being  too  shallow  to  proceed  beyond 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


297 


Marietta,  we  landed  there  in  the  afternoon.  At  night 
Mr.  Owen  according  to  request  met  between  lOO  &  200  of 
the  population  in  the  Court  house  &  explained  his  Principles. 
All  appeared  interested  &  many  expressed  a  wish  to  join 
him.  [I  received  two  letters  from  a  Thurso  gentleman  to 
be  delivered  to  his   friends.] 

Early  this  morning  we  walked  a  mile  to  the  extremity  Wednesday  15111. 
of  the  town  to  view  an  old  encampment  of  Indians ;  it  was 
the  remains  of  mounds  built  in  the  form  of  a  square.  [*]  The 
situation  of  Marietta  is  not  very  handsome  or  healthy.  The 
water  is  bad  &  the  land  inferior.  After  breakfast  we 
proceeded  in  a  common  country  wagon  about  35  miles  along 
the  Ohio  bank  of  the  Ohio  river 

We  proceeded  this  day  32  miles  &  crossed  to  the  left  liank  Thursday  i6tb. 
of  the  river.  The  road  was  a  common  country  road  along  the 
bank  of  the  river.    Very  beautiful  hills  rose  on  both  sides  of 
the  river  the  whole  way.     The  banks  are  well  people  [d],  & 
improvements  appeared  to  be  rapidly  advancing. 

We  reached  Wheeling  15  miles,  between  10  &  11  this  Friday  i/tb. 
day.  The  Ohio  &  Courier  steam  boats  also  arrived,  which 
proved  that  the  Eliza  could  have  got  up  if  the  Captain  & 
Pilot  had  acted  correctly.  A  considerable  bustle  is  always 
going  on  in  this  place,  as  a  place  at  which  goods  are  shipped 
to  go  down  the  river  or  landed  to  go  East.  We  hired  a 
stage,  and  leaving  [*]  M^".  Wilman  to  set  out  the  next 
morning  for  Philadelphia  by  the  regular  Baltimore  stage,  we 
proceeded  to  Washington  32  miles. 

We  left  this  place  about  7  o'clock  &  reached  Pittsburg,  24   Saturday  18^^. 
miles,  between  3  &  4  o'clock.   We  drank  tea  at  M''.  Bakewells 
&  saw  several  gentlemen  very  friendly  to  M^.  Owen's  system. 

W'e  set  out  at  5  o'clock  this  morning  for  Economy  Sunday  19th. 
between  17  &  18  miles  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ohio  on  the 
road  to  Beaver.  We  were  received  with  great  joy  and 
kindness  by  the  Harmonians,  who  are  as  bu.sy  as  bees 
building  a  new  town.  We  dined  with  them,  &  returned  at 
night  to  Pittsburg  &  met  at  night  at  M^.  Belnappe's  house 
about  12  friends  of  Mr.  Owen's  system  and  heard  the 
constitution  of  a  society  which  they  are  forming  read. 
Several  very  inteHigent  [*]  men  wish  to  form  a  com- 
munity near  Pittsburg. 


(Sunday  ig**". 
cont*') 


298 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Monday  20th.  After  breakfast  we  called  on  Mr.  Bakewell,  and  D^s.  Swift 

&  Herron,  two  presbiterian  ministers,  who  expressed  a  wish 
to  have  M^.  Owen's  system  proved  in  practice.  Mf.  Bakewell 
shewed  me  through  his  glass  manufactory,  where  they  make 
very  excellent  work.  I  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Committee. 
Mr.  Owen  paid  several  visits  and  took  our  places  in  the 
Erie  stage  to  start  tomorrow  morning  at  3  o'clock.  The 
therr.  stood  yesterday  at  Economy  at  94°. 

Tuesday  21st.  At  2  o'clock  this  morning  we  started  in  the  Stage  for 

^""^  Erie.     We  had    10  passengers.      The   day  was   extremely 

warm,  the  country  hilly,  &  the  road  in  many  places  full  of 
deep  ruts.  A  great  part  of  the  day  we  only  made  3  miles  [*] 
an  hour.  We  passed  through  a  small  town  called  Butler  & 
reached  Mercer,  distant  63  miles,  at  1/2  past  10  at  night.  The 
country  is  generally  covered  with  fine  oak  forests,  but  in 
some  places  these  woods  have  been  cleared  away  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  leaving  only  a  few  scattered  trees  &  the  oak 
underwood.  It  is  conjectured  that  this  destruction  of  the 
timber  might  have  been  made  by  the  Indians.  We  passed 
a  good  many  settlements.  Mercer  stands  on  a  hill.  The 
hotel  is  a  tolerable  one.  As  we  were  only  there  at  night 
we  could  not  see  much  of  the  place,  but  it  seemed  to  be 
encreasing  tolerably  fast.  On  the  road  at  one  of  the  places 
where  we  changed  horses,  we  met  M^.  Wallace  of  Meadville, 
returning  home  with  his  family.  He  invited  [*]  Mf.  Owen 
to  stop  at  Meadville.  At  the  Inn  in  Mercer  we  met  a 
Mr.  Hurdy  cooper  of  Meadville  who  likewise  invited  us 
to  stop  there. 

Wednesday  22nd.  We  left   Mercer  at  2  o'clock  &  reached   Meadville  at 

10  o'clock  distant  34  miles.  We  had  the  same  sort  of 
country  to  travel  through,  though  the  road  was  better  than 
yesterday.  We  crossed  a  marshy  valley  through  which  runs 
a  small  stream  from  a  lake  which  is  intended  to  supply 
water  for  the  projected  canal  from  Erie  to  Pittsburg. 

Meadville  stands  in  a  spacious  valley  surrounded  by 
hills  covered  with  wood.  A  creek  called  French  creek  passes 
by  the  town  &  runs  to  the  Alleghany  river.  There  is  another 
small  creek  which  in  rainy  weather  often  floods  the  town. 
There  are  above  900  inhabitants.  They  have  united  &  built 
a  church,  in  which  at  different  hours  all  the   [*]   various 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  299 

sects  attend  worship, — Catholics,  Episcopalians,  Presbiters, 
Methodists  &  covenanters.  This  is  a  peculiar  instance  of 
liberality  on  such  subjects.  M^.  Hurdycooper  returned 
home  about  4  o'clock,  &  Mr.  Wallace  about  6  o'clock.  We 
called  at  M^.  Hurdycooper's,  before  his  return  &  saw 
Df.  Blossom  &  a  Miss  Colquhoun.  In  the  evening  we 
had  a  long  conversation  in  front  of  M^.  Gibson's  Tavern 
with  Mr.  Hurdycooper,  Reynolds,  Morrison,  Cullen. — On  the 
north  side  of  the  Town  a  College  is  building  of  brick,  for  the 
education  of  all  the  children  in  the  place.  The  town  bears  an 
appearance  of  neatness  which  reminds  one  of  the  Old  Coun- 
try. About  4  miles  out  a  party  of  Topographical  Engineers 
are  encamped,  who  are  employed  levelling  &  measuring  the  line 
of  the  proposed  canal.  M^.  Hurdycooper  offered  to  [*]  ride  (Wednesday 22nd 
out  with  me  tomorrow  to  visit  them. — Within  the  last  two  cont<i) 
years  this  has  become  a  favorite  travelling  rout. — 

At  breakfast  we  met  a  son  of  Mr.  [MS  blank]  the  Thursday  23rd. 
councillor  in  Pittsburg,  and  walked  with  him  to  call  on  June 
Mr.  Wallace.  A  meeting  was  proposed  to  be  held  in  the 
Church  at  1 1  o'clock,  &  Mi".  Wallace  undertook  to  give 
notice.  It  was  attended  by  the  principal  persons  of  the 
place,  &  lasted  two  hours.  Mr.  Owen  explained  his 
principles  &  shewed  his  plans.  We  afterwards  were  shewn 
the  public  library  &  introduced  to  the  clergyman  &  librarian. 
We  dined  at  Mr.  Hurdycooper's  and  in  the  evening  went 
to  Mr.  Wallace's.  Mrs.  Wallace  is  a  very  intelligent  person ; 
Miss  Wallace  an  interesting  young  lady. 

Between  9  &  10  o'clock  this  morning  the  Stage  arrived  Friday  24th. 
with  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Howell  &  Mr.  Davis  &  daughter  in  it.  We 
took  a  friendly  leave  of  our  Meadville  friends  &  set  out  for 
Erie.  The  road  lay  through  [*]  fine  woods.  It  was 
tolerably  good  except  in  one  place.  Here  it  happened  that 
as  General  La  Fayette  was  travelling  lately  on  his  northern 
route,  he  told  the  Driver  that  he  would  give  a  dollar  to  drive 
him  safely  over  the  bad  bit  of  road,  which  the  driver  did  & 
received  the  dollar  reward.  His  brother  whips  when  they 
heard  of  this  were  so  incensed  at  the  meanness  of  the  driver 
in  accepting  such  a  paltry  sum,  that  they  abused  him  every 
where.  This  driver  happened  to  be  a  german,  and  their 
remarks  on  his  conduct  were  still  more  goading  as  they  said 


3ft0 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


•Saturday  25^^. 


Sunday  26^''. 


Monday  27*''. 


(Monday  27*11. 
conf^) 


that  no  American  would  have  done  so.  We  ascended  several 
high  ridges  of  land  and  at  length  had  a  view  of  Lake  Erie. 
The  scenery  is  by  no  means  beautiful.  We  reached  the  town 
of  Erie  about  1/2  past  6  o'clock.  It  is  a  small  poor  place 
on  the  shore  of  the  lake.  Since  the  war  little  has  been  doing 
here.  The  country  round  is  flat.  To  the  west  of  [*]  the 
town  a  neck  of  land  stretches  out,  &  bending  round  runs 
in  front  of  the  town  forming  a  large  bay  which  is  secured 
by  two  wooden  &  stone  peirs.  The  vessels  of  war  employed 
by  the  Americans  have  been  sunk  near  to  this.  As  the 
steam  boat  which  runs  between  Buffalo  &  Detroit  was 
not  expected  for  two  days,  it  was  determined  by  our  party 
to  take  the  Stage  to  Buffalo. 

We  left  Erie  about  4  o'clock  in  the  morning  &  travelled 
through  a  flat  woody  country  which  is  fast  settling,  at  no 
great  distance  from  the  Lake  though  we  could  not  see  it.  We 
reached  Fredonia  early  in  the  day.  This  is  a  small  town 
advancing  rapidly  in  size.     It  is  three  miles  from  the  lake. 

We  again  set  out  about  5  o'clock,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
ist.  stage  came  onto  the  shore  of  the  lake.  The  road 
continued  the  rest  of  the  way  along  its  margin  either  on  a 
flat  sandy  [*]  shore  or  through  the  woods  near  the  edge 
of  a  rocky  shore.  In  some  places  it  was  very  bad. — At 
Fredonia  we  changed  our  Stage  for  a  Covered  waggon 
in  which  we  were  very  much  jolted.  We  reached  Buffalo 
between  5  &  6  o'clock. 

Buffalo  stands  about  3  miles  from  the  Niagara  river.  The 
new  Canal  from  Albany  passes  the  town  &  joins  Buffalo 
Creek  which  enters  lake  Erie  at  the  South  end  of  the 
town.  This  town  has  greatly  encreased  since  the  war,  and 
is  at  present  rapidly  improving.  The  surrounding  scenery 
is  however  tame  &  uninteresting. 

At  six  o'clock  this  morning  we  set  out  in  a  Stage  for 
Black  rock,  3  miles  off,  the  place  to  cross  the  river  into 
Canada.  The  river  is  2/3^3  of  a  mile  wide  &  very  rapid. 
Black  rock  like  Buffalo  is  on  the  increase  and  in  full 
activity,  while  on  the  [*]  contrary  on  the  Canadian  side, 
there  were  only  a  few  scattered  houses,  and  a  melancholy 
stilness  &  inactivity.  The  land  on  both  sides  of  the  river 
is  quite   flat.     Grand  island   appears   from  the   river   side 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  301 

quite  flat  &  covered  with  thick  timber.  From  Black  rock 
to  M''.  Forsyth's  hotel  just  over  the  falls  the  distance  is  i8 
miles.  His  house  is  built  on  a  sloping  bank  rising  gradually 
from  the  Falls.  The  land  around  is  tolerably  farmed.  Im- 
mediately on  the  river  bank  a  few  tall  trees  &  underwood 
are  left  &  walks  cut.  The  fall  seems  to  have  been  occasioned 
by  the  sinking  of  the  bed  of  the  river,  thus  leaving  a  rocky 
edge  for  the  w^hole  stream  to  drop  over  into  a  lower  channel 
which  continues  a  rapid  in  a  deep  narrow  channel  for  7 
miles,  between  high  banks,  [height  of  falls  160  ft.  height  of 
banks  206  depth  of  channel  below  the  falls  170]  Just 
at  [*]  the  falls  there  are  two  islands  dividing  them  into 
three.  On  the  Canadian  side,  at  the  edge  of  the  perpendicular 
rock  a  few  hundred  feet  from  the  Great  fall  a  wooden 
circular  shaft  staircase  has  been  made.  By  descending  this 
a  visitor  may  pass  close  under  the  face  of  the  rock  and 
behold  the  river  tumbling  over  his  head ;  but  he  cannot  do 
this  without  being  wet  to  the  skin.  In  the  afternoon  the  sun 
shone  out  and  we  beheld  a  complete  &  beautiful  rainbow 
formed  in  the  clouds  of  spray  which  shot  up  several  hundred 
feet  over  our  heads  &  spread  in  every  direction. 

In  the  afternoon  we  proceeded  about  8  miles  down  the 
bank  of  the  river  &  crossed  over  to  a  small  town  where  we 
passed  [*]  the  night.  The  next  morning  we  drove  up  to  the 
inn  on  the  East  side  of  the  Falls  &  after  breakfasting,  &  visit- 
ing the  falls  w^e  proceeded  to  Lockport,  so  called  from  the 
number  of  locks  there  constructed  on  the  canal.  [On  our 
way  to  Lockport  we  passed  through  an  Indian  village.  As 
the  missionaries  have  gotten  among  these  people,  they  are 
much  altered  from  the  genuine  Indian  character.]  At  seven 
o'clock  in  the  evening  we  went  on  board  the  canal  boat.  It 
was  comfortably  arranged  though  crowded,  &  travelled 
at  from  3  to  4  miles  an  hour.  The  banks  are  rapidly 
clearing  &  Settling.  We  changed  boats  at  Rochelle  a  rapidly 
encreasing  town,  situated  on  the  Genesee  river,  where  there 
are  picturesque  falls,  &  a  great  power  of  water  for  machinery 
of  which  the  inhabitants  are  daily  taking  more  &  more 
advantage.  We  reached  Schenectady  Saturday  evening  [*]  (Saturday  2od. 
the  2"tl  July.  As  there  are  from  this  place  to  the  Hudson  !"'>') 
river  several  locks  to  pass  which  render  travelling  by  the 


302 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


canal  tedious,  we  landed,  slept  there  &  early  in  the  morning 
went  in  the  Stage  to  Albany  which  place  we  reached  at  8 
o'clock  just  in  time  for  the  steam  boat  in  which  we  took  our 
passage  to  New  York.  On  board  we  met  Mr.  Fetherstone- 
haugh  with  whom  we  had  some  conversation.     We  arrived 

4ti'.  July  early  on  IMonday  morning  the  Celebrated  Anniversary.     We 

called  at  nine  at  the  Mansionhouse  hotel  &  saw  La  Fayette 

(Monday  4*'^  a  complete  picture  of  a  French  Marquis.   [*]  He  shook  us 

July  contd)  jjy  ti^g  hand  &  said  it  was  'no  day  for  thinking  or  talk- 

*ing, — only  for  acting.'  A  grand  volunteer  parade  took 
place  &c  &c.  M"".  Owen  finding  all  engrossed  with  the  joys 
of  the  day,  went  on  to  conclude  his  business  at  Philadelphia, 
while  I  remained  to  call  on  our  friends,  &c.  I  delivered 
letters  sent  me  by  M'^.  Kemmis,  one  to  Mr.  Ensmith  attorney 
general  at  New  York  from  M^.  Burrows,  &  one  to  M^.  Wilkes 
cashier  of  New  York  bank  from  M"".  Rush.  Also  one  from 
Mr.   Upjohn   of   Cincinnati    to   his   daughter.      I   went   on 

7tii.  July  Thursday  evening  the  /th.  to  M's.  Cole's  wMth  Jacob  Harvey 

where  I  met  the  Miss  Wrights  and  several  old  acquaintances, 

Friday  8*^.  [*]    and  Friday  morning  I   w^nt  to  see  the  High  school 

opened  this  year  under  the  direction  of  Professor  Griscomb. 
Here  has  been  adopted  a  good  deal  of  Mr.  Owen's  method 
of  giving  instruction. 

Mr.  Owen  returned  this  morning.  He  had  passed  the 
last  night  at  Joseph  Bounaparte's,  who  had  been  most 
anxious  to  make  his  acquaintance,  &  sent  his  carriage  down 
to  the  landing  place  on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware  to  receive 
him.  Mr.  Owen  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Say  the  naturalist. 
They  sat  in  side  the  carriage  &  Lucien  &  Murat's  sons  on  the 
box,  one  driving  &  the  other  opening  the  gates.  [*]  ^lurat's 
son  has  property  in  Florida  where  he  is  going  to  settle.  The 
party  were  much  interested  and  delighted  with  the  New 
Plans.  &  promised  a  visit  to  Harmony  next  year.  La  Fayette 
has  chosen  the  township,  granted  to  him  by  Congress,  in 
Florida  near  the  seat  of  government.  At  Four  O'clock  we 
went  on  board  a  steamboat  bound  for  Hart  forth  Connecticut 
accompanied  by  Mr.  Home  from  Philadelphia,  an  English 
man  who  has  made  a  large  fortune  in  the  business  of 
bleaching  &  preparing  Cloth,  &  who  is  a  great  friend  to 
Mr.  Owen's  plans.  We  passed  along  Long  Island  sound  &  up 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  303 

the  Connecticut  river,  &  reached  Hartforth  about  1 1  o'clock 
the  next  day  [*] 

9th.    Saturday.      We    had    fallen    in    with    Colonel    &   [Saturjday  the 
Mi's.    Woodbridge   &    family   in    the    Canal    boat.      He    is  9*^- 
Lt.  Governor  of  the  Michigan  territory  &  was  travelling  with 
his  wife  to  leave  her  with  her  father  Judge  Trumbull.     He 
proceeded  no  farther  than  New  York,  as  he  was  obliged  to 
hasten  back  to  Detroit. — After  having  been  at  the  Inn  we 
walked  to  the  Judge's,  and  in  the  afternoon  proceeded  on  to 
Springfield   further  up  the  river.     The  country  was  well 
cultivated  and   very  beautiful.      The   towns   of   Hartforth 
and   Springfield  are   well  built.     At  the   latter  there  is  a 
large    &   well    arranged    Armoury.    [*]    The    vale   of    the   (Saturday  gth. 
Connecticutt  is  celebrated  for  its  beauty.  J"'y  contd) 

Early  this  morning  we  drove  out  in  gigs  with  Mr.  Dwight  lo^*"- 
3  miles  to  some  rapids  on  the  river,  where  a  Boston  Company 
are  erecting  spinning  &  weaving  mills.  The  Manufactories 
are  well  built,  and  promise  to  be  an  excellent  establishment.  I 
saw  some  very  fine  bricks  made  by  a  patent  machine  invented 
by  a  Bostonian.  The  weather  extremely  hot.  Theri".  above  90° . 
The  Unitarians  have  a  handsome  meeting  house  in  this  town. 

At  six  o'clock  this  evening  we  parted  from  M^'.  Home  & 
proceeded  one  stage  in  the  Boston  stage,  in  company  with 
[MS  blank]  of  the  [*]  Dover  Manufactory  60  miles  north 
of  Boston,  and  a  Springfield  gentleman  who  once  offered 
himself  as  candidate  for  the  governorship. 

The  next  day  Monday  we  proceeded  on  to  Boston.  [The  ^^^^-  J^^v 
country  hilly  &  not  a  fertile  soil  though  in  many  places  well 
cultivated.]  The  day  was  intensely  hot,  &  it  was  11  o'clock 
at  night  before  we  reached  the  Exchange  Hotel  in  that 
city,  situated  on  a  point  of  land  nearly  surrounded  by 
the  waters  of  the  Bay  in  which  there  are  many  Islands, 
and  long  causeways. 

Early  this  day  Mr.  Owen  delivered  some  letters.  We  called  Tuesday  i2ti>. 
on  the  Lord  Mayor  Mr.  Quincy  and  [*]  the  Revd.  [MS  blank]  J"'y 
who  speaks  highly  of  the  System  &  begged  to  be  a  subscriber 
to  the  Harmony  newspaper.  We  then  drove  to  Mr.  John 
Adams,  7  miles  out  of  town.  We  sat  with  the  old  gentleman 
a  couple  of  hours.  The  ther^.  was  at  98°.  He  said  that  he 
would  be  90   years  old   on   the   20th.    Ocf.   next.      He   is 


304 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


(Tuesday 

cont<3) 

Wednesday 

J-nly 


12<h. 


13^ 


Thursday  14^*1. 
]vi]y 


Friday  15*^. 


Saturday   i6»i\ 
July 


short  &  square  built,  and  must  have  been  a  very  strong 
minded  man  in  his  day;  but  the  heat  of  the  weather  &  his 
great  age  combined  to  make  him  appear  feeble.  One  of 
his  remarks  was  that  there  was  not  a  body  of  citizens  in 
any  country  in  Europe,  not  excepting  England,  which  [*] 
could  be  called  a  people.  Scotland  he  considered  the  most 
luminous  spot  on  the  Globe.  He  wished  M^.  Owen  success. 
[He  asked  us  to  stop  dinner  with  his  family,  but  said  that 
he  never  went  down  himself.  The  party  consisted  of  a 
lady  who  takes  care  of  him,  &  a  young  lady  I  believe  his 
niece.]  Mr.  Owen's  man,  Watson,  had  remarked  in  the 
kitchen  that  he  had  seen  all  the  Ex  Presidents  except 
Mr.  Adams.  While  we  were  at  dinner  this  was  mentioned 
to  him,  &  he  sent  for  Watson,  shook  hands  with  him,  made 
him  sit  five  minutes  by  his  side,  and  told  him  his  master 
was  a  very  smart  man,  and  would  be  of  great  service  to  the 
Human  Race.  [In  America  smart  or  intelligent  is  used  for 
clever,  &  a  clever  man  means  a  kind  fellow  but  a  simpleton.] 
On  our  return  to  the  Hotel  we  found  that  the  glass  had  for 
two  hours  been  at  100°  [*]  a  greater  heat  than  had  been 
known  for  several  years.  Several  persons  were  taken  ill,  and 
in  a  few  instances  deaths  were  occasioned  by  drinking  cold 
water  while  hot.  In  the  evening  we  went  out  to  Waltham 
where  we  slept  &  in  the  morning  we  walked  through  that 
Factory  which  is  extensive.  The  country  round  is  well 
cultivated.  We  passed  a  park  &  country  house  belonging  to 
Colonel  Gore.  On  our  return  we  took  places  in  the  stage,  and 
Drove  to  Bunker  Hill  which  commands  a  fine  view  of  the 
town  &  surrounding  bay  and  country. — At  one  oclock  [*]  we 
left  Boston  in  the  Mail.  &  travelling  all  night  reach  Hartforth 
the  next  morning  between  7  &  8  o'clock.  After  breakfast  we 
went  to  the  College  &  saw  Bishop  Brownell  &  one  of  the  Pro- 
fessors, with  whom  we  had  a  very  friendly  conversation.  At 
eleven  we  went  on  board  the  Oliver  Ellsworth  steam  boat, 
where  we  again  fell  in  with  Mi".  Home,  &  reached  New  York 
at  8  o'clock  next  morning.  We  called  upon  several  friends,  & 
went  in  the  evening  to  Mi".  Wilkes'  at  Freemont  where  we  met 
the  Miss  Wrights  &  the  Flowers.  They  were  much  occupied 
about  their  plans  for  slave  emancipation.  [*]The  next  morn- 
ing we  embarked  on  board  the  Canada  Packet  ship  540  tons, 


MACDONALD   DIARIES  305 

capt"  Rogers. — We  were  taken  down  in  the  steamboat  which 
leaves  the  end  of  the  Battery  walk  at  lo  o'clock  and  put  on 
board  the  packet  lying  too  at  the  Quarantine  ground  off  Staten 
Island.  The  cabin  passengers  were  17,  M»".  Alvarado,  a 
Guatemala  merchant,  Mf.  Owen,  Mr.  Vanderhurst  an 
Englishman  having  property  at  S*.  Helena  60  miles  south  of 
Charleston,  M^.  Krumbhaar  an  American  German,  Mr.  Lav- 
ater,  a  German  whose  mother  is  English  Mr.  Faerbar  a 
German  M'".  Wester feldt  a  Swede,  [*]  M^.  Brock  a  Glasgow 
gentleman,  M^.  Higgins,  M"".  Hall,  Scotch  from  South 
Carolina,  M*".  Calder,  Scotch,  Mf.  Stansfeldt  German 
Mr.  Furst  from  Hamburgh.  Mr.  Morrice,  American  from 
South  Carolina,  Mr.  Osborne,  English,  &  Mr.  Russel  a 
Yankee  or  New  Englander  from  New  York. 

We  parted  from  our  pilot  outside  of  Sandy  Hook  about 
4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  made  sail  with  a  clear 
sky,  smooth  sea,  &  fine  southerly  wind.  When  we  got  into 
the  Gulf  Stream  we  had  rather  close  &  hot  weather  with 
thunder  [*]  and  lightning  but  no  boisterous  winds.  Our 
course  was  East  nearly  by  compass. 

On   Wednesday  evening   the   3rd   August   between    5    &  6  1825 
o'clock   we   came   in   sight  of   the   Mizen   Head   and  soon  Wednesday  3^^. 
afterwards  Cape  Clear,  not  having  had  occasion  during  the      ^^^ 
whole  of  our  passage  to  take  in  a  reef.     Our  occupation 
Airing  the  voyage  had  consisted  in  reading  Segur's  Russian 
Campaign,  Madame  de  Genlis  Memoirs  of  her  early  life, 
O'Meara's  Voice  from  St.  Helena,  Bacon  on  the  improvement 
of  Knowledge,  John  Bull  in  America,  &  some  less  important 
works,  miscellaneous  conversation,  and  whist   [*]  chess  & 
backgammon.      I    frequently    conversed    in    Spanish    with 
Mr.  Alvarado  relative  to  the  affairs  of  his  country.     The 
Guatemala    consul    in    New    York,    had,    as    he    informed 
me,    translated    Mr.    Owen's    two    Discourses   delivered   in 
Congress,  into  Spanish,  &  he  expressed  a  great  desire  to 
have  the  System  adopted  in  that  Republic. 

The  next  morning  the  weather  became  hazy  &  boisterous  Thursday  4"*- 
with  a  head  wind.  We  lay  till  the  following  morning  beating 
about  at  the  mouth  of  the  Irish  channel,  when  we  had  a  fine 
westerly  breeze  which   [*]    brought  us  to  the  Pilot's  post   i'r'day  5th. 
about  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  where  we  lay  too  under  the 


306  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

north  shore  of  Wales.   No  Pilot  boats  were  in  sight.   A  good 
many  sail  were  coming  in.     During  the  night  it  blew  ex- 
tremely hard  from  the  S.  West. 
Saturday  6^.  About  9  o'clock  a  pilot  boarded  us.     He  informed  us 

-^^^^-  that  so  many  vessels  were  coming  into  port  that  the  pilots 

could  not  get  out  &  in  fast  enough.  We  landed  about  2 
o'clock  at  Liverpool,  &  by  an  order  from  the  custom  house 
got  our  baggage  landed  &  passed  after  hours.  I  had  written 
by  the  [*]  packet  of  the  S^h.  ult^.  to  mention  our  intention 
of  crossing  by  that  of  the  16*^.,  but  we  reached  port  within 
two  days  of  her  arrival,  making  a  shorter  passage  by  5  days. 

Liverpool 
/th.  August  1825. 


SECOND  JOURNEY  TO  AMERICA,  1825-26 

AT  TWO  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  the  i^t.  Oct^.,  October  ist. 
Mr.  Owen,  Mr.  R.  D.  Owen,  Mr.  Whitwell  (archi-  '^-5. 
tect)  and  Mr.  Smidt  (a  prussian)  and  myself  sailed  from 
Liverpool  in  the  Packet  ship  New  York  for  New  York.  We 
had  41  cabin  Passengers  on  board,  consisting  of  Mr.  Loyd 
Rogers  of  Baltimore,  Mr.  George  Barclay  of  New  York, 
Mr.  Prince  of  Do..  Mr.  Lowry  of  do.,  Mr.  Charters  of 
do.,  Mr.  Heyward  of  South  Carolina,  Mr.  Hamihon  &  Miss 
Hamilton  of  New  York,  Mr.  Hayle  a  Lancashire  woolen 
manufacturer,  Mr.  Camac  of  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Tibbetts 
of  Schenectady,  Mr.  Lynch  of  New  York,  Mrs.  Walker  of 
Quakeress  of  New  York  (who  has  travelled  much  among  the 
Indians  &  on  Society  business  in  Europe,)  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Down- 
ing of  New  York,  &  Miss  Penn  accompanying  her  cousin 
Mr.  Camac,  and  Mr.  Garcia  &  family  and  [*]  a  company 
of  Performers  from  the  Italian  opera. —  [Captain  Bennett 
Captain  of  the  New  York.]  The  weather  was  stormy  for 
the  first  10  days,  that  together  with  our  large  number 
rendered  matters  rather  uncomfortable.  Fine  weather  fol- 
lowed and  we  gradually  got  into  order.  ]Mr.  Owen  had 
discussions  with  several  of  the  Passengers  relative  to  the 
System.  We  had  a  little  music  occasionally  from  Mr.  Lynch 
or  the  opera  singers.  Miss  Garcia  has  a  fine  voice  &  performs 
well,  Mr.  Garcia  was  composing  music  almost  the  whole  of 
the  voyage.  This  was  occasionally  rehearsed  in  a  low 
tone.  A  few  Gazettes  were  published.  Mr.  Whitwell  & 
myself  were  the  Editors.  We  called  the  ship  Ebor  Nova, 
(Ebor  being  the  Latin  name  for  York  in  England)  and  the 
Gazette  the  Sextant.  Much  good  humour  prevailed  and  [*] 
a  variety  of  amusing  quizzes  published. — An  ode  was 
likewise  published,  and  set  to  music  by  Mr.  Garcia. — On 
our  reaching  the  Bay  of  New  York,  it  was  sung  on  the  deck 
in  full  chorus. —  [A  lottery  was  drawn  the  prize  being  for 
the  holder  of  the  ticket  naming  the  hour  of  the  ship  passing 
the  line  between  Forts  Diamond  &  Richmond  in  the  Bay.  It 
was  won  by  Mr.  Lowry.]  We  reached  Sandy  Hook  about 
2  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning  the  6^^^  Novr. — 

(30/; 


308 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Sunday  6th. 
Nov. 


Monday  7*^. 
Nov»'. 


Monday  7th. 
(contd) 

Tuesday  8*''. 


Wednesday  yt^. 
Novf. 


The  day  was  very  calm  and  rather  thick.  In  the  evening 
a  steam  boat  took  us  on  board  and  landed  us  on  the  Battery. 
Our  Party  got  in  comfortable  appartments  in  the  City  Hotel. 

The  City  was  full  of  strangers.  On  Friday  last,  a  superb 
procession  of  boats  had  gone  down  the  bay  in  honor  of  the 
opening  of  the  canal  communicating  the  waters  of  the  Lakes 
with  the  Hudson,  and  a  Ball  to  be  given  by  the  City  was 
fixed  for  tomorrow^   [*] 

This  morning  M"".  Hulme  and  D^".  Price  called  with  two 
Harmony  Gazettes  &  letters,  all  very  satisfactory,  the  health 
of  the  Place  having  been  remarkably  good  all  the  summer. 
Dr.  Price  introduced  two  Quakers,  one  a  Mi".  Gauce  from 
Wilmington,  the  other  INI''.  Trueman  of  this  city,  &  a 
Ml".  Johnson,  all  friends  to  the  Plan.  We  learnt  that 
societies  were  forming  in  Philadelphia  for  the  purpose  of 
establishing  communities.  We  got  orders  at  the  custom 
house  for  our  baggage,  gave  a  letter  which  M^.  Owen  wrote 
at  sea,  for  publication  in  the  New  York  Papers.  In  the 
evening  we  got  our  personal  baggage  landed  with  only  the 
form  of  unlocking  our  trunks — Four  tickets  of  invitation 
had  been  sent  to  us  for  the  Ball.  At  10  we  went  there,  spoke 
to  the  governor,  his  lady,  Capt"  Rogers  &  his  family  of  the 
Canada,  Mr.  &  [*]  Mrs.  Thomas,  Mr.  Hulme's  daughter 
and  the  two  Mr.  Shanks.  The  room  was  hung  with 
leaves,  &  full  of  mixed  assemblage. 

Mr.  Owen  went  wath  Mr.  Johnson  &  Mr.  Gauce  to 
Elias  Hicks'  (25  miles  off  in  Long  Island).  [At  ten  we 
sent  off  our  English  letters.  I  wrote  to  William,  my 
uncle  &  my  Aunt  Annie.]  I  called  on  the  Governor,  &  left 
Mr.  Rush's  letter  of  introduction  &  two  views  of  Lanark  & 
Proposed  communities.  I  also  called  for  Mr.  Owen  &  left  a 
letter  for  Mr.  John  Hunter  in  Broadway.  I  called  with  Robert 
on  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Thomas.  After  dinner  we  went  to  the  play 
with  Dr.  Price  &  Mrs.  W'arner  (his  sister).  Mrs.  Fisher  (her 
sister).  Miss  Cistairs  the  daughter  of  the  lady  at  whose  house 
they  board.     These  ladies  propose  going  to  Harmony.   [*] 

We  left  our  cards  for  Mr.  Ludlow  &  the  British  consul. 
We  escorted  Mr.  Garcia  &  family  to  see  the  City  Hall.  In 
the  saloon,  the  Governor  De  \\'itt  Clinton  was  sitting;  I 
therefore  introduced  the  Partv  to  him.     He  was  extremely 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  309 

polite.  Afterwards  we  walked  with  them  to  the  New  High 
School.  The  school  was  out,  but  I  introduced  the  ladies  to 
Professor  Griscomb.  He  gave  Robert  a  small  vol.  which 
he  had  lately  published  explanatory  of  his  school  system. 
Another  school  is  building  in  that  neighbourhood  for 
females,  this  being  exclusively  for  boys.  It  will  hold  400 
girls.  After  dinner  we  called  on  Df.  Price's  friends  & 
Mr.  Hulme,  who  has  been  [*]  staying  here  to  visit  his 
daughter  who  arrived  last  evening  from  France  by  the 
Havre  packet. — Between  6  &  7  Mr.  Owen  returned  quite 
pleased  with  his  visit  to  Elias  Hicks,  who  approves  of  his 
views.  There  are  two  parties  of  Quakers,  Unitarians  and 
Trinitarians.  He  is  a  supporter  of  the  former  &  very 
influential  among  them.  At  night  we  went  to  M^.  Wilkes 
in  Hudson  Square.  [The  W"".  Burns  (packet)  came  in,  not 
having  left  Liverpool  for  12  days  after  us.  She  brought  the 
Model  &  a  man  &  maid,  &  baggage.] 

This   morning   Robert    &   myself    wrote   to    Harmony.   Thursday  loth. 
Mr.  Aufrere  son  in  law  of  M^s  Lockhart  called  on  me,  his  ^ovf. 
address  49  Canal  Street.     M^.  John  Stevens    (Col.  and  a 
great  man  for  Rail  Roads)  called  &  introduced  himself  as  a 
friend  of  M*".  Hill  cashier  of  Hoboken  Bank,  whom  [*]  we 
met  last  year  in  the  Albany  steamboat, — He  expressed  a 
great  desire  to  converse  with  M^.  Owen.    M^.  Owen  went  to 
the  Custom  house  to  get  his  baggage  landed  &  arrange  about 
sending  it  west  by  way  of  New  Orleans.    M"".  Richardson 
of  Utica,  a  miliar  whom  we  had  met  in  the  Clinton  canal 
boat,   was  with  us.      Mf.   Owen  gave  him  a  copy  of  the 
Drawing  of   a   community.      A    IMf.    Conn,    an    Engineer, 
called.     Mr.  Whitwell  went  with  him  to  see  a  new  steam 
Engine  invented  by  him.     He  was  much  pleased  both  with- 
the  Engineer  &  his  apparatus.     At  one  o'clock  we  called  at 
the  City  Hall  &  saw  the  Governor.     He  agreed  to  take  the 
chair  at  a  public  meeting  next  W'ednesday  to  hear  Mr.  Owen 
explain  his  system.    He  observed  [*]  that  the  most  superior  Thursday  lotb 
female  of  his  acquaintance  (Miss  Wright)  was  a  complete  '^<'"^*^- 
convert  to   the    System.      Thence   we   went   to   Mr.    Peel's 
museum,  which  has  lately  been  opened  in  Broadway.     This 
gentleman,  I  am  told,  has  in  Philadelphia  the  best  collection 
in  the  U.  States.     He  took  us  into  his  sanctum  sanctorum 


310  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

and  shewed  us  his  paintings.  His  name  is  Rembrandt.  His 
father  is  an  old  man.  We  were  introduced  to  a  M"".  Stansbury 
a  clerg\''man.  He  was  extremely  friendly.  We  were  likew  ise 
introduced  to  two  other  gentlemen  belonging  to  the  museum. 
I  called  on  Mrs.  George  Barclay  42  Courtland  St.  &  Mr.  & 
Mrs.  Clibborn  124  Greenwich  S*.  Engaged  to  dine 
Wednesday  with  ist  &  Thursday  with  2nd 

At  five  o'clock  we  took  a  coach  &  called  for  Mr.  [*]  Owen 
at  Mr.  Poste's,  Franklin  Bank  Franklin  Square.  We  sat 
with  the  ladies  a  few  minutes  &  proceeded  to  call  on 
Mr.  Wilkes ;  drank  tea  at  Jacob  Harvey's ;  went  for  a  short 
time  again  to  the  museum  where  we  met  Dr.  Hosack,  and 
thence  to  the  Lunch  Club  of  New  York  Litterati  in  Broad 
Way,  a  short  distance  from  Washington  Hall  Hotel. 
Friday  u^'^.  At  6  o'clock  Mr.  Owen,  Robert,  &  Smith  accompanied 

Nov^  by  Dr.  Price  &  his  party,  started  in  the  Union  line  of  steam 

boats  for  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Whitwell  &  myself  got  an  order 
from  the  custom  house  to  land  the  Model.  We  went  for 
a  short  time  to  the  Academy  of  Arts.  The  rooms  are  bad 
and  though  there  are  a  few  good  pictures,  yet  in  general 
the  exhibition  is  very  inferior.  At  12  we  called  on  the 
governor  [*]  and  fixed  that  Mr.  Owen  should  have  a  public 
meeting  in  the  City  hotel  on  Friday  the  i8th.  at  1 1  o'clock. 
We  called  on  Miss  Upjohn.  The  Eldest  sister  had  gone  to 
Cincinnati  to  join  her  father;  the  rest  propose  going  there 
early  in  spring.  We  purchased  a  number  of  the  Religious 
Chronicle  in  which  there  was  a  letter  from  a  clergyman  who 
had  been  at  New  Harmony,  and  found  the  school  in  bad 
order  and  the  farm  &  other  establishments  not  well  managed. 
A  Mr.  Page  called.  He  is  a  singular  man,  &  has  had  his 
head  turned  by  some  fanciful  speculation.  He  dresses  in 
an  extraordinary  green  gown.  He  spoke  of  having  made 
some  w'onderful  discovery  relative  to  some  thousand  years 
of  the  world's  existence.  He  said  he  understood  the  magical 
art,  and  had  for  some  years  been  recommending  communities 
on  Mr.  Owen's  plan,  in  w-hich  he  would  establish  theatrical 
religion.  He  called  himself  "the  Page  of  Nature;  the 
Page  [*]  of  History;  King  David's  Page,  and  Hisom 
Hieroglyphicus.  He  had  been  that  morning  to  mention  the 
subject  to  the  governor  who  had  fixed  an  interview  at  his 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  311 

private  house  for  the  following  morning  at  8  o'clock. — We 
allowed  him  to  run  out  without  interruption,  and  then  he 
took  his  leave  requesting  we  would  relate  what  he  had  told 
us  to  Mr.  Owen.  After  his  departure,  I  could  not  help 
laughing  at  the  idea  of  the  governor  connecting  our  views 
with  the  insane  fancies  of  this  fanatic,  and  I  half  asked 
myself  whether  I  had  entirely  escaped  the  disaster  of  in- 
sanity.— Mr.  Johnson  who  called  with  M"".  Gauce,  again 
called.  He  spoke  rather  extravagantly  of  some  improve- 
ments he  had  made  in  the  art  of  type  founding,  and  about 
his  early  career  as  an  actor.  [*] 

As  soon  as  he  left  us  we  walked  out,  and  passed  the  evening  Friday  ntfc. 
at  La  Fayette  circus  where  we  saw  some  good  horsemanship.    ^o\^.  (cont^.) 

At  six  this  morning  we  started  in  the  steam  boat  for  Saturday  12^^. 
New  Brunswick  45  miles  up  the  Raritan  river,  thence  about 
30  miles  in  stages  through  Princeton  &  Trenton  to  the 
banks  of  the  Delaware  where  we  embarked  on  board  the 
Trenton  steam  boat,  a  beautiful  &  very  fast  boat.  We 
proceeded  30  miles  down  the  river  to  Philadelphia  where 
we  arrived  at  1/2  past  5,  &  found  M^.  Owen  at  the  Mansion 
house  hotel.  The  fare  was  2$.  We  breakfasted  in  one 
boat  &  dined  in  the  other,  1/2$  each.  The  road  was  very 
rough  from  New  Brunswick  to  the  Delaware,  but  they  drove 
fast.  There  [*]  is  an  opposition  line,  which  is  the  cause  of 
the  low  fares.  Owing  to  the  dry  weather,  the  road  was 
extremely  dusty,  and  the  river  being  low.  we  proceeding 
6  or  8  miles  below  Trenton  before  we  embarked. — The  day 
was  beautifully  clear,  but  there  was  a  very  cold  wind. —  [In 
the  steamboat  I  met  M^".  Osborne  with  whom  I  had  crossed 
the  Atlantic  in  the  Canada.  He  introduced  me  to  Mrs.  Gray 
wife  of  the  B.  consul  at  Norfolk  Virginia.  She  had  known 
Major  Cunningham  of  the  Engineers  in  Bermuda.]  In  the 
evening  we  saw  Mr.  Say  and  Mr.  Haynes.  The  latter  lives 
at  Germantown  7  miles  out  of  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Whitwell 
remarked  that  the  country  from  New  Brunswick  to  Trenton 
looked  wild,  that  the  driving  of  the  coachman  would  alarm 
our  English  whips,  and  that  the  country  had  a  very  wintry 
appearance,  owing  to  the  brown  cast  of  the  ground  &  the 
want  of  leaves  on  the  trees.  This  is  caused  by  the  sharp 
frosts  in  the  nights. — 


312 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Sunday  13th. 
Novr. 


Monday  14 
Novf. 


Tuesday  15th. 
Nov. 


Tuesday  15th. 
Nov.  (contd) 


[A  letter  arrived  from  IM'".  Lewis  the  Secretary  of 
N.  Harmony  to  M"".  Owen,  he  remarked  that  the  school  was  the 
best  part  of  the  Establishment  &,  that  every  thing  would  go 
right  on  his  return.  The  Place  had  been  remarkably  healthy.] 

After  breakfast  D^.  Rush  called.  I  gave  him  a  letter  of 
introduction  from  his  brother.  Also  came  in  M^.  Spackman 
with  Dr.  Price  &  his  brother  [*]  Eli  Price,  &  Mr.  Hulme's 
2^^  son.  M»".  Owen  went  out  to  breakfast.  M^.  Whitwell 
went  out  with  Mr.  Spackman,  &  engaged  to  meet  Dr.  Rush 
after  dinner  to  go  &  see  the  Water  Works  &  Penitentiary. 
[Mr.  Spackman  agreed  with  me  as  to  the  necessity  of 
getting  foremen  for  the  several  branches  of  business  in 
New  Harmony.]  Mr.  Owen  was  to  go  out  with  Mr  Haynes 
to  dine  at  Germantown,  &.  come  into  to  Mr.  Fieball's  [Phi- 
queball's] .  I  remained  at  home  having  a  cold.  In  the  evening- 
Mr.  Spackman  called.  &  we  had  a  long  conversation  about 
advertising  for  various  artificers  to  go  to  New  Harmony. 

Early  this  morning  Mr.  Owen  &  Dr.  Price  set  off  to 
Wilmington  with  Mr.  Gause,  to  see  the  society  formed 
there.  After  breakfast  Mr.  Spackman  came  in,  &  we  drew 
out  the  proposed  advertisement  which  he  engaged  to  have 
inserted  for  one  week  in  all  the  papers  of  this  city.  W^e  called 
on  Mr.  Camac,  &  saw  Miss  Penn,  Mr.  Smith  &  Capt".  Ricketts 
who  was  in  the  Portuguese  service  but  [*]  retired,  and  is  now- 
married  to  one  of  Camac's  sisters.  I  called  &  left  Mr.  Rush's 
letter  of  introduction  to  Mr.  C.  T.  Anquisoll.  We  called 
on,  Dr.  Rush  &  Mr.  Longstreath.  We  saw  Mr.  Price  & 
Mr.  M^lure  in  the  house  of  the  latter.  In  the  evening  we 
went  with  young  Camac  &  Mr.  Smith  to  see  the  Atheneum 
&  the  Museum.  The  latter  is  a  private  collection,  fitted  for 
a  pubhc  show.     Admittance  25$    [cents]. 

After  Breakfast  I  wrote  to  the  Committee  inclosing 
the  slip  of  the  advertisement  &  afterwards  went  out  with 
Mr.  Spackman.  I  left  my  card  for  Mrs.  Grey  at  Mrs.  Sword's 
boarding  house  in  Walnut  St.  Called  &  saw  the  British 
Consul  Robertson,  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Chancey  the  lawyer 
in  the  circuit  court,  left  my  card  for  Mr.  Vaughan  at  the 
Atheneum,  was  introduced  to  Dr.  Meek,  and  went  to 
Tanner's  shop  [*]  about  some  state  maps.  We  walked 
through  the  U.  States  bank,  and  went  to  the  top  of  it.     It 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  313 

is  a  fine  marble  building.  We  likewise  saw  a  new  church 
neatly  built.  After  dinner  Mr.  AIcLure  &  Say  called.  In 
the  evening  we  went  for  half  an  hour  to  M^.  Spackman's  & 
afterwards  to  D^".  Rush's,  where  I  was  introduced  to  a 
Miss  Roach  an  English  lady  who  lives  with  her  brother 
at  Bedford  in  Massachusets.  He  is  a  great  advocate  for 
the  New  System. 

At  6  o'clock  we  left  Philadelphia  by  the  New  York  Wednesday  i6th. 
steamboat.  We  travelled  in  company  of  Reuben  Haines  of 
Germantown  &  his  wife,  her  sister,  Miss  Post,  his  mother,  and 
a  young  gentleman.  The  day  was  beautifully  fine.  [*]  We 
reached  New  York  at  1/2  past  5  in  the  evening.  Kean  had 
come  out  at  the  theatre  ;  had  met  great  opposition,  but  having 
published  a  letter  begging  pardon,  was  getting  up  hill  again. 
The  Italian  opera  had  advertised  for  operas  twice  a  week 
for  three  months.  We  found  extracts  in  the  N.  York  papers 
relative  to  M"".  Owen's  meeting  in  London. 

After  breakfast  we  busied  ourselves  about  the  baggage  Thursday  Nov^. 
to  be  sent  round  to  New  Orleans,  getting  the  model  put  '"  ■ 
together,  &  sending  copies  of  the  i^t.  number  of  the  Harmony 
Gazette  which  had  been  reprinted  here  [*]  send  round  to 
the  different  Editors  &  Literary  Societies.  A  Mf.  Haymer 
a  mathematical  teacher  called.  He  wishes  to  join  at 
Harmony.  I  called  at  the  City  Hall  with  Mr.  Owen  on  the 
Governor  who  engaged  to  see  the  Model  at  one  o'clock.  We 
then  went  &  saw  Mr.  Golden.  On  our  way  back  we  overtook 
Miss  Douglas,  with  whom  I  walked  home  to  55  Broadway. 
The  sisters  came  with  us  to  the  City  hotel  where  Mr.  Ray 
delivered  a  lecture  on  the  patronage  of  the  fine  arts.  After 
the  lecture  the  governor,  Mr.  Murray  &  the  two  ladies 
went  &  looked  at  the  Model.  I  afterwards  accompanied 
Miss  Hamilton  to  call  on  the  Miss  M^Ewin's.  In  the  course 
of  the  walk  Mr.  Murray  remarked  in  reply  to  several 
favorable  observations  from  [*]  Miss  Douglas,  that  those 
with  whom  he  had  conversed  thought  Mr.  Owen  a  mad 
visionar3^  Oh !  said  the  Governor,  that  is  the  fate  of  men  of 
talent;  their  enthusiasm  is  always  called  madness,  &  yet 
nothing  great  can  be  accomplished  without  it. — 

After  breakfast  the  saloon  was  prepared  for  the  public  Friday  Xov^. 
meeting,  &  the  model  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room;  at   ^^'''- 


314 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Friday  Nov^. 

i8t*».  contd. 


Saturday   Novr. 


Sunday  2o*i>. 


Monday  2ist. 
Noyf. 


1 1  o'clock  a  large  respectable  &  literary  company  assembled. 
M>'.  Owen  addressed  them  for  two  hours.  They  were 
remarkably  attentive  and  much  interested.  His  discourse  has 
been  the  subject  of  much  conversation  since.  At  4  o'clock 
we  dined  3  miles  out  of  town,  at  Jeremiah  Thompson's 
where  we  met  a  large  party  of  Friends.  [*]  The  conversation 
was  about  Mi".  Owen's  Plan,  and  kept  up  principally  by 
M"".  McFarlane,  a  Scotch  schoolmaster.  In  the  evening  we 
called  at  M^.  Post's  at  the  Franklin  Bank,  and  on  the  Garcias. 

We  called  today  on  the  Douglas,  Hamilton,  Capt".  Rogers, 
Mr.  Bayard,  and  Mrs.  George  Barclay.  We  dined  at  Mr.  Clib- 
born's  where  I  met  Capt".  Barclay  of  the  navy.  In  the 
evening  we  went  to  Mr.  Peel's  museum  who  had  lx)rrowed 
the  model  to  put  up  in  his  museum  till  the  day  of  sending 
it  to  Philadelphia.  Afterwards  I  went  for  an  hour  to  the 
Garcias. — George  Hutchinson  received  his  instructions  &  went 
on  board  the  Phenix  Capt".  Jenkins  with  all  [*]  the  heavy 
baggage.     The  vessel  will  sail  tomorrow  for  New  Orleans. 

After  breakfast  some  gentlemen  came  in  and  had  a  long 
conversation  relative  to  the  New  System.  I  afterwards  called 
on  Mr.  Aufrere.  Mr.  Owen  breakfasted  with  a  Quaker  of 
the  name  of  Beal,  a  great  friend  to  his  plan.  Mr.  Hulme 
dined  with  us.  Mr.  Owen  met  INIrs.  Sketchley  in  the  street, 
who  invited  him  to  call  on  her.  She  is  a  lady  who  was 
extremely  interested  with  the  discourse  which  he  delivered  at 
the  Public  Meeting.  We  called  there  in  the  evening,  and  saw 
her  &  her  daughter  (  a  very  fine  girl).  Mr.  Sketchley  was 
in  the  country.  He  commanded  a  Liverpool  Packet  for  a 
length  of  time  ;  but  making  an  independence,  he  retired  from 
business.  We  met  there  two  Patersons,  brothers  of  one  who 
crossed  last  year  in  the  same  ship  with  us,  and  Mr.  Pohlentz 
who  was  introduced  to  me  by  Mr.  Albers  in  Boston.  We 
drank  tea  [*]  with  Captain  Bennett. 

After  breakfast  we  all  called  on  Mr.  Miesto  and  went 
with  him  to  see  a  horizontal  windmill.  Afterwards  I  called 
with  Mr.  Owen  on  Mr.  Wilkes,  Mr.  Golden,  Mr.  Buchanan, 
Dr.  Blatchley,  Madame  Garcia,  Mr.  Thomas,  Dr.  Hosack, 
Mr.  Ludlow,  Mr.  Post.  Jeremiah  Thompson,  the  Governor, 
Dr.  Renwick,  Dr.  MacNevin,  Dr.  Mitchell,  Dr.  MacVicar. 
Mr.  Noah,  Mr.  Charles  King.  Miss  Douglas,  Mrs.  Sketchley, 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


315 


Mr.  Houston  &  Mrs.  Sistare.  We  dined  at  Mr.  George  Bar- 
clay's where  we  met  his  father  &  mother  a  sister  &  two 
brothers  &  Mr.  Aiifrere.  In  the  evening  we  called  on 
Mrs.  Sketchley  and  took  leave.  She  particularly  asked 
concerning  the  road  to  New  Harmony  &  wished  us  a  good 
journey  and  every  success. 

At  6  o'clock  we  set  out  by  the  steamboat.  At  Trenton 
we  met  Prince  Charles  Bonaparte  with  whom  we  went  down 
the  Delaware  three  miles  and  landed  at  Bordentown  on  the 
left  bank,  from  whence  we  walked  half  a  mile  to  Point 
Breeze  where  Joseph  Bonaparte  lives.  Prince  Charles  is 
married  to  his  daughter  [*]  and  lives  in  a  house  adjoining 
his  grounds.  We  met  at  dinner  a  Madame  La  Coss  &  the 
Count  Meritot  (Miot),  He  talked  a  great  deal  about 
Mr.  Owen's  plans.  Prince  Charles  is  a  great  admirer  of 
them.  In  the  house  are  a  great  many  very  fine  paintings, 
and  in  the  garden  several  fine  family  busts.  A  house 
which  he  had  built  on  his  arrival  in  this  country  was  burnt 
down  a  few  years  since ;  by  which  he  lost  half  his  fortune  & 
many  beautiful  paintings. 

Before  breakfast  we  rode  round  the  grounds,  which 
are  well  laid  out,  &  on  which  many  improvements  are 
making.  At  breakfast  Prince  Lucian  iMurat  who  lives  on  a 
farm  at  some  distance,  came  in.  A  long  conversation  ensued 
relative  to  Mr.  Owen's  [*]  system,  which  was  very  interest- 
ing. Joseph  has  taken  the  name  of  Count  Survilliers.  He 
entered  freely  into  the  subject  &  made  many  very  striking 
remarks.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  steady  powers  of  mind,  and 
without  any  affected  restraint  is  and  acts  the  kingly 
character.  He  offered  to  shew  us  his  library  &  escorted 
us  through  a  suite  of  handsome  appartments  ornamented  by 
a  variety  of  beautiful  paintings.  He  accompanied  us 
through  his  grounds  to  the  river  side  &  taking  friendly 
leave,  said  he  should  be  happy  to  see  us  again.  I  afterwards 
heard  that  he  had  refused  repeatedly  to  receive  English 
officers.  When  the  M  P's  were  in  this  country,  a  friend 
undertook  to  introduce  them  without  first  asking  the  Count 
to  [*]  allow  him.  He  met  the  Count  in  his  grounds  and 
when    he    presented    them,    the    Count    made    a    profound 


Tuesday  aa""*. 
Nov. 


Wednesday  23  fd. 
XoV. 


Wednesday 
contd. 


jrd 


316  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

bow,  &  turned  about  and  left  them;  so  that  they  had  only 
a  hasty  &  slight  view  of  his  person. 

We  embarked  on  board  the  steamboat  at  half  past  two,  as 
it  passed  &  reached  Philadelphia  between  5  &  6.  We  found 
about  two  dozen  persons  w-aiting  to  apply  as  mechanics  to 
join  at  Harmony,  according  to  the  advertisement.  Very 
few  of  them  were  good  subjects.  Their  names  were  taken 
down  to  be  w-ritten  to,  on  our  arrival  at  Harmony. 
Thrirsday  24^^.  M"".  Owen  had  a  public  meeting  at  Eleven.     There  was 

a  very  full  attendance  of  respectable  people.  He  explained 
his  principles,  but  left  the  explanation  of  [*]  his  proposed 
arrangements  till  tomorrow,  as  the  Model  had  not  arrived.  A 
few  questions  were  asked  by  two  Clergymen  of  the  Society 
of  Friends,  which  he  answered  &  the  meeting  separated 
in  good  humour. 
Friday  25^^.  Another  crowded  meeting  took  place  at  Eleven,  at  which 

Mr.  Owen  received  a  letter  asking  him  two  questions,  whether 
his  system  would  do  for  those  who  believed  the  Scriptures 
to  be  a  Divine  Revelation,  and  whether  he  believed  Man  to 
be  born  in  sin  &  brought  up  in  iniquity.  He  answered  that 
he  did  not  think  any  revelation  had  been  given  to  men  but 
through  facts,  explained  the  principles  of  the  System,  and 
added  that  from  his  long  experience  he  was  thoroughly 
convinced  that  human  nature  was  a  delightful  compound.  He 
concluded  [*]  by  explaining  the  Model  &  the  mode  of  life 
of  one  of  the  New  Societies.  This  discourse  occupied  two 
hours.  No  other  person  spoke,  &  the  meeting  after  close 
attention  broke  up  highly  interested. 
Sainrday  26i\  At  6  o'clock  this  morning  Mr.  Owen  went  by  the  steam- 

boat with  Smith  &  the  Model  to  Point  Breeze.  I  called  on 
Mr.  Huhne,  Mr.  Longstreath  &  Mrs.  Price,  Mr.  Spackman, 
Dr.  Rush,  Madame  Fretageot,  Mr.  Camac,  &  Mr.  Wharton, 
the  mayor.  I  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Carey  the  bookseller  to 
forward  annually  5  £  of  books  to  Ed.  Stanbery  addressed 
Sunday  2y^\  to  the  care  of  Messrs.  Rathbone,  Brothers  &  Co.     In  the 

^'oy'.  evening  Mr.  Owen  returned  from  Point  Breeze. —  [*] 

Sunday  27th  This  day  we  dispatched  the  model  by  the  Steamboat  at 

'^^'^'-  12  o'clock  for  Baltimore.    [I  saw  gen^.  &  Mrs.  Van  Rensaleer 

on  their  way  to  Washington.]    We  addressed  several  news- 
papers to  England.  I  called  on  Mr.  Camac  &  saw  Miss  Penn. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  317 

I  afterwards  called  on  Mr.  Charles  Ingersoll,  M^.  Charles 
Tappan  (2nd  door  above  13th.  St.  south  side  of  Chesnut 
St.)  Mr.  William  Meredith  and  Mrs.  Marcoo.  I  dined  at 
Mr.  IngersoH's.  He  is  the  Attorney  General  of  the  state.  A 
gentlemanly  person.  His  wife  is  a  pleasing  woman.  At  night 
we  made  up  the  packets  of  letters  to  be  sent  to  England. 

This  morning  I  sent  several  books  &  some  linen  for  Monday  28^^. 
Mr.  Owen  to  be  put  with  Dr.  Price's  baggage,  and  sent  the  -^^"^'^■ 
letters  to  Samuel  Spackman's  office.  I  likewise  called  on 
Mr.  Carey  &  settled  about  his  remitting  yearly  5  £  worth  of 
American  books  [*]  to  Ed.  Stanbery,  and  took  leave  of 
Mrs.  Turner  &  her  two  amiable  daughters.  Mr.  Whitwell  & 
myself  started  in  the  12  o'clock  steamboat.  On  board  I  met 
a  Mr.  Dickey  in  whose  company  I  had  dined  at  Mr.  Clibborn's 
in  New  York,  &  Mr.  Jenckes  the  inventor  of  the  Alleviator 
(a  machine  for  raising  sick  persons  in  their  beds).  We 
reached  Newcastle  at  5  o'clock,  where  we  got  into  stages  & 
crossed  a  distance  of  16  miles  to  Frenchtown  on  the  Elk 
river  where  we  embarked  on  board  another  steam  boat 
at  8  o'clock.  We  passed  down  this  river  into  the  Chesapeak 
&  up  to  Baltimore  which  we  reached  between  2  &  3  o'clock 
in  the  morning  of  Tuesday  [Fare  from  Phia  to  Frenchtown 
including  dinner  3$  from  thence  to  Baltimore  including 
tea  &  bed  3$] 

We  rose  between  6  &  7  and  went  up  to  Barnum's  Tuesday  29**". 
hotel.  After  breakfast  I  had  the  model  taken  to  the  waggon 
office  &  booked  for  Washington.  We  then  visited  the 
Catholic  cathedral,  the  Unitarian  [*]  chapel  &  the  court 
house.  In  the  latter  we  heard  part  of  the  trial  of  a  young 
man  confined  in  the  Penitentiary,  and  who  had  in  a  fit  of 
passion  killed  one  of  his  comrades.  It  was  an  interesting- 
case  and  a  striking  instance  of  the  prejudicial  tendency 
of  the  coercive  system  upon  human  nature.  The  young  man 
was  18  years  old  &  had  been  sentenced,  when  only  13,  to 
6  years  confinement  in  the  Penitentiary;  and  now  within  a 
few  months  of  the  expiration  of  his  imprisonment  was  guilty 
of  one  of  the  most  violent  acts  that  can  be  committed!  I 
remarked  in  the  lines  of  his  countenance  the  powerful 
influence  of  a  constant  disgrace  &  punishment  during  the  6 
most  important  years  of  his  youth.   How  can  fear,  constraint 


518 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Wednesday  30*11. 


Thursday  i^t. 
Deer.   [*] 
Thursday  ist. 
Deer. 


and  the  continual  sense  of  oppression,  fail  to  hurt  the 
human  feelings,  render  the  passions  violent,  and  all  the 
sentiments  those  of  animosity;  unless  indeed  such  a  life  & 
miserable  treatment  happen  to  destroy  all  the  spirits  &  en- 
feeble the  frame  to  such  an  extent  as  to  leave  the  l^eing 
no  better  than  an  abject  crouching  slave?  [*]  after  dinner 
we  called  on  M*".  Denison  floor  cloth  manufacturer  who 
shewed  us  a  new  manufactured  canvass  for  covering 
houses.  We  went  with  him  to  his  private  house  &  drank 
tea  with  his  wife.  We  afterwards  called  on  Mr.  Skinner 
the  Editor  of  the  American  farmer.  He  introduced  us  to 
his  family,  and  gave  us  some  white  wine  made  in  South 
Carolina.  We  heard  a  young  lady  sing  remarkably  well ;  but 
were  surprised  to  find  rather  an  unfavorable  feeling  prevail 
relative  to  the  Italian  singers  arrived  at  New  York,  [our 
expenses  were  5  1/2$] 

A  little  before  9  this  morning  we  left  Baltimore  in 
a  9  inside  stage  for  Washington  distant  35  miles,  fare 
3$  each  &  dinner  on  the  road  75  cents.  Some  members 
of  congress  were  in  the  stage.  We  reached  Brown's  Inn 
(The  Indian  Queen)  in  Pensylvania  avenue  Washington,  at 
4  o'clock.  We  walked  through  the  city,  &  in  the  evening 
I  wrote  up  my  journal. 

After  breakfast  we  called  at  the  Patent  office  &  saw 
Dr.  Thornton  and  M*".  Elliot.  When  the  English  landed  & 
burnt  several  of  the  public  buildings  Dr.  Thornton  saved  the 
Post  Office  in  which  the  Patent  office  is,  by  representing 
to  the  Commanding  office [r]  that  if  he  burnt  the  building 
he  would  destroy  many  valuable  improvements  in  the  arts. 
He  sent  several  constitutions  to  South  America,  and  recom- 
mended the  Congress  at  Panama  &  the  building  of  a  central 
Capital  of  which  he  drew  a  design.  Some  of  his  constitutions 
were  sent  to  Spain,  which  cause  [d]  the  government  of  that 
country  to  make  a  complaint  against  him.  Mr.  Elliot  who  is 
in  his  office,  is  very  friendly  to  Mr.  Owen's  plan  &  is 
preparing  a  printing  machine  as  a  present  to  New  Harmony. 
We  afterwards  called  on  Mr.  Rush  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  Mr.  Vaughn  (the  British  minister,  Mr.  Addington 
having  sailed  for  England  six  weeks  back)  Mr.  Baker,  the 
British    Consul    General,    &    Mr.    Tho^.    Law,    for    whom 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  319 

Mr.  Camac  gave  me  a  letter.  He  engaged  to  call  for  us 
about  12  o'clock  tomorrow  [*]  and  introduce  us  to  the 
President.  We  dined  at  the  Hotel  at  3  o'clock ;  about  90  sat 
down  to  table,  consisting  for  the  most  part  of  members  of 
Congress.  They  looked  like  men  of  business  met  together 
for  the  purpose  of  doing  business.  It  is  customary  for 
them  to  meet  the  first  few  days  at  the  hotels,  where  they 
remain  till  they  have  formed  their  clubs,  or  chosen  boarding 
houses  to  reside  in  during  the  session.  This  day  has  been 
cloudy  &  rainy.  Though  a  good  deal  of  building  is  going 
on,  yet  Washington  is  a  very  straggling,  awkward,  ugly  & 
uncomfortable  place,  and  must  continue  so  for  many  years 
to  come.  The  broken  ground,  the  complete  want  of  trees 
as  well  as  cultivation,  &  the  paltry  buildings  scattered  here 
and  there,  give  to  the  whole  landscape  a  rude  and  barren 
appearance.  Passing  the  southern  extremity  of  the  city,  you 
gradually  descend  to  the  side  of  the  Potomack  where  George 
Town  stands.  This  is  about  a  mile  from  W^ashington,  though 
almost  connected  by  houses  the  whole  way.  As  the  banks  of 
the  river  are  high  and  well  wooded,  the  situation  of  George 
town  is  far  more  picturesque  than  that  of  Washington  with 
its  scattered  lines  of  streets,  drained  marsh  on  [*]  one  side 
and  flat  barrens  on  the  other. 

After  breakfast  we  went  to  the  Patent  office,  where  the  Friday  2nd. 
Model  had  arrived.  It  was  taken  out  of  the  boxes  and  placed  I^«<=""- 
in  a  private  room.  M^.  Elliot  introduced  us  to  M^.  Liddle 
Unitarian  minister.  He  is  librarian  to  the  Washington 
library  which  contains  5000  vols,  at  present  in  one  of  the 
rooms  belonging  to  the  patent  office.  At  12  o'clock  Mr.  Law 
called  and  walked  with  us  to  the  President's.  We  sent  in 
our  cards  &  I  sent  in  M^.  Owen's  letter  presenting  the 
Model  &  a  letter  of  introduction  sent  to  me  last  winter 
from  Ml".  Rush  while  he  was  in  London.  We  were  admitted 
immediately.  The  President  resembles  his  father  in  figure, 
being  short  &  stout  &  having  a  large  head.  He  was  plainly 
dressed,  and  not  at  all  ceremonious.  He  said  that  he  had 
read  in  the  newspaper  that  Mr.  Owen  had  a  Model  to  present 
to  him.  He  fixed  tomorrow  at  1 1  o'clock  to  receive  it.  We 
staid  only  a  few  minutes  with  him.  Mr.  Elliot  shewed  us 
the  city  hall,  of  which  only  a  small  part  is  built.    The  model 


320  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

stands  in  the  building  &  is  neatly  made.  Between  3  &  4 
o'clock  we  dined  at  M^.  Elliot's.  [*]  He  is  a  widower  &  lives 
in  a  small  house  on  the  side  of  the  rising  ground  near  the 
Capitol.  He  shewed  us  some  astronomical  instruments  in  his 
house  belonging  to  the  government  which  he  uses.  The 
President  some  times  visits  him  when  he  is  going  to  make 
observations.  We  met  at  dinner  Col.  Robbido  of  the 
Engineers,  &  Capt".  Moffatt  of  Virginia. 

Saturday  3^^.  At  eleven  o'clock  we  had  the   Model  conveyed  to  the 

"^^  President's   house.      It   was   laid   on  a   large   table   in    the 

Anteroom,  where  AI*".  Whitwell  explained  it  to  him.  He 
only  asked  a  few  simple  questions,  and  concluded  by  saying 
that  it  might  remain  there  for  some  days,  after  which  he 
would  have  it  deposited  either  in  the  Patent  office  or  the 
Capitol.  He  appears  a  thoughtful  man.  It  struck  us  that 
he  was  out  of  spirits,  but  this  might  proceed  from  the 
fatigue  of  business  and  seeing  so  many  visitors ;  for  every 
member  or  person  coming  to  W^ashington  on  business  calls 
upon  him,  &  as  congress  is  to  open  next  Monday  these  duties 
at  the  present  moment  press  hard  upon  him.  He  was  very 
polite  to  us.  While  we  were  explaining  the  model,  three 
members  called.  The  President  immediately  asked  us  all 
into  his  sitting-room.     In  the  course  of  general  conversation. 

(Saturday  3^^  j^g  s^id  to  the  members  that  we  [*]  were  friends  of 
'•  *^°"*  ^  Mr.  Owen  who  had  brought  a  Model  of  the  town  he  proposed 

building.  "What,"  said  one  of  them,  "is  that  the  Harmony 
tnan  ?"  After  their  departure  the  explanation  was  continued 
for  a  short  time,  and  then  we  retired,  having  been  received  & 
treated  with  great  politeness.  It  is  said  that  the  President 
has,  all  his  life,  been  too  much  occupied  with  study  &  business 
to  be  what  is  called  in  company  'a  man  of  the  world'.  We 
walked  to  George  town,  situated  on  the  sloping  ground 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  Potomac.  Although  it  is  not  a  neat 
town,  yet  it  is  handsomely  situated  &  appears  more  comfort- 
able as  a  place  of  residence  than  straggling  Washington.  AVe 
dined  at  Mr.  Law's  on  the  Capitol  Hill.  Besides  his  son  we 
met  Col.  White,  Mr.  [MS  illegible]  &  another  gentleman,  all 
members  of  congress.  After  dinner  Mr.  Law  left  us  for  a 
couple  of  hours  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  Institute.  On  his 
return  he  gave  us  a  pamphlet  on   Paper  Currency.      The 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  321 

society  meets  monthly,  and  during  the  sitting  of  congress 
every  week.  M"".  Law  spoke  of  addressing  the  President 
that  he  might  allow  the  Model  to  be  placed  in  their  Hall  in 
the  Capitol  where  it  would  be  seen  by  every  one.  He  likewise 
offered  us  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Mr.  Jefferson.    [*] 

Ml".  Elliot  called  &  accompanied  us  to  the  Unitarian  Sunday  4th. 
chapel  in  which  M^.  Little  preached.  The  President  came  Dec'-, 
in  quite  by  himself,  sat  alone  in  a  private  pew,  &  retired  after 
the  service  without  any  particular  notice  being  taken  of 
him.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  First  Magistrate  in  one 
country  should  regularly  attend  a  place  of  worship  which 
in  the  Mother  Country  is  considered  a  highly  disreputable  & 
profane  place.  In  the  afternoon  we  walked  to  George 
town  &  saw  M^.  Thorp,  whose  family  resides  at  New 
Plarmony.  He  has  lately  received  newspapers  &  a  satis- 
factory letter  from  that  society.  It  appears  to  me  that  there 
is  a  great  error  committed  in  the  conduct  of  the  New 
Harmony  Gazette.  It  seems  to  be  written  by  Deists  with 
a  design  of  converting  its  readers.  It  consists  almost  entirely 
of  theoretical  discussions.  Whereas  I  think  that  it  should 
only  contain  on  the  one  hand  a  statement  of  the  practical 
proceedings  of  the  population,  those  practices  in  operation, 
others  in  prospect,  &  the  effect  of  what  had  already  been 
done;  and  on  the  other  [*]  hand  scientific  articles,  informa- 
tion on  practical  subjects,  and  as  full  an  account  as  possible 
of  all  the  interesting  events  of  the  times.  The  Old  System 
is  based  on  mere  theory  &  supported  by  speaking  &  preach- 
ing: but  the  New  System  should  be  entirely  founded  on 
practice,  and  only  be  explained  and  advocated  by  a  statement 
of  its  practices  &  a  reference  to  their  effects. — In  the 
evening  I  received  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Mj".  Jefferson 
from  Mr.  Law. 

In  the  morning  we  called  at  the  Patent  office  on  Monday  5"^ 
Mr.  Elliot  and  went  with  him  to  the  offices  of  the  Wash-  Dec^. 
ington  newspapers  which  are  three  in  number,  published 
daily  except  Sundays.  The  National  Intelligencer;  Editor 
Mr.  Gales  (rather  opposed  to  the  present  President)  and 
the  National  Journal.  Editor  Mr.  Forse  (considered  the 
ministerial  Paper)  both  morning  Papers,  and  the  \\'ashington 
Gazette  Mr.  Elliot,  published  every  afternoon.     The  Editors 


322  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

promised  to  insert  articles  relative  to  the  Model  having  been 
presented  to  the  President.  We  then  called  on  Pishey 
Thompson  Bookseller,  a  great  friend  to  Mr.  Owen's 
system,  agent  for  [*]  the  Harmony  Gazette.  We  purchased 
a  Washington  guide,  &  Jefferson's  Notes  on  Virginia — Be- 
tween 12  &  I,  we  went  in  a  stage  about  a  mile  down  to 
the  steam  boat  on  the  Potomak,  a  short  distance  below  the 
bridge,  on  board  of  which  we  embarked  for  the  mouth  of 
Potomak  creek,  which  we  reached  about  8  o'clock  in  the 
evening.  On  the  way  we  passed  Fort  Washington  strongly 
built  on  the  left  bank  at  a  narrow  part  of  the  river  which 
it  defends,  and  three  miles  lower  down  Mount  Vernon,  the 
late  residence  of  Washington  &  the  present  abode  of  Judge 
Washington.  It  stands  on  an  elevated  bank  &  has  a 
fine  &  extensive  view  of  the  river.  We  travelled  about  9 
miles  through  a  broken  country  in  stages  to  Fredericksburg, 
where  we  arrived  at  half  after  10.  The  charge,  from 
Washington  including  dinner  &  supper,  was  $4.75  each.  A 
boy  in  the  stage  amused  us  by  singing  a  negro  song,  one 
verse  of  which  ran  thus. 

My  old  mistress  is  dead  &  gone 
And  has  left  her  jawbone  a  ploughing  the  corn 

Wheel  about,  my  Dear, 

And  turn  about  So, 

Wheel  about,  my  dear, 

And  jump  Jim  Crozv. 
The  singer  when  he  comes  to  the  word  So,  jumps  upon  his 
Tuesday  6th.  [*j    toes,  and  on  his  heels  at  the  word  Crozv. 
Tuesday  Dec"".  At  5  in  the  morning  we  set  out  in  the  Charlottesville 

^^^'  stage  a  fourhorse  spring  covered  waggon.     It  carried  the 

New  Orleans  mail  bags.  We  stopped  to  breakfast  at 
Wilderness,  16  miles,  and  not  choosing  to  dine  early 
continued  to  the  end  of  the  day's  journey  to  Bentivoglio, 
where  we  arrived  about  seven  in  the  evening.  A  Mr.  Paris 
of  Staunton,  proprietor  of  part  of  the  line  of  stages,  was 
our  only  companion.  The  weather  was  remarkably  clear,  but 
cold  and  frosty;  The  road  extremely  rough;  the  carriage 
very  uneasy,  and  the  country  covered  with  wood  &  thinly 
settled.     The  soil  in  many  part  was  a  red  earth. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  323 

We  set  out  at  4  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  reached  Wednesday 
Charlottesville  soon  after  8.  It  is  situated  upon  waving  Deer.  ;th. 
land,  the  west  being  shut  in  by  the  Blue  Ridge,  a  beautiful 
line  of  mountains  from  one  to  two  thousand  feet  high,  and 
the  last  being  broken  by  several  picturesque  hills,  on  one 
of  which  is  situated  Mr.  Jefferson's  Place  called  Monticello. 
About  a  mile  &  a  half  west  of  Charlottesville  stand  the 
New  University  of  Virginia.  The  surrounding  country  is 
not  much  settled,  and  is  thickly  covered  by  the  forest 
containing  a  great  variety  of  trees,  which  are  not  of  very 
great  size.  Between  11  &  12  we  took  a  hack  &  went  up 
the  winding  hill  of  three  miles  ascent  by  a  bad  road  [*]  to 
Mr.  Jefferson's.  The  summit  of  the  hill  on  which  his  house 
is  built,  has  been  flattened  so  as  to  form  a  circular  plateau  of 
about  a  hundred  yards.  The  house,  though  not  large,  is  of 
good  dimensions  and  its  architecture  clasical.  In  the 
hall  &  rooms  are  several  interesting  busts  &  paintings. 
Among  the  busts  of  American  patriots  we  remarked  those 
of  Franklin,  Madison,  Adams  &  Gen'.  Jackson;  and  of 
conspicuous  foreigners,  those  of  Napoleon,  &  La  Fayette. 
Mr.  Jefferson  is  very  tall  &  thin  though  muscular.  He  has 
a  lively  eye  and  expressive  countenance,  though  none  of  his 
features  are  of  a  large  &  bold  character.  He  has  been  of 
late  unwell  &  looked  pale  and  a  little  debilitated :  but  bears 
many  marks  of  having  been  handsome  as  a  youth.  Although 
he  is  above  83,  no  apparent  decay  of  intellect  was  perceptible 
during  our  short  visit.  He  conversed  with  quickness  and 
spirit  on  general  subjects.  He  displayed  great  knowledge 
of  architecture  and  mechanics,  while  conversing  relative  to 
the  New  University,  the  designing  &  building  of  which  has 
occupied  a  very  great  portion  of  his  attention  for  more 
than  20  years.  His  notions  are  to  have  primary  schools 
in  districts  of  6  square  miles,  secondary  ones  10  in  number 
for  the  whole  state,  and  this  University  which  is  near  the 
center,  as  a  [*]  finishing  school  for  the  scholars  who  design 
to  study  the  higher  branches.  The  University  will,  however, 
receive  students  from  other  states,  if  there  be  vacancies.  We 
remained  to  dine,  &  staying  till  dark,  he  would  not  allow 
us  to  descend  the  hill  in  the  dark,  the  road  being  dangerous 
at  night.     We  met  at  dinner  &  in  the  evening,  his  daughter 


324  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

M's.  Randolph  {M»".  Randolph  was  from  home,)  and 
several  of  her  sons  &  daughters,  some  of  them  grown  up. 
One  of  her  daughters  is  married  to  Mi".  Triste.  They 
were  staying  in  the  house.  Another  daughter  is  married 
to  a  Mr.  Coledge  of  Boston. 

Before  breakfast  I  walked  out  round  the  house,  &  ad- 
mired the  beautiful  and  extensive  view  below  me.  To  the 
east,  the  rising  sun,  with  a  sea  of  forest,  every  here  &  there 
a  smoke  of  a  settlement  floating  like  a  cloud  over  the 
trees,  and  to  the  west  the  beautiful  Blue  ridge  inclosing 
the  broad  vale  of  waving  lands,  in  which  the  two  principle 
objects  are  Charlottesville  &  the  New  University.  This  is  a 
delightful  residence  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year;  but 
in  the  months  of  Jany.  Feb.  &  March,  the  frost,  rains  &  high 
winds,  render  it  extremely  disagreeable. 

M'".  Jefferson  gave  us  a  note  to  M^.  Brockenburgh  the 
Proctor  of  the  University,  &  after  breakfast  we  drove 
there.  This  gentleman  walked  through  the  [*]  buildings,  and 
shewed  us  the  improved  method  of  covering  buildings 
with  flat  wooden  roofs,  &  with  tin  roofs.  The  several 
buildings  exhibit  examples  of  the  various  orders  of  archi- 
tecture, and  form  a  striking  scene.  We  purchased  plans  of 
the  buildings,  and  explanatory  pamphlets  of  the  nature  of  the 
Institution.  Five  of  the  Professors  are  from  England,  one 
is  a  son  [of]  Professor  Bonnecastle  of  Woolwich.  The 
Medical  Professor  Dunglisson,  stated  that  facts  had  in 
numerous  instances  proved  that  the  miasmata  which 
occasions  so  much  sickness  in  hot  climates  does  not  rise 
very  high,  &  that  persons  inhabiting  the  ground  floor  of 
a  building  have  often  been  very  sickly  while  those  on  the 
first  floor  enjoyed  good  health. 

^Ve  returned  to  the  Inn  about  3  o'clock  and  in  the  course 
of  the  evening  had  a  long  conversation  with  a  M>'.  Slaughter 
staying  in  the  house.  The  name  of  the  Landlord  is  G.  Garnett. 

Soon  after  9  in  the  morning  we  left  Charlottesville  in 
the  mail  stage  for  Staunton,  on  our  way  to  see  the  Natural 
Bridge.  The  country  through  which  we  passed  was  hilly,  & 
woody,  and  every  here  &  there  a  small  settlement.  The  road 
was  [*]  very  broken,  &  we  made  only  from  4  to  5  miles 
an  hour.     In  the  afternoon  we  crossed  the  Blue  ridge  and 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  325 

had  an  extensive  view  of  the  valleys  on  both  sides,  but  at 
this  season  &  the  woody  state  of  the  country,  the  prospect 
was  not  remarkably  interesting.  The  land  is  not  very 
rich,  nor  the  timber  large  or  of  a  fine  appearance. — Two  of 
the  students  from  the  College  were  passengers  with  us,  going 
home  for  the  winter  vacation,  which  is  the  only  one.  We 
read  the  President's  message  in  the  Richmond  Enquirer, 
which  violently  attacked  it.  The  students  seemed  to  have 
the  same  feeling,  which  made  us  conclude  that  the  spirit  of 
party  in  the  Virginia  University  was  opposed  to  the  existing 
government.  We  reached  Staunton  soon  after  7  in  the 
evening,  when  finding  that  our  funds  were  small  &  that  we 
could  not  obtain  credit  conveniently  as  we  were  strangers,  we 
determined  to  give  up  at  present  visiting  the  Natural 
Bridge,  &  return  by  the  way  of  Harper's  Ferry. — The 
Natural  Bridge  is  described  as  a  very  picturesque  rock 
forming  an  arched  bridge  across  a  deep  [*]  ravine,  between 
2  &  300  feet  deep,  through  which  a  creek  passes.  Mr.  Jef- 
ferson in  his  Notes  on  Virginia  describes  it  as  a  most 
striking  scene.  He  told  us  that  M^".  Liston,  when  minister 
in  this  country,  said  that  the  Falls  of  Niagara  and  the 
Natural  Bridge  were  the  two  most  remarkable  and  beautiful 
natural  curiosities  in  North  America. 

At  2  o'clock  this  morning  we  set  out  in  the  mail  stage  Saturday  lotii. 
for  Winchester,  paying  6$  each.  The  night  was  clear  and 
there  was  a  hard  frost.  We  travelled  slowly  and  were  much 
jolted,  though  the  road  was  better  that  [sic]  the  Charlottes- 
ville road.  We  breakfasted  at  Harrisonburg.  The  [re]  we 
saw  one  of  the  society  of  Dunkers.  He  wore  a  long 
beard,  but  in  other  respects  appeared  like  an  American.  On 
asking  the  landlord  some  questions  concerning  that  sect,  he 
said  that  it  resembled  as  far  as  he  knew  the  Society  of 
Quakers,  that  a  good  many  Dunkers  lived  in  the  town  and 
neighbourhood,  but  not  in  a  distinct  society,  that  they  were 
decent,  industrious  &  inoffensive  [*]  citizens.  We  reached 
Woodstock  where  we  supped  &  put  up  for  the  night,  about 
1/^2  past  6.  This  road  lies  through  a  rich  vale  between  the 
Blue  Ridge  &  one  of  the  ridges  of  the  Alleghanies.  It  is 
well  settled  &  in  many  parts  tolerably  improved.  The  mail 
stage  from  Baltimore  to  New  Orleans  passes  through  this 


326 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 


Sunday  ii*''. 


(Sunday   ii*^. 
Dec"',  contd) 

Monday  12th. 


vale.  It  has  been  running  for  above  20  years,  while  that  from 
Fredericksburg  which  meets  it  at  Staunton  has  only  been 
established  two  years.  At  present  the  inhabitants  living 
along  these  two  lines  of  communication,  are  looking  out 
anxiously  for  the  decision  of  the  government  Commissioners 
whether  the  National  road  shall  pass  by  Winchester  or 
Charlottesville:  if  through  the  latter  place,  the  road  by 
Winchester  will  be  immediately  improved  in  order  to  keep 
pace  with  the  new  one.  We  this  evening  fell  in  with  a 
gentleman  we  had  met  in  the  Baltimore  steamboat.  He 
said  that  he  was  going  into  the  Arkansaw  country,  and  as 
he  learnt  that  the  rivers  were  too  low  for  steam  boats,  he 
had  determined  to  take  the  stage  rout  through  Nashville.  We 
conversed  [*]  about  M^".  Owen,  when  he  said  that  it  was 
his  intention  to  return  up  the  rivers,  and  to  visit  New 
Harmony  on  his  way.  He  had  seen  New  Lanark,  and 
related  to  us  some  absurd  stories  which  he  had  heard  of  the 
arrangements  made  in  that  Establishment,  such  as  turning 
the  work  people  away,  removing  bad  families  into  a  street  in 
the  village  called  Botany  Bay,  &  rewarding  &  punishing 
the  children  in  the  school.  At  parting  he  gave  us  his  Name 
(Beveridge)  and  hoped  on  his  return  to  see  us  in  Baltimore, 
should  we  ever  pass  through  that  city.  We  conjectured 
him  to  be  a  Fur  trader,  as  he  talked  of  his  having  Indian 
chiefs  as  friends. 

We  left  Woodstock  about  3  this  morning,  breakfasted 
at  Middleton,  passed  through  Winchester,  a  neat  town,  and 
reached  Harper's  Ferry  about  7  in  the  evening.  The  fare 
from  Winchester  2.50.  Harper's  ferry  is  at  the  junction  of 
the  Shenandoah  with  the  Potomac.  Here  these  rivers  run 
between  steep  and  rugged  ridges  700  or  800  feet  high,  which 
are  clothed  with  timber.  [*]  This  place  is  encreasing  in 
consequence  of  the  United  States  manufactory  of  Arms  being 
established  here.  We  went  through  Mr.  Hall's  manufactory 
of  Patent  rifles: — a  monopoly  of  this  Patent  has  been 
secured  by  the  government,  and  M"".  Hall  is  employed  to 
carry  on  the  business.  He  very  politely  explained  the  process 
to  us  and  allowed  us  to  fire  one  of  the  rifles.  The  chamber 
in  which  the  charge  is  placed,  is  raised  by  a  spring  and  the 
charge  is  put  in  without  the  use  of  a  ramrod.   By  this  method 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  327 

the  piece  can  be  loaded  two  or  three  times  faster  at  least 
than  the  common  musket.  We  saw  a  good  sawmill,  and 
inspected  the  apparatus  employed  in  boring  for  the  depth  of 
some  hundred  feet  through  rock  in  search  of  water.  We  had 
a  long  conversation  with  Major  Stephenson,  who  keeps  the 
tavern,  Mr.  Alexander  the  government  storekeeper,  and  a 
Ml".  Thomas,  relative  to  M^".  Owen's  Plan.  They  appeared 
much  interested  relative  to  his  proceedings. — During  our 
journey  we  found  our  breakfast  generally  to  cost  37  1/2  cents 
each  [*]  our  dinner  50  cents,  and  our  bed  &  supper  75  cents 
each. — We  engaged  a  hack  with  two  horses  to  carry  us  by 
tomorrow  evening  to  Washington  for  20$,  including  the 
ferries,  tolls,  &  expenses  of  driver  &  horses  on  the  road.  We 
set  out  about  one  oclock,  crossed  the  ferry  over  the 
Shenandoah,  and  proceeded  for  a  mile  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Potomak;  then  crossed  the  ridge  to  the  right,  and 
reached  Leedsburg  about  7  in  the  evening  distant,  24 
miles.  [Leedsburg  is  a  neat  small  town,  &  the  inn  very 
comfortable,  speaking  comparatively.]  The  day  had  been 
cold  &  cloudy.     In  the  afternoon  it  snowed  a  little. 

We  rose  about  1/2  past  6,  and  started  at  7  o'clock.  The  Tuesday  13*^. 
morning  was  very  bright,  but  a  hard  frost  &  brisk  breeze  ^^*^'^- 
made  it  very  cold.  The  country  was  more  open  and  settled 
than  that  which  we  had  passed  through.  We  stopped  at  an 
inn  by  the  roadside  (Mr.  Drane's)  to  breakfast,  and  thence 
descended  over  a  hilly  [*]  country  to  the  chain  bridge  which 
has  been  2^  years  built  over  the  Potomak,  3  miles  above 
George  town.  [Two  chains  pass  over  peirs  on  both  sides,  & 
forming  semicircular  curves,  support  each  end  of  the 
beams  at  the  center  of  the  bridge.  The  construction  is 
simple,  good,  and  looks  very  well.]  The  river  was  very  low 
at  this  time.  The  channel  under  the  bridge  appeared  about 
20  yards  wide.  Five  miles  above  this  bridge  are  the 
Potomak  falls,  which  are  between  100  &  200  feet  high.  We 
should  have  visited  them  had  it  been  a  proper  season,  &  the 
river  full  of  water.  We  passed  through  George  town  & 
reached  Brown's  hotel  in  Pensylvania  Avenue  Washington, 
about  1/2  past  five.  [I  met  in  the  coffee  room  youn(g) 
Thurston,  who  had  returned  from  Harmony.  He  talked  of 
going  back.]    We  found  two  notes  from  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Adams 


328 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Thursday  iS*''. 
Deer. 


inviting  us  to  dinner  this  day  at  five.     We  regretted  we 
had  just  arrived  too  late.     The  distance  from  Leedsburg.  is 
about  35  miles. 
Wednesday  141^.  This  morning  we  went  to  the  Patent  office,  &  thence  to 

'^^c'".  j)r.  Thornton's,  where  we  saw  his  wife  &  her  mother.    We 

then  called  on  the  President,  &  sat  half  an  hour  with  his 
lady.  On  our  return  I  purchased  a  pocket  Spanish  dic- 
tionary, &  two  small  [*]  Spanish  books.  We  called  and 
saw  Mf.  Law  who  lent  us  'The  Precepts  of  Jesus'  by 
Rammohun  Roy,  to  read.  We  intended  to  go  this  evening 
to  the  Lady  President's  Drawing  room,  but  not  expecting 
to  meet  persons  of  our  acquaintance,  we  remained  at  home. 
We  breakfasted  with  M"".  Elliot,  called  and  saw  Mr.  Hat- 
field the  architect,  &  M^.  Hutton  the  stationer,  who  made 
a  model  for  M^.  Owen  when  he  was  here  last  winter,  went  to 
George  town  &  saw  M^.  Milligan  &  M^".  Laird  from  whom 
we  learnt  that  Mi".  Bell  who  proposed  to  go  to  Harmony  to 
manage  the  farms  was  not  a  very  experienced  or  steady 
person.  We  dined  at  M»".  Elliot's  where  we  met  a  M^.  Gard- 
ner, &  saw  an  observation  of  the  moon's  passage  across  the 
Meridian.  We  drank  tea  at  M"".  Little's,  where  we  were 
(Thursday  i5ti>.  introduced  to  his  wife  [*]  and  two  daughters.  He  is  the 
Dec*-  cont'i.)  Unitarian  minister.    He  left  England  several  years  ago.    I 

this  day  drew  on  Samuel  Spackman  Church  All[e]y  North 
Third  Street  Philadelphia,  for  $250,  through  the  U.  S. 
Bank,  and  this  evening  wrote  to  give  him  notice  thereof. 
^^^^-  We   called   this   morning  on   M^.    Test  a   member   for 

Indiana.  We  afterwards  went  to  the  Capitol,  where  he 
heard  some  debating  in  the  Chamber  of  Representatives.  We 
called  at  Queen's  Hotel  where  we  saw  M^.  Jennings  & 
Mr.  Boon,  both  members  for  Indiana.  We  also  called  on 
General  Noble  Senator  for  the  same  state,  and  left  our 
cards  for  Governor  Hendricks,  the  other  senator,  there 
being  2  senators  &  3  representatives  for  Indiana.  We 
dined  at  D"".  Thornton's  where  we  met  a  Mrs.  Smith  &  a 
Mr.  Talbot.  The  Doctor  entertained  us  with  his  metaphisical 
system  of  religion.  In  the  evening  I  saw  &  [*]  conversed 
with  Mr.  Quin,  who  had  returned  here  from  Harmony 
which  he  left  on  the   15th.  Novr.     His  description  of  the 


Friday 
Deer. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


329 


state  of  things  there  was  very  favorable.     He  goes  back 
again  in  a  few  days. 

We  called  on  Mr.  G.  R.  Bakewell  an  inventor  of  an  Saturday  i/tfa. 
improved  Brick  kiln ;  he  shewed  us  his  model  &  took  us  to  see 
one  which  he  had  constructed.  It  appears  to  be  contrived 
on  the  principle  of  kilns  for  burning  pottery.  We  called  on 
Mr.  Little  and  afterwards  dined  with  M^.  Gardner.  In  the 
evening  we  went  to  the  Columbian  Institute  in  a  room  in  the 
Capitol.  Mr.  Law  read  a  paper  on  Paper  Currency.  There 
were  from  lo  to  20  persons  present.  At  night  we  called  & 
sat  for  an  hour  with  Mr.  Elliot's  brother  who  is  Editor  of 
the  Washington  Gazette. — As  Spanish,  next  to  English,  is 
the  most  important  language  in  the  New  World,  I  have 
purchased  two  or  three  Spanish  books  [*]  and  borrowed 
others  from  Mr.  Elliot,  &  occasionally  study  that  language. 

This  morning  Mr.  Elliot  gave  me  some  Spanish  books.  Sunday  i8th. 
At  eleven  we  went  to  the  Hall  of  Representatives  &  Deer, 
heard  a  sermon  by  Dr.  Stoughton.  The  President  was 
there,  several  members,  &  some  of  the  Ladies  and  gentlemen 
of  the  city.  The  Hall  is  an  extremely  bad  room  to  speak 
in.  The  ladies  did  not  appear  well.  While  we  were  out 
General  Noble,  Governor  Hendricks  &  Mr.  Jennings  called 
on  us.     We  spent  the  afternoon  with  Mr.  Elliot. 


This  morning  I  called  on  i\Ir.   Law.     We  afterwards 


Monday  19^. 


saw  General  Noble,  Governor  Hendricks,  Mr.  Jennings  &  Dec*". 
Mr.  Boon,  and  fixed  to  meet  them  at  10  o'clock  on 
Wednesday  morning  and  go  to  the  President's  house  to  see 
the  model.  General  Noble  shewed  us  the  Senate  chamber,  and 
introduced  us  to  some  of  the  members.  Among  the 
number  were  General  Harrison  &  Mr.  Calhoun.  The 
latter  is  tall  &  spare.  He  has  a  very  intelligent  &  quick 
expression  of  countenance  &  a  good  manner.  He  remarked 
that  he  felt  great  interest  in  Mr.  Owen's  proceedings  &  thought 
that  there  were  now  at  work  in  the  world  some  active  prin- 
ciples which  gave  assurance  of  important  improvements  in 
society  being  very  near  at  hand.  We  walked  through  various 
appartments  of  the  Capitol,  but  observed  that  the  interior  of 
the  building  was  very  much  wasted  in  passages.  In  one 
room  we  saw  [*]  two  paintings,  by  Turnbull,  intended  to 
be  placed  in  the  large  Rotunda ;  one  represents  the  surrender 


330 


INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Tuesday  20*^. 
Dec"". 


Wednesday  2ist. 
Deer. 


(Wednesday  21'^';, 
Dec.  contd) 


Thursday  22"d 
Dec*-. 


Friday  23»d. 


of  General  Burgoyne  &  his  Army ;  the  other  has  Washington 
in  the  foreground  presenting  a  paper  to  several  distinguished 
characters  of  the  Revolution.  These  paintings  are  well 
executed.  I  received  a  letter  from  Samuel  Spackman 
acknowledging  the  receipt  of  mine.  &  notifying  his  having 
placed  the  sum  specified  to  my  credit  in  the  U.   S.  Bank. 

We  spent  the  evening  at  M^.  Little's  in  company  with 
Mr.  Elliot.  We  met  there  a  Miss  Webster.  We  had  a  long  con- 
versation relative  to  the  'New  Views.'  M^".  Elliot  contended 
in  favor  of  the  freedom  of  man. — At  night  I  wrote  letters. — 

[The  weather  was  fine  and  temperate.]  This  morning 
I  called  on  Mf.  Test.  Mr.  Bakewell  called  &  left  a  letter 
for  Mr.  Owen  relative  to  his  new  Brick  kiln.  Mr.  Bell  called 
and  said  he  should  write  to  the  committee  relative  to  his  join- 
ing at  Harmony.    I  spent  the  rest  of  the  day  writing  letters. 

At  10  o'clock  we  went  according  to  appointment  with  the 
members  of  Indiana,  the  2  senators  General  Noble  &  Governor 
Hendricks,  &  the  3  representatives  Messrs.  Test,  Boon  &  Jen- 
nings, to  see  the  model  at  the  President's  house.  He  was 
out.  Mr.  Whitwell  explained  it,  after  which  we  parted,  & 
went  to  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Columbian  College,  where 
we  heard  some  addresses  delivered  by  students.  At  two 
o'clock  we  called  and  took  leave  of  the  President.  [*]  He 
was  very  friendly  in  manner.  Speaking  of  the  model  he 
remarked  that  the  plan  seemed  well  designed  for  a  university. 
We  called  and  took  leave  of  Mrs.  Thornton.  The  evening 
was  spent  with  Mr.  Elliot  &  Mr.  Hatfield.  Mr.  Whitwell 
was  designing  an  almanack  for  New  Harmony. 

We  breakfasted  with  Mr.  Elliot.  I  afterwards  called  on  the 
Indiana  members,  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  day  writing  letters. 
At  night  Mr.  Elliot  &  Dr.  Curtin  were  with  us.  We  packed 
up  a  rain  gauge  &  some  barometer  glasses  for  Harmony. 

A  little  after  midnight  there  was  a  cry  of  fire,  which 
upon  opening  the  window,  we  found  to  be  that  the  roof  of  the 
library  in  the  Capitol  was  on  fire.  We  heard  that  it  had  been 
communicated  by  a  flue,  &  that  people  were  busy  removing 
the  books.  We  started  at  2  o'clock  in  the  Frederick  town 
mail  stage  leaving  it  burning.  [Fare  to  Frederick  45  miles 
is  4$  &  thence  to  Hagerstown  28.  $2    r/2.]     We  reached 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


331 


Frederick  town  to  dinner  between  one  &  two  o'clock ;  & 
thence  to  Hagerstown  where  we  arrived  at  8  o'clock. 

We  started  at  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  &  reached  Cuml>er- 
land  at  1/2  past  6  at  night  Fare  5  1/2$    [Distance  60  miles] 

We  set  out  from  Cumberland  [  *  ]  at  1/2  past  4  &  reached 
Griffin's  Hotel  at  9  at  night. 

We  set  out  at  7  and  reached  Washington  at  9  at  night. 
The  Distance  from  Cumberland  to  Washington  is  100 
miles,  and  the  fare  6$.  We  travelled  part  of  the  way  in 
a  coach,  and  a  part  in  a  spring  covered  mail  waggon. 

We  left  Washington  at  9  and  reached  Pittsburg  at  5  in 
the  evening.  Distance  25  miles,  fare  2  1/2$.  The  road 
is  very  bad  &  hilly.  The  weather  was  frosty  during  our 
journey,  except  Sunday  25th  when  we  had  some  rain  among 
the  hills.  We  found  that  the  river  had  been  for  weeks  frozen 
up;  that  Mf.  Owen's  party  had  purchased  a  keelboat,  in 
which  they  had  descended  the  river  20  miles  to  near  the 
mouth  of  Beaver  Creek  where  they  were  frozen  up;  and 
that  he  had  gone  on  by  himself  in  the  Cincinnati  stage. 

We  saw  MJ".  Bakewell  and  drank  tea  at  his  house.  We  also 
saw  M^".  Sutton,  &  called  on  [*]  M^.  Baldwin.  We  w^alked  over 
the  wooden  bridge  over  the  Alleghany  river,  &  examined  its 
construction,  &  likewise  went  through  the  New  Penitentiary 
building  near  the  city.  It  is  a  costly  building,  and  on  a  plan 
to  cage  up  the  prisoners  like  wild  beasts. 

This  was  a  frosty  and  snowy  day,  which  we  passed 
indoors.  In  the  evening  Mr.  Sutton  &  M^".  Stewart  called 
upon  us. — A  few  days  ago  the  Alleghany  river  rose,  the  ice 
broke  &  came  down  into  the  Ohio,  but  not  being  able  to  break 
the  ice  in  this  river,  the  ice  of  the  Alleghany  was  driven 
some  distance  up  the  Monongahela  river,  forming  a  confused 
mass,  parts  standing  up  in  wedges,  and  other  parts  laying- 
one  over  the  other.  Fears  have  been  entertained  for  the 
Monongehela  bridge  &  the  boats  on  the  river  side,  should 
that  river  suddenly  open.  [*] 

This  morning  was  rainy,  the  weather  having  changed  & 
the  wind  come  round  to  the  south.  We  went  to  some  book 
stores  to  seek  a  few  books.  I  asked  for  Spanish  works,  but 
could  not  find  any.  We  spent  the  evening  with  M^.  Sutton, 
where  we  met  M^.  Stewart,  M''.  Richardson  &  W^.  .\rmstrong. 


Saturday  24''^. 
Sunday  25 

Monday  26th. 
Deer. 

Tuesday  27^^. 


Wednesday  28^^. 


Thursday  2g^. 


Friday  30*^. 
Deer. 


332  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Mr.  Sutton  gave  us  some  of  his  genuine  Tuscaloosa,  a  liquor 

distilled    from    Wheat    &    Rye.      These    gentlemen    spoke 

favorably  of  M^.  Owen's  Plan.     M^.  Owen  had  a  public 

meeting  while  in  Pittsburg. 

Saturday  31**.  We  rose  at  4  o'clock,  paid  our  bill  amounting  to    12$ 

^**^'-  including  fare  of   stage   to   Economy,   75   cents  each,   and 

set  out  in  the  stage  at  5  o'clock.     The  stage  was  a  small 

covered    spring   waggon,    but   they    contrived    to   cram    10 

inside.     The  road  runs  by  the  side  of  the  Ohio  under  some 

steep  hills  and  so  narrow  that  some  parts  of  it  are  called  the 

Narrows.     At  one  place  we  met  two  waggons,  and  had  to 

{  ^in  a>  31- .        ^^       .    unfasten  the  horses  f*!  and  back  the  waggon  into 

Dec^  contd)  *=  '  t  r  1  •  1 

a  corner  to  let  them  pass.    Just  after  this  we  were  overtaken 

by  two  horsemen  one  had  fallen  over  the  bank  a  short 
distance  behind,  but  had  fortunately  escaped  with  a  few 
slight  bruises.  We  all  stopped  15  miles  along  the  road  at 
Jackson's  Inn,  a  poor  place,  to  breakfast  at  9  o'clock.  Just 
after  breakfast  when  we  were  moving  off  from  the  inn.  the 
waggon  slipped  off  the  bank  on  the  side  of  the  road  &  sliding 
down  about  10  feet  upset.  Though  the  top  was  much  smashed 
no  limbs  were  broken.  A  good  many  of  the  party  were 
bruised  and  among  the  number  M»".  Whitwell,  who  had  his 
foot  a  good  deal  hurt.  During  breakfast  we  had  been  joking 
with  the  gentleman  who  had  fallen  from  his  horse.  He 
proved  to  be  an  Irish  Doctor  residing  near  Beaver.  He  came 
running  out  to  offer  his  services,  and  now  in  his  turn  made 
a  few  jocose  remarks  upon  our  disaster. — The  Waggon 
having  been  raised  up,  and  tolerably  ordered,  [*]  we  again 
proceeded,  &  reached  Economy  about  1 1  o'clock.  M^.  Rapp 
received  us  politely.  We  dined  &  supped  with  him,  walked  with 
Mr.  Frederick  Rapp  to  look  at  their  work,  and  at  night  went 
to  hear  their  band,  composed  of  14  players. — The  Economites 
have  been  very  industrious,  since  I  was  here  in  June.  They 
have  nearly  completed  a  large  brick  Factory,  a  steam  mill.  & 
a  house  for  M^.  Rapp,  besides  other  improvements. 
Sunday  ist.  'pj^jg  ^^y  ^^,^g  Stormy,  freezing  &  snowing.   Mr.  Whitwell 

•  ^^^-  ^  ^  went  in  the  afternoon  to  the  Economite  house  of  worship. 

Monday  2"^.  Frost  &  snow.      I  called   and  saw   several   of   my  old 

•^^^^■^'  acquaintances.   A  Traveller  informed  us  that  about  7  o'clock 

the   preceding  evening  the   ice   broke   up  at   Pittsburg.      I 


MACDONALD  DIARIES 


333 


saw  great  quantities  of  ice  passing  down  the  river.  We 
have  no  tidings  of  M^.  Owen's  party  in  the  keel  boat 
below  [*]  Beaver,  but  conjecture  that  they  have  gone  on,  as 
the  river  has  been  open  here  &  below  this  place  for  four 
days. — The  stage  (which  passes  every  other  day,)  did  not 
pass  today,  its  regular  day,  but  the  mail  bag  was  forwarded 
on  a  sleigh.  We  hope  that  a  steam  boat  may  leave  Pittsburg 
tomorrow  &  take  us  up  as  it  passes,  the  river  having  risen 
two  feet. — Among  the  numerous  vague  reports  which  we 
have  heard  of  this  society,  one  is  that  in  the  course  of  the 
past  summer,  Mf.  Rapp  married  40  members ;  but  I  have 
not  as  yet  seen  any  thing  here  to  warrant  my  crediting  this 
report. — The  neighbours  seem  to  have  no  very  friendly 
feeling  to  the  society,  on  account  of  their  close  habits  &  the 
mistery  which  hangs  over  all  their  proceedings.  Another 
traveller  told  us  that  there  was  a  society  forming  in  Portage   Tuesday  &  Wed- 


nesday 3rd.  &  4t'i. 
Jany. 


County,  Ohio,  on  M^".  Owen's  Plan. 

At  Economy.     Windy  &  Frosty. 

The  steamboats  at  Pittsburgh  have  been  driven  high  &  Thursday  5th 
dry  on  the  river  bank  by  the  force  of  the  ice ;  leaving  us 
no  [*]  chance  of  getting  a  passage  down  the  river  in  one  of 
them.  This  morning  at  7  o'clock  the  Thermometer  stood  as 
low  as  3  1/2  degrees,  being  28  1/2°  below  freezing.  The 
day  was  calm  &  clear,  &  at  12  o'clock  the  glass  stood 
at  20° — This  afternoon  M"".  Smith  arrived  from  the  keelboat 
which  he  informed  us  was  lying  among  the  ice  7  miles  below 
Beaver.  A  gentleman  also  arrived  with  a  Miss  Dupalais.  (one 
of  Mr.  Le  Seur's  party)  going  to  Harmony.  She  had  been 
left  sick  at  Pittsburg. 

This  morning  clear  &  fine.  The  ther^"  in  the  course  of  the  Friday  6tii. 
night  had  been  as  low  as  3°  above  zero.  jM"".  Fred.  Rapp  called 
in  the  course  of  the  day ;  also  Dr.  Miiller.  I  inclosed  my  letter 
under  cover  to  Jermiah  Thompson  at  New  York.  We  learnt 
from  Mr.  Smith  that  Mr.  Maclure  &  ]\Iadame  Fretageot  had 
gone  as  far  as  Steubenville. — 

We  went  in  the  stage  to  Beaver,  &  thence  walked  6  miles   Saturday  7th. 
to  where  the  keel  boat  lay  in  the  ice. 

This  day  was  employed  cutting  a  channel  through  the   Sunday  8^^. 
ice  into  the  channel  of  the  river,  which  was  open.    On  board  •'^"  ' 
the  boat  we  found  all  the  Party  going  from  Philadelphia 


334  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

to  Harmony,  except  M»'.  Owen  and  M^s.  Fisher  who  had 
gone  back  [*]  to  Pittsburg,  and  thence  taken  the  mail  stage 
to  Wheeling,  and  M^.  Maclure  &  M^s.  Fretageot  who  had 
(Sunday  8*^.  gone  down  in  a  wagon  to  Steubenville.     The  keelboat  was 

Jany.  contd)  divided  into  4  apartments,  one  occupied  by  6  boatmen  &  their 

Captain,  the  other  three  by  the  travellers.  The  boat  was 
called  the  Philanthropist,  and  the  ladies  cabin  Paradise.  The 
names  of  the  company  were  as  follows,  Robert  Dale  Owen, 
Di".  &  Mis.  Price  &  3  children.  Miss  Sistair  &  two  sisters, 
Ml".  Dupalais  &  his  sister,  Miss  Turner,  Mr.  Le  Seur  &  one 
child,  Mr.  Phiquepal  &  10  boys,  Mr.  Smith,  Mr.  Say,  and 
a  carpenter  of  the  name  of  Beal  &  his  wife  &  child,  the  latter 
assisting  the  ladies  in  arranging  the  interior  economy  & 
cooking.  Mr.  Say  kept  the  accounts  and  had  the  government 
of  the  boat.  The  Party  had  been  three  weeks  shut  up  in  an 
eddy  in  the  ice.  They  amused  themselves  during  this 
period,  hunting  and  examining  the  country.  Some  birds,  a 
brown  fox  &  a  few  fish  had  been  taken  and  stuffed  by  the 
naturalists  &  scholars  for  the  museum  at  Harmony.  &  the 
mean  time  hung  up  in  the  cabin. 

The  next  day  (Monday)  we  pushed  out  at  day  light 
into  the  center  of  the  stream  where  the  river  was  free  of 
ice,  and  assisting  [*]  the  boatmen  at  the  sweeps  we  went 
down  the  river  at  the  rate  of  5  miles  an  hour.  The  banks 
were  hilly,  rocky  &  woody.  A  little  before  dark  we  reached 
Steubenville,  where  a  Judge  came  on  board  with  his  son 
a  boy  of  10  years  of  age,  whom  he  wished  to  be  taken  to 
the  Pestalozzian  school  at  Harmony.  He  informed  us  that 
Mr.  Maclure  &  Me.  Fretageot  had  gone  on  to  Wheeling.  I 
landed  with  him  went  to  his  house,  &  received  in  name 
of  the  Society  25$  being  a  quarter  in  advance  for  his  son's 
education.  Steubenville  is  a  small  thriving  town  on  the 
river  side.  I  was  told  that  many  of  the  mechanics  there 
were  trying  to  establish  a  community.  During  the  night 
we  floated  down  the  stream  at  the  rate  of  two  miles  an 
hour.  Early  in  the  morning  (at  day  break)  the  sweeps 
were  again  in  motion,  &  we  reached  Wheeling  about  9 
o'clock.  There  Mr.  Maclure  &  Me,  F.  came  on  board. 
Mr.  Owen  had  set  off  a  fortnight  before  in  the  mail  stage 
with  Mrs.  Fisher,  leaving  a  note  for  me  &  some  baggage 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  335 

to  be  put  on  board  our  boat.  Our  accommodation  on  board 
was  extremely  good  considering  &  things  well  arranged.  [*] 
The  exercise  of  rowing  was  agreeable,  and  we  had  frequent 
opportunities  of  landing  with  a  skiff  which  we  towed  after 
the  keelboat.  We  found  the  river  banks  studded  with  log 
cabins,  frame  houses  &  some  brick  buildings.  We  were  well 
supplied  with  milk  &  eggs,  and  sometimes  got  fruit  & 
poultry.  The  hunters  killed  some  birds,  which  in  an  evening 
afforded  both  instruction  &  amusement  during  the  process 
of  stuffing  them.  The  weather  though  frosty,  was 
clear  &  healthy.  Our  evenings  were  pleasantly  passed  in 
reading  &  conversation.  Two  good  stoves  served  well  for 
the  double  purpose  of  warming  the  cabins,  &  furnishing  us 
with  a  full  supply  of  warm  food  &  fresh  bread.  Once  or 
twice  when  the  weather  was  mild  &  the  moon  up,  we  sat 
upon  the  top  or  deck,  and  had  some  music.  One  evening,  the 
wind  blowing  strong  up  the  stream  and  our  boat  being  too 
light  to  float  down  the  current,  we  made  the  bank,  and  visited 
a  large  farm.  It  being  about  sunset  &  supper  time,  we 
invited  three  lively  females  on  board,  who  were  so  pleased 
with  our  party  that  I  almost  think  they  might  have  been  [*] 
induced  to  join  our  fortunes.  The  old  lady,  their  mother, 
said  she  could  not  spare  them  all  &  so  suddenly,  but  talked 
of  a  summer  excursion  to  see  how  we  got  on  at  Harmony. 
Thus  we  continued  moving  down  the  river  in  high 
health  &  spirits  for  9  days,  when  we  reached  Cincinnati,  600 
miles  below  Pittsburg  [(in  the  evening)].  In  the  course  of 
the  last  day  quantities  of  floating  ice  overtook  us  with  a 
rapid  rise  of  the  river,  the  ice  having  broken  up  with  late 
rains  in  the  north ;  and  it  required  our  united  labours  at  the 
sweeps  to  make  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  avoid  being 
carried  by  its  force  past  Cincinnati.  Robert  Dale  Owen 
landed  with  me,  &  called  on  Mr.  Green,  his  father's  agent, 
from  whom  we  learnt  that  Mr.  Owen  had  left  that  place  10 
days  before  in  a  steamboat  with  Mrs.  Fisher.  He  had  been 
60  miles  up  the  country  at  the  Yellow  Springs  community  on 
the  forks  of  the  Miami  river,  which  had  partly  suspended  its 
operations  in  consequence  of  a  want  of  funds.  The  next  day 
the  Party  divided  and  visited  their  several  friends,  walked 
about  [*]  the  town,  saw  the  curiosities,  made  little  purchases. 


336  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

&  laid  in  stock.  In  the  evening  M^.  Symmes,  the  author  of 
a  new  theory  on  the  shape  of  the  Earth,  who  resides  in 
Cincinnati,  met  M^.  MacUire  &  some  of  the  Party  at  the  City 
Hotel,  &  occupied  them  for  an  hour  with  his  theory.  I  was 
prevented  by  engagements  being  present  more  than  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  during  which  time  I  could  not  get  any  satisfactory 
information,  as  his  remarks  were  desultory  and  common 
place,  &  delivered  in  a  faultering  manner  without  clearness 
or  connection.  He  had  in  his  hand  a  small  ball,  either  of 
clay  or  wood,  hollowed  in  one  part  like  a  tea  cup,  to  represent 
the  concavity  of  the  Earth  at  its  Poles. 

Early  in  the  morning,  the  ice  having  for  the  most  part 
past  us,  we  got  out  into  the  stream,  and  in  the  evening  of 
the  following  day  reached  the  bank  of  the  river  just  above 
Louisville  (150  miles  below  Cincinnati)  and  opposite  to 
Jef  fersonville.  We  landed  for  a  short  time,  when  Mr.  Maclure 
met  Mr.  Neef  the  Pestalozzian  teacher.  We  called  on  the 
Harmony  agent  from  whom  we  learnt  [*]  that  M^".  Owen 
was  at  Harmony.  M^.  Neef  told  M^.  Maclure  that  he  was 
arranging  to  sell  his  farm  &  remove  to  Harmony  in  the 
spring.  He  came  on  board  the  keelboat  with  his  daughter,  a 
fine  young  woman  to  visit  the  ladies. 

Our  captain  having  secured  a  Pilot  overnight,  we  started 
at  daylight,  &  lending  all  hands  to  the  sweeps,  crossed  the 
Falls  in  fine  style.  There  was  just  enough  water  to  make  the 
descent  safe.  The  full  distance  falls  short  of  two  miles.  At 
one  part  a  ridge  of  rocks  crosses  the  stream.  Here  the  current 
becomes  very  rapid  &  rough  &  makes  two  sharp  turns.  The 
use  of  the  sweeps  is  to  assist  the  steering.  Twice  the  Pilot 
called  to  the  sweeps  to  stop,  at  part  of  the  descent  where  the 
motion  &  boiling  up  of  the  water  would  have  driven  them 
out  of  their  proper  direction.  Below  the  falls  the  river 
reassumes  its  quiet  state.  We  stopped  to  land  the  Pilot 
at  Shipping  port,  thence  continued  as  usual.  At  night  a 
steamboat  was  heard  behind  us  (the  first  that  overtook  us  in 
the  course  of  our  [*]  voyage  down)  and  it  was  determined 
to  send  M^.  Smith  forward  to  Harmony  for  waggons  to  be  at 
Mount  Vernon  on  Sunday  the  22"^.  Accordingly  Mr.  Smith 
was  put  on  board  the  steamboat  as  it  passed  from  our  skiff. 

In  consequence  of  a  strong  wind  up  stream  we  did  not 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  337 

reach  Mount  vernon  till  ii  a.  m.  on  Monday  the  23rd.  We 
there  found  waggons  in  waiting.  As  the  weather  had  again 
changed  to  Frost  &  snow%  it  was  settled  that  we  should  remain 
till  the  morning  and  that  the  ladies,  children  &  some  of  the 
gentlemen  should  go  round  and  up  the  Wabash  in  the  keelboat. 
This  arrangement  was  changed  in  two  days,  as  the  river  froze 
up.  Young  Owen  could  not  rest  a  moment.  He  therefore 
got  a  horse  &  rode  over  the  same  evening  to  Harmony. 

The  next  morning,  the  waggons  were  loaded  as  early  as 
possible  and  half  the  party  started  for  Harmony.  I  walked 
and  followed  to  see  that  every  thing  was  in  its  place.  The 
day's  journey  reminded  me  of  a  march  with  the  baggage  of 
a  company  of  soldiers.  [*]  We  were  received  with  many 
manifestations  of  joy  by  the  Population,  which  I  found 
engrossed  in  the  New  proceedings  which  M^".  Owen  was 
explaining  to  them  at  evening  meetings.  The  Population  was 
about  as  numerous  as  when  I  left  the  place  in  June  last,  but 
several  had  left  &  new  families  come  into  the  town ;  so 
that  I  saw  almost  as  many  strange  as  well  known  faces.  I 
spent  the  two  first  days  after  my  arrival  visiting  my  old 
acquaintance ;  but  afterwards  I  became  busily  occupied  as 
a  member  of  a  committee  chosen  to  draw  up  a  constitution 
for  a  community  to  be  formed  out  of  the  Preliminary 
society.  The  debates  in  this  committee  &  in  the  society 
meetings,  occupied  about  three  weeks ;  after  which  a  small 
society  of  American  Backwoodsmen  separated  from  the 
rest,  &  next  a  large  one  of  English  Emigrants.  These 
engaged  for  lands  belonging  to  Mr.  Owen.  The  remainder 
then  had  a  misunderstanding.  The  most  steady  &  decent 
portion  formed  themselves  into  a  third  society,  and  objected 
to  [*]  join  in  a  community  with  the  residue,  but  offered 
to  admit  probationary  members,  which  proposition  was 
considered  offensive. 

[When  the  weather  moderated,  the  keelboat  came 
round  &  up  the  Wabash,  having  called  at  Shawneetown  to 
take  on  board  the  heavy  baggage  which  had  been  sent 
round  from  New  York  by  sea  to  New  Orleans.  &  which 
we  got  five  weeks  after  our  arrival.  The  vessel  made  a 
passage  of  15  days  to  N.  Orleans.]  I  left  Harmony  on 
the   4th.    March,   at   which  time   a   proposition   was   under 


338  INDIANA  HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

discussion  to  request  M^'.  Owen  to  become  sole  manager  for 
some  time  taking  both  parties  under  his  guidance  as  proba- 
tioners to  his  New  System,  till  he  should  consider  them 
sufficiently  well  habituated  in  it  to  govern  themselves. 

I  have  since  learnt  by  a  Charleston  paper  that  the 
Harmony  Gazette  of  the  22nd.  March  states  the  society  to 
have  given  up  idle  talking,  &  to  be  now  busily  engaged 
each  at  his  proper  calling. 

As  I  had  promised  to  take  Charleston  in  my  way  back  to 

England,  my  plan  of  proceeding  was  to  go  by  a  steamboat  to 

New  Orleans,  &  thence  by  sea  round  Florida  to  Charleston. 

•"^^  On  the  4th.  March  I  got  a  two  horse  waggon  and  crossed 

c,''^   ,  to  Mount  Vernon. 

Saturday 

Monday  night  at  10  o  clock  [*]  I  got  on  board  the 
Columbia  steam  boat,  commanded  by  Major  Miller,  and 
reached  New  Orleans  on  the  13th.    (tuesday) 

The  Columbia  is  a  large  new  steamboat  handsomely  & 
conveniently  fitted  up,  with  the  ladies  cabin  below.  The 
Captain  an  active  &  accommodating  man.  I  found  a  few 
gentlemen  &  one  lady  on  board  from  Louisville.  Most  of 
the  gentlemen  were  Kentuckians.  They  were  very  fond  of 
playing  at  cards  &  backgammon  &  drinking  spirits  and 
water,  which  custom  I  found  myself  obliged  to  adopt  while 
in  their  company.  Another  boat  (the  Paragon)  reputed 
the  fastest  boat  on  the  river,  left  Louisville  the  day  before 
the  Columbia,  which  passed  her  while  taking  in  Cargo  at 
Henderson.  The  whole  of  the  voyage  down  the  Mississippi, 
tne  great  object  of  our  Captain  was  to  keep  ahead  of  her 
and  reach  New  Orleans  first.  He  therefore  was  constantly 
forward  urging  on  the  firemen,  who  are  in  this  country 
negroes,  to  keep  the  furnaces  well  supplied.  The  rivers,  as 
the  [*]  northern  snows  were  now  melting  &  heavy  rains 
falling  around  us,  were  rapidly  rising  &  bringing  in  their 
floods  great  quantities  of  drift  wood.  Immense  misshapen 
logs  and  trees  were  overtaken  by  us  in  large  shoals  and  in  the 
!  eddies,  and  in  the  night  time  the  wheels  lost  their  paddles 

which  would  be  splintered  to  pieces  by  coming  in  contact 
with  them.  The  Pilot  at  the  helm  wheel  was  in  the  habit 
of  ringing  a  small  bell  to  stop  the  wheels  whenever  he 
could  not  avoid  these  drifts.     Snags,  sawyers  and  planters, 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  339 

appellations  given  to  trees  &  logs  aground  in  the  channel  of 
the  river,  were  often  seen,  but  as  the  river  was  high  and 
their  situations  generally  known,  no  alarm  was  felt  at 
them. — The  banks  of  the  river  with  few  exceptions  were 
flat,  &  thickly  covered  w-ith  tall  timber.  As  we  proceeded 
down  the  Ohio,  some  rocky  hills  &  ridges  little  exceeding  lOO 
feet  in  elevation  appeared  here  &  there  on  the  right  [*]  in 
the  state  of  Illinois.  On  them  I  remarked  the  cabins  of 
poor  settlers,  who  probably  sought  the  triple  advantage  of 
rising  land,  a  little  society  by  river  navigation,  and  a 
market  for  cord  wood  for  the  steamboats.  A  cord  is 
8  ft.  long  &  4  ft.  high  &  wide.  Down  the  Ohio,  except 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  large  towns  the  price  for 
black  &  white  oak  is  from  2  to  3$  a  cord.  On  the  Kentucky 
side  nothing  was  seen  for  many  miles  before  we  reached  the 
Mississippi  but  a  tall  thick  forest  in  a  low  swamp ;  the  timber 
consisting  for  the  most  part  of  Cotton,  Peccan,  Hiccory, 
black  red  &  white  oak,  vine  and  walnut  trees.  The  mouth 
of  the  Ohio  is  hidden  by  an  island,  so  that  the  supposed 
striking  appearance  of  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  with  the 
Mississippi  river  is  thus  intercepted;  and  as  the  land  is 
flat  &  the  trees  lofty,  the  eye  does  not  perceive  at  first  any 
great  increase  of  water.  The  first  striking  indication  of  our 
being  in  a  larger  stream,  was  the  change  in  the  colour  of  the 
water  which  gradually  mingled  itself  [*]  with  the  blacker 
water  of  the  Ohio,  till  the  whole  river  became  lime  water. 
Here  I  could  not  help  gazing  with  some  little  degree  of  novel 
feeling  at  the  scene.  A  smooth  expanse  of  water,  to  all 
appearance  a  lake  full  of  Islands,  and  encompassed  by  a  wild 
forest  luxuriantly  growing  in  an  immense  marsh,  through 
which  I  was  rapidly  passing  in  an  elegant  vessel  and  enjoying 
the  most  comfortable  accommodations.  We  occasionally 
passed  keel  &  flat  boats  floating  on  the  water,  &  deeply  laden 
with  corn,  potatoes  or  cattle  for  the  Orleans  Market.  Six 
or  eight  tall  bony  &  sunburnt  men  would  be  sitting  on  their 
tops  lounging  away  the  five  to  eight  weeks  voyage  they  were 
upon.  The  mouth  of  the  Ohio  is  somewhere  about  400  miles 
below  Louisville.  I  had  left,  the  southern  corner  of  Indiana 
two  days  before,  under  the  influence  of  a  cold  &  wet 
spring,  its  forests  bare  &  its  lands  black.     I  now  beheld 


340  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

bright  sprouting  leaves  on  all  the  young  trees  smiling  beneath 
the  yet  sappless  [*]  heads  of  their  tall  parents.  The  lively 
green  of  the  cane  breaks  which  covered  the  banks  on  both 
sides  served  as  an  additional  relief  to  the  scene.  Here  &  there 
some  hardy  woods  man  had  cleared  a  small  space  &  built  a 
log  cabin  on  some  spot  which  only  the  highest  waters  would 
cover;  contenting  himself  with  having  the  river  open  to  him, 
and  a  plentiful  supply  without  labour  from  his  cows  which 
feed  upon  the  cane  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  But  even 
these  hardy  beings  rarely  escape  the  effects  of  the  marshy 
atmosphere,  their  faces  &  skins  denoting  that  they  frequently 
suffer  from  ague  &  fever.  Mosquitoes  abound  in  these 
situations.  &  even  disturb  the  native  woodsman  with  their 
numbers  and  powerful  sting. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Cumberland  river,  the  Columbia 
stopped  for  6  hours  to  take  in  200  &  odd  bales  of  cotton,  each 
bale  being  8  or  9  ft.  long,  6  or  8  ft.  round  &  containing 
from  3  to  400  lbs  of  cotton.  This  freight  was  stowed  away 
below,  above  &  on  both  sides  of  the  steamboat.  The  settle- 
ment at  the  mouth  [*]  of  the  river  bore  a  lively  &  thriving 
appearance,  a  few  low  hills  gently  rising  at  a  short  distance 
in  the  rear,  and  being  partly  cleared  and  looking  green 
with  the  young  corn  shoots.  While  we  lay  at  this  place  a 
fine  &  fast  steam  boat,  called  the  General  Jackson  came  down 
the  Cumberland,  and  the  Paragon  passed  before  us.  [It  is  the 
fashion  to  name  the  steamboats  after  the  most  distinguished 
men.]  We  met  several  boats  going  up  the  stream,  all  deeply 
laden  &  full  of  passengers. 

From  this  place  to  Memphis  a  neat  settlement  on  the 
Chicasaw  bluffs  (sandy  ridges  which  terminate  in  high 
falling  banks  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river)  we  saw  nothing 
but  a  flat  forest,  some  feet  lower,  as  you  advance  a  few 
hundred  yards  from  the  river  which  gradually  heightens  its 
banks  by  the  annual  deposits  of  its  inundations. —  [It  is  at 
this  place  that  an  experiment  has  lately  been  commenced 
to  lead  to  the  gradual  emancipation  of  the  negroes.  Land 
has  been  purchased  &  a  village  is  forming.  Slaves  are 
purchased  who  are  to  work  together  with  a  common  stock. 
The  profits  of  their  industry  to  be  employed  to  purchase 
their  freedom.     It  is  said  that  La  Favette  has  subscribed 


MACDQNALD  DIARIES  341 

10000$  to  the  fund.  &  that  Miss  Wright  &  Mr.  George 
Flower  are  both  contributors  and  managers. — As  this 
settlement  is  made  in  a  slave  state,  the  surrounding  pro- 
prietors are  said  to  be  very  jealous  of  its  interests,  &  throw 
obstacles  in  the  way  of  its  progress.  Besides  all  the  white 
population  have  so  thorough  a  contempt  &  mean  opinion  of 
a  coloured  person,  that  it  is  doubtful  whether  their  feelings 
may  not  operate  to  defeat  a  practical  step  towards  emancipa- 
tion.] At  the  mouth  of  White  river  on  the  right  bank,  we 
stopped  to  take  on  wood  &  land  a  passenger.  Here  there  is 
a  small  settlement  of  two  or  three  families.  I  entered  into 
conversation  with  one  man  who  told  me  he  was  born  in 
Georgia,  raised  in  Tennessee,  had  lived  where  he  was  two 
years,  &  intended  in  another  year  to  go  west  into  the  red 
river  country.  He  had  a  wife,  or  a  woman  [*]  that  acted 
as  such,  ( for  in  these  countries  changes  &  exchanges  are 
easily  made)  and  a  heap  of  young  children. 

In  many  conversations  that  I  had  I  found  the  tide  of 
emigration,  was  generally  from  the  southern  &  eastern 
states,  first  to  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  or  Mississippi,  then 
into  Illinois,  Indiana,  or  Ohio  state,  and  thence  again  west 
up  the  Arkansaw  or  Missouri,  or  into  the  red  river  country. 
The  steam  navigation,  &  the  trade  for  the  raw  materials 
for  manufacturing,  ensure  the  migrating  woodsman  a  supply 
of  cash  &  the  boundless  &  fertile  soil  around  him  &  the 
domestic  labour  of  his  family,  secure  to  him  a  full  supply 
of  all  which  the  rude  habits  of  his  life  give  him  a  desire 
for.  Whiskey  &  tobacco  are  cheap,  and  powder  &  lead 
easily  procured.  He  therefore  freely  indulges  in  these  great 
stimuli,  chewing  &  drinking  at  all  hours,  and  rarely  passing 
a  day  without  his  gun  in  his  hand.  They  have  little  or  no 
moral  feeling  in  the  composition  of  their  [*]  character,  and 
if  we  except  their  fear  of  the  law,  and  their  attachment 
to  the  American  Constitution,  which  they  belief  (without 
understanding)  to  be  the  safeguard  of  their  freedom.  I 
should  suppose  their  minds  were  under  no  influence  but 
that  of  their  appetites. 

The  river  winds  continually  in  every  direction  down  this 
immense  vale  which  is  more  or  less  subject  to  its  inundations 
in  the  months  of  April,  May  &  June,  from  two  to  300  miles 


342  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

in  breadth,  particularly  on  its  western  side  where  there  are 
extensive  lakes.  In  some  places  among  the  Islands  and  at  the 
bends  of  the  river  its  breadth  is  more  than  a  mile,  occasionally 
nearly  two  miles.  The  banks  being  of  the  finest  &  softest 
soil  is  continually  crumbling  down,  spreading  out  in  tongues 
on  one  side  &  rounding  away  in  hollow  places  on  the  other. 
Large  trees  are  seen  with  their  heads  above  the  water,  denot- 
ing their  late  fall;  others  with  their  bare  roots  tottering 
and  awaiting  their  inevitable  fate ;  while  tall  &  slender 
shrubberies  [*]  are  every  where  rapidly  arising  to  shade 
and  fortify  the  newly  formed  shores  of  this  inland  ocean. 

In  one  part  we  passed  what  the  boatman  called  the  new 
cut  off  where  the  river,  after  a  process  of  wearing  the 
bank  away  into  a  deep  elbow  forced  its  way  across  the 
istmus  into  its  next  bend,  shortening  its  course  by  a  distance 
of  18  miles  and  forming  another  large  Island  in  the  midst 
of  its  waters. — At  sunset  a  thick  vapour  rises  &  floats  over 
the  surface  of  the  river,  frequently  obliging  the  boats  to  lay 
too  during  the  night. 

The  gentlemen  on  board  passed  their  time  at  cards  & 
backgammon,  and  frequently  had  disputes  about  the  game. 
One  day  they  abused  one  another  violently,  and  two  of  them 
struck  &  threw  chairs  at  one  another.  This  dispute  however 
was  amicably  settled,  &  tranquility  resulted  from  it  during 
the  remainder  of  the  voyage.  I  got  on  the  best  terms  with 
them ;  so  much  so  that  they  hoped  we  should  hereafter  meet 
again,  and  two  [*]  who  left  us  at  Natches,  and  followed  to 
New  Orleans  in  two  or  three  days,  met  me  there  at  the  Hotel 
like  old  friends.  This  was  a  pleasant  circumstance  to  a 
stranger,  and  I  judge  from  it  that  a  traveller  among  the 
western  people,  particularly  the  Kentuckians,  should  he  be 
a  man  of  education  but  liberal  &  accommodating  in  his 
habits  &  opinions,  will  have  daily  reason  to  say  that  they  are 
extremely  hospitable.  But  they  have  their  passions  &  their 
prejudices  &  bad  habits.  The  first  they  are  accustomed  to 
indulge,  the  second  they  are  less  sensible  of  than  a  traveller, 
and  they  have  are  privileged  at  home  in  the  gratification 
of  the  third. 

It  was  my  custom  to  seat  myself  on  a  bale  of  cotton  on  the 
top  near  the  pilot,  and  enjoy  the  current  of  air,  &  the  utuisual 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  343 

scenery  around  me.  We  rapidly  got  into  a  warmer  atmosphere, 
under  a  clearer  sky  and  amidst  greener  forests ;  but  a  dead 
flatness  spread  in  all  directions.  The  variety  however  was 
considerable.  At  one  time  the  [*]  shades  among  the  trees 
caught  the  eye;  at  another  the  immense  drifts  of  wood  led 
the  mind  to  speculate  upon  the  growth  &  decay  of  vegetable 
matter,  &  the  great  quantities  of  timber  thus  annually  sent 
into  the  Mexican  gulf;  at  a  third  the  attention  was  directed 
to  a  steamboat  approaching,  or  some  solitary  flat  boats 
which  we  were  rapidly  overtaking  and  passing  by. 

Natches  is  the  last  place  on  the  river  bank  which  we 
passed.  &  which  stands  elevated  above  the  dead  level.  The 
bank  is  about  loo  ft.  high,  and  apparently  entirely  of  sand. 
The  town  stands  on  an  extensive  flat,  and  contains  a  large 
population.  Down  by  the  water  side  are  a  miserable  collection 
of  wooden  houses  in  which  the  boatmen  reside.  There  it  is 
that  a  degraded  state  of  morals  is  to  be  found.  From 
the  top  of  the  bank  the  eye  has  nothing  to  look  at  but  the 
winding  river  and  the  tops  of  the  trees. 

As  our  stop  was  short  I  had  not  time  to  see  the  town,  which 
I  am  told  [*]  contains  many  agreeable  inhabitants  and  good 
buildings.  The  negroes  &  quadroons  (or  mixed  race)  were 
very  numerous  on  the  bank.  I  there  fell  in  with  two — car- 
penter and  Tanner  who  had  left  Harmony.  They  told  me 
business  was  brisk,  and  the  carpenters  intended  making 
some  money  to  carry  them  to  New  Orleans,  &  perhaps  to 
visit  Scotland  &  some  parts  of  the  Old  Country. 

I  learnt  that  one  of  my  fellow  voyagers  was  a  member 
of  the  Kentucky  legislature,  another  the  son  of  a  landed 
proprietor,  one  a  young  lawyer  going  to  look  out  for 
business  in  Florida,  another,  a  Virginian  from  the  back 
parts  going  to  settle  there,  &  another  a  lawyer  (who  had 
been  a  play-actor),  going  to  Pensacola.  The  gentleman 
we  landed  at  White  river  was  going  some  distance  up  that 
river ;  he  was  a  young  doctor. 

When  least  expected  settlements  spring  up,  and  west  of 
the  Mississippi  and  in  the  Missouri,  there  are  more  white 
settlers  (already  there  &  annually  removing  there)  than 
in  Euro{>e  they  have  any  conception  of.  [*] 

Below    Natches    the    river    banks    on    both    sides    are 


344  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

more  thickly  settled.  As  they  are  more  elevated  &  only 
covered  by  the  highest  waters  much  more  land  is  in 
cultivation,  and  although  compared  with  the  extent  of 
country  the  river  winds  through  the  part  cleared  is  but 
trifling,  yet  lying  on  the  edge  of  the  water,  it  serves  to  vary 
the  scene  and  gives  a  slight  idea  of  the  richness  of  the  land. 

As  we  advanced  the  habitations  became  more  numerous, 
we  overtook  more  boats,  the  trees  looked  greener,  the  corn 
crops  farther  advanced,  the  slaves  out  in  the  fields  preparing 
the  ground  for  cotton  &  sugar.  Levees  or  embankments 
from  3  to  5  &  6  feet  high  &  as  many  thick  extended  on  both 
sides  the  river.  For  the  last  lOO  miles  before  we  reached 
New  Orleans  the  line  of  communication  from  one  farm  or 
plantation  to  another  was  scarcely  broken,  and  in  many  places 
were  well  fashioned  stone  &  brick  houses  and  regularly 
planned  rows  of  buildings  for  the  [*]  slaves  employed  on 
the  sugar  plantations.  The  usual  form  was  a  wide  street  of 
small  brick  or  painted  wooden  houses  with  the  overseer's 
house  at  one  end  &  the  sugar  house  at  the  other,  extending 
towards  the  river,  and  about  the  middle  of  the  plantation,  and 
some  distance  from  the  proprietor's  house  which  is  usually 
surrounded  by  a  few  trees.  The  plantation  is  surrounded 
by  rail  fences,  and  in  the  marsh  or  swamp  behind,  tower 
the  thick  forests  of  Cypress  trees  which  are  covered  with 
a  brownish  weed  which  thickly  spread  over  their  misshapen 
tops  giving  a  dead  appearance  to  them.  This  weed  is 
called  Spanish  moss,  and  is  much  used  for  stuffing  mat- 
trasses,  being  of  a  soft  &  cool  nature,  and  supposed  to 
be  very  wholesome. 

By  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Louisiana  the  lands  on  the 
river  bank  are  divided  into  lots  of  a  certain  extent  of  river 
bank  &  extending  thence  straight  into  the  marsh  &  woods 
behind,  so  that  each  holder  of  a  lot  has  his  proper  portion 
of  [*]  embankment  or  Levee  to  keep  in  repair. 

The  vale  of  the  Mississippi  seems  to  have  been  formerly 
entirely  flooded  at  the  rainy  season  or  in  the  early  summer 
months  when  the  northern  snows  &  ice  melt.  But  the  river 
bringing  in  its  troubled  waters  a  great  quantity  of  light 
soil  which  as  it  spread  &  stagnated  over  this  extensive 
vale,  settled  and  gradually  raised  its  surface,  some  seasons 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  345 

left  considerable  portions  of  its  banks  dry.  These  were 
occupied  &  defended  by  levees  by  the  first  settlers,  who 
gradually  encreased  in  numbers,  untill  their  properties  were 
formed  into  a  connected  line  of  embankment;  leaving  the 
river  to  spread  through  the  woods  around  them. 

The  channel  of  the  river  is  very  deep,  and  the  working  of 
the  currents  &  eddies  below  are  marked  by  the  boiling  up  of 
the  water  as  it  rolls  on  at  the  rate  of  from  two  to  three  miles 
an  hour.  [*]  No  scheme  has  yet  been  thought  of  which  could 
oppose  the  progress  of  the  river  in  washing  in  its  banks,  at  its 
different  windings,  and  as  this  process  is  very  rapid,  and  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  New  Orleans  a  small  quantity  of  great 
value ;  rich  persons  have  frequently  in  a  few  years  lost  a 
great  part  of  their  fortune  by  the  river  changing  its  course. 

The  mouth  of  the  red  river  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
wide,  having  an  island  near  it ;  but  it  is  very  deep.  It  is  navi- 
gable for  steam  boats  a  great  way.  It  is  from  a  point  high  up 
this  river,  that  the  land  journey  to  Mexico  is  commenced,  thus 
avoiding  the  marshes  which  extend  to  the  shores  of  the  Gulf. 

We  passed  several  boats  floating  down  with  cotton,  and 
some  ships  which  had  been  towed  by  steamboats  up  the  river  to 
receive  the  cotton  &  sugar  from  the  very  bank  of  the  plantation. 

We  passed  many  steamboats  &  small  towns,  and  I  felt  the 
sensation  of  coming  out  [*]  of  the  retirement  of  the  country 
into  the  bustle  of  a  city.  The  weather  became  warm,  the 
trees  were  almost  in  full  leaf,  and  the  Cypress  &  wild 
herbs  of  the  forest  perfumed  the  evening  breezes. 

It  was  becoming  dark  when  we  saw  the  roofs  of  houses, 
the  masts  of  shipping  &  the  long  iron  flues  of  numerous 
steamboats,  crowding  the  side  of  the  Levee. — The  Paragon 
had  got  in  a  few  hours  before,  as  our  paddles  had  been 
so  broken  that  we  had  to  stop  several  times  to  mend 
them.     The  General  Jackson  came  in  a  few  hours  after  us. 

It  was  too  late  to  quit  the  boat  that  evening,  therefore 
after  a  short  walk  in  the  dark  through  two  or  three  narrow 
streets,  I  returned  on  board  for  the  night. 

The  following  morning  after  breakfast  I  landed  and  took  Tuesday  m**"- 
up  my  lodging  at  the  Planters  Hotel   (Mr.  Elkin)  a  large  ^^^^ch  1826 
house  the  resort  usually  of  Bachelors.     I  called  and  delivered 
niy  letter   from  M^.   Owen  to  Mr.    [MS  blank]    who  was 


346  INDL\NA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Mr.  Rapp's  agent  &  has  now  become  [*]  M^.  Owen's.  He  & 
his  partner  are  druggists.  He  afterwards  invited  me  to  tea 
at  his  father  in  law's  Df.  Rogers  where  I  dined  once  &  found 
his  wife  &  daughter  amiable  women,  &  himself  a  very  intelli- 
gent person.  At  the  Planters'  I  fell  in  with  Mf.  Thomas  from 
New  York,  who  introduced  me  to  a  variety  of  gentlemen ; 
some  merchants  &  others  planters  from  the  neighbour- 
hood.:— As  the  house  was  crowded  I  was  at  first  put  into  a 
small  room  where  there  were  three  more  beds,  but  upon 
application  to  the  clerk  he  removed  me  to  another  where 
I  had  but  one  companion  who  proved  to  be  a  very  respectable 
gentleman,  a  judge  from  Feliciana,  a  town  in  the  State.  & 
who  once  stood  candidate  for  the  governorship.  We  became 
very  friendly,  and  he  gave  me  a  pressing  invitation  to 
visit  him.  I  learnt  that  his  wife  was  a  very  amiable 
person,  &  that  he  had  a  fine  family  &  resided  in  a  beautiful 
country. — I  likewise  met  a  Philadelphia  Friend,  and  two 
gentlemen  with  whom  I  had  crossed  the  ocean  last  summer 
in  the  Canada.  [My  fellow  travellers  on  board  the  Columbia 
introduced  me  to  their  acquaintance.]  Thus  Every  day  I 
had  one  or  more  [*]  companions  to  visit  the  town  &  neigh- 
bourhood with.  [It  is  frequently  the  practice  of  the 
passengers  to  remain  on  board  the  steamboats  in  which  they 
descend  the  river,  and  as  the  accommodations  are  good,  it 
is  sometimes  more  convenient  to  do  so,  than  to  land  and 
put  up  at  a  crowded  hotel.] 

The  boarding  is  2$  a  day.  Black  or  coloured  slaves 
wait  upon  you,  and  at  Elkin's  the  female  slaves  dress  so 
gaudily,  that  I  sometimes  fancied  a  resemblance  to  an 
eastern  entertainment  as  I  sat  at  the  dinner  table.  But 
the  house  is  a  very  inconvenient  one,  and  the  attendance 
irregular. — The  weather  was  to  me  extremely  oppressive,  the 
therf.   ranging   from   76°    to   above   80°    with   little   wind. 

The  town  lies  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  &  5  or  6  feet 
below  the  level  of  the  high  rises  of  the  river  which  are  about 
the  months  of  April,  May  &  June. — The  Levee  which 
protects  the  town  is  covered  with  shells  &  small  stones 
and  made  into  a  hard  terrace,  behind  which  runs  a  wide 
road,  separated  from  the  first  street  or  row  of  houses  by 
an  open  space  of  a  mile  in  length  but  only  two  or  three 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  347 

hundred  ft.  wide.     On  this  ground  stand  the  custom  house, 

the  large  stone  market  houses  &  some  warehouses.    During 

the   first  half  of  the  year  trade  is  very  brisk,  the  Levee 

being  covered  with  bales  of   [*]   cotton,  casks  of  sugar  &  New  Orlean:; 

tobacco,  coffee  &  rice,  carts  driving  in  every  direction  with 

goods,  and  shipping  of  all  descriptions  lying  by  the  river 

bank.    While  I  remained  at  New  Orleans,  there  were  never 

less  than  12  or  15  steamboats  lying  there,  and  several  times 

in  the  course  of  the  day,  the  guns  of  those  arriving  and 

departing  were   heard   in  every  part   of   the   town.     Two 

steam  boats  are  in  constant  employ  towing  vessels  the  sailing 

vessels  in  &  out  of  the  river,  its  mouth  being   100  miles 

below  the  city. 

Above  the  steamboats  lye  a  great  number  of  keel  & 
flat  boats  &  other  small  craft,  which  have  brought  raw 
materials  &  provisions  of  all  kinds  down  the  river.  The 
cargoes  of  some  boats  are  disposed  of  whole  sale,  while  the 
tenants  of  the  others  are  occupied  retailing  out  their  goods. 

The  river  at  this  place  is  about  a  mile  wide,  and 
extremely  deep.  Within  a  few  feet  of  the  levee  the  water 
is  70  ft.  deep,  and  as  it  rolls  along  at  the  rate  of  3  miles  an 
hour,  in  eddies  &  boiling  up.  it  is  quite  muddy  [*]  and 
is  constantly  undermining  the  part  of  the  bank  against 
which  the  force  of  the  current  strikes.  At  present  the 
current  strikes  the  right  bank  of  the  river  a  mile  above 
the  town,  wearing  it  rapidly  away;  and  thence  crossing 
over  runs  against  the  left  bank  at  the  lower  extremity  of 
the  city,  which  it  is  gradually  forcing  in,  in  spite  of  the 
usual  attempts  to  protect  the  bank.  Within  a  few  years 
the  city  has  become  possessed  of  several  acres  of  valuable 
land  which  the  river  threw  up  as  it  receded  above  the  town 
towards  the  opposite  bank,  sweeping  away  the  house  &  a 
considerable  part  of  the  lands  belonging  to  a  widow  lady. 

Vessels  very  rarely  anchor  in  the  river  on  account  of 
its  depth,  which  likewise  prevents  the  erection  of  wharves  or 
quais.  Large  timbers  and  planks  are  substituted,  as  temporary 
stages  for  loading  &  unloading  the  vessels.  On  the  opposite 
bank  is  the  powder  magazine,  &  place  where  the  shipping 
are  repaired.  A  Columbian  Brig  of  \\'ar  lay  there  while 
I  was  in  New  Orleans.  [*]  As  New  Orleans  was  both  the 


348  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

possession  of  the  French  &  Spaniards  before  being  sold 
to  the  United  States,  the  styles  of  building  are  very  various. 
Facing  the  levee,  are  a  square  with  a  Catholic  church  in 
it,  a  large  barrack  of  stone,  and  the  Arsenal  inclosed  within 
a  stone  wall,  all  built  by  the  Spaniards,  and  a  row  of 
houses,  shops  below  &  dwelling  rooms  above,  in  the 
Spanish  and  Moorish  style  of  architecture.  The  streets 
run  parallel  &  at  right  angles  to  the  river.  Only  one  is 
paved  (Charters  street)  The  rest  are  of  earth,  and 
consequently  almost  impassable  in  rainy  weather.  But 
every  street  has  its  two  footways  protected  from  the  road 
by  wooden  gutters.  Since  M"".  Jefferson  purchased  this 
state  from  the  French,  a  great  many  french  left  it,  and  as 
many  Spaniards  as  could  dispose  of  their  property.  Americans 
seeking  their  fortunes  pushed  in,  and  became  active  in 
business.  It  is  remarkable  that  not  a  Spaniard  or  Frenchman 
has  any  concern  in  any  of  the  many  steamboats  which  belong 
to  this  city  &  run  on  the  river ;  or  is,  indeed  much  employed 
in  the  active  commerce  now  carrying  on. — At  first  the 
principal  [*]  public  offices  were  filled  by  frenchmen,  who 
made  the  Americans  rather  dissatisfied  by  their  lukewarm 
treatment  of  all  their  proposed  improvements.  This  has  had 
the  effect  of  throwing  many  french  out  of  office.  An 
attempt  to  get  the  streets  paved,  succeeded  so  far  as  to  have 
the  principal  one  so  done ;  But  as  the  stones  must  all  be 
brought  by  sea  from  the  northern  States,  it  is  probable 
that  several  years  will  elapse  before  all  the  [others]  are 
paved,  or  macadamized  which  many  consider  a  better  plan. 

The  state  house  is  a  small  old  building;  much  is  said 
of  building  a  new  one. 

There  is  a  law  in  this  state  which  renders  all  marriages 
between  whites  and  persons  of  colour  or  quadroons  (as  all 
are  called  whose  blood  is  in  any  way  proved  to  be  tainted 
with  the  negroe  race)  illegal,  and  while  I  was  there  another 
was  passed,  entirely  prohibitting  the  introduction  of  slaves. 
This  latter  law  was  made  in  consequence  of  so  many  slaves 
of  the  most  worthless  &  troublesome  character  having  been 
brought  into  the  city  for  sale. 

Many  of  the  quadroon  [*]  families  are  rich,  and  the 
females  handsome.      As   the   whites   are   the   lords   of   the 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  349 

land,  the  quadroon  females  consider  it  an  honor  to  be 
connected  with  them,  and  as  marriage  is  forbidden,  most 
of  them  live  as  the  companions  of  the  white  men,  proving 
true  to  them,  as  long  as  they  are  well  treated.  This  is  the 
French  fashion,  but  as  the  relative  proportion  of  the 
French  &  Americans  diminishes,  it  is  probable  that  this 
demoralizing  law  will  be  altered  &  modified. 

Dr.  Rogers  informed  me  that  July,  August,  September  & 
October,  were  the  unhealthy  months  of  the  year ;  then  cold 
winds  from  the  north  west  and  a  hot  sun,  produce  fevers.  At 
other  seasons  of  the  year  the  city  is  remarkably  healthy. 
During  the  hottest  season  the  theri".  rarely  rises  above 
94°.  December  &  January  are  the  winter  months ;  but 
frost  &  snow  are  very  rarely  seen.  Seven  years  ago  a 
severe  frost  in  the  months  of  Jany  &  February,  destroyed 
all  the  orange  &  lemon  trees  in  the  state.  Young  trees  were 
immediately  afterwards  planted,  and  this  spring  a  few  are 
beginning  to  bear. — During  the  unhealthy  [*]  months 
many  persons   leave  the  city,   and   every  thing  is  at   rest. 

The  city  is  rapidly  extending  with  stores  &  brick 
houses,   (the  residences  of  americans,)   up  the  river  bank. 

At  the  back  of  the  city,  which  lies  some  feet  lower  than 
that  part  which  borders  on  the  river,  there  extends  the 
marsh  &  cypress  forest  intersected  by  a  creek.  Into  this 
marsh  the  waters  from  the  city  are  drained.  A  basin  has  been 
formed  and  a  canal  connecting  it  with  the  creek.  There 
is  a  project  for  connecting  the  basin  likewise  with  the 
river.  The  creek  which  runs  into  Lake  Pontchartrain.  has 
a  wooden  peir  &  battery  at  its  mouth,  to  which  there  is 
a  road  from  the  city.  This  is  the  direct  communication 
into  the  State  of  Alabama  &  to  the  seat  of  the  general 
government,  and  is  a  portion  of  the  course  of  inland 
navigation  which  it  is  proposed  to  extend  from  St.  Augustine 
across  the  Floridas  to  the  INIississippi.  The  greater  number 
of  houses  in  the  back  streets  of  the  city  are  of  wood  &  only 
one  story  high ;  and  the  people  free  negroes  &  quadroons.  [*] 
A  few  years  ago  the  levee  many  miles  above  the  city,  being 
neglected,  gave  way.  The  river  spread  through  the  marshy 
forest  and  filled  the  back  streets  where  it  remained  3  or 
4  ft.  deep  for  many  weeks.     On  the   falling  of  the  river 


350  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

the  water  ran  off  &  dried  up,  and  a  most  sickly  season 
followed.  Great  penalties  are  now  attached  to  any  neglect 
in  the  repair  of  the  embankment. 

There  are  two  theaters  in  the  city,  a  french  &  an 
American.  The  former  is  large,  and  handsome  and  in 
every  respect  superior  to  the  latter,  which  has  only  been 
built  three  or  four  years.  But  as  there  is  every  prospect  that 
the  English  Americans  will  daily  encrease  in  numbers,  while 
the  natives  of  other  nations  will  remove,  the  french  theater 
will  be  badly  supported. 

After  the  war  in  France,  and  the  revolution  in  S*.  Do- 
mingo, many  french  families  came  to  this  place ;  but  the 
society  of  the  Americans,  the  Constitution  of  the  States,  and 
the  climate,  have  all  tended  to  drive  as  many  of  them 
away,  as  could  afford  to  remove. 

The  Levee  is  a  place  of  lounge  for  strangers,  and 
it  is  the  common  practice,  to  ramble  from  steam  boat  to 
steam  boat  [*]  The  captains  therefore  have  their  cabins  in 
fine  order,  &  spirits  &  water  at  the  service  of  those  who  come 
on  board  to  admire  their  boats,  I  saw  several  very  large 
boats  superbly  fitted  up.  Among  the  number  were  the  George 
Washington,  Philadelphia,  Feliciana,  Hibernia,  &  Caledonia, 
all  remarkably  swift  boats  and  constructed  on  so  large  a  scale 
as  to  afford  accommodations  which  quite  surprise  a  stranger. 

The  sale  rooms  for  slaves  are  in  the  principal  streets.  & 
open  into  them.  Passing  along  one  day  I  entered  a  room 
round  which  I  saw  about  20  black  men  women  &  children 
seated.  I  quietly  examined  their  countenances,  which  bore 
on  them  a  dull  expression  of  carelessness.  A  middle  aged 
French  lady  was  examining  one  of  the  w^omen  whom  she 
made  stand  up  and  turn  round.  She  then  looked  at  her 
hands,  felt  her  arms  &  shoulders,  and  asked  her  if  she  could 
wash,  sew  &  cook.  The  seller  was  a  tall  stout  well  dressed 
American.  He  was  in  conversation  with  two  or  three 
strangers,  to  whom  I  heard  him  say  pointing  to  a  part  of 
the  room  where  three  children  and  two  females  sat ;  you 
shall  have  all  five  for  a  bill  for  1000$  [*]  payable  next 
January.  While  this  bargaining  was  going  on,  some  of  the 
slaves  seemed  to  be  w^ithout  thoughts  or  feelings  on  the 
subject,  while  others  endeavoured  to  appear  to  advantage. 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  J51 

I  was  introduced  to  a  young  man  an  assistant  judge  in 
the  city.  He  was  remarkably  attentive  to  me.  We  walked 
together  about  the  town,  &  crossed  the  river  in  a  ferry  boat 
and  visited  a  sugar  plantation.  I  drank  tea  at  his  house  and 
was  introduced  to  his  wife  &  mother  in  law.  He  likewise 
introduced  me  to  a  captain  of  Engineers  and  some  officers 
of  the  line.  I  once  went  to  a  morning  parade  of  two 
companies  in  the  barrack  yard.  The  men  were  tall,  stout  & 
steady  in  the  ranks.  They  exercised  correctly,  liut  in  every 
movement  I  thought  them  too  slow.  I  learnt  that  the  rest 
of  the  regt.  was  stationed  high  up  the  Mississippi  at  a 
Fort  alx)ve  S*.  Louis.  The  captain  of  the  Engineers,  has 
the  direction  of  Forts  erecting  at  [*]  the  mouth  of  the 
river  and  on  the  shores  of  the  lake.  He  gave  me  a  letter 
of  introduction  to  his  lieutenant  who  superintends  the 
work  constructing  at  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

The  exchange  coffee  house  is  the  principal  resort  of 
the  french.  Here  I  found  newspapers. — There  is  a  great 
fancy  in  most  of  the  cities  &  towns  for  oyster  suppers,  and 
a  traveller  whatever  may  be  his  taste,  can  as  little  avoid 
them  as  the  system  of  grog  drinking. 

I  heard  that  the  Duke  of  Saxe  Weimar  had  been 
living  for  the  last  six  months  in  the  city  at  a  boarding 
house,  and  that  he  was  much  in  French  society.  As  far 
as  I  could  learn,  his  talents  are  not  so  highly  rated 
as  his  genteel  &  social  manners.  From  New  Orleans  he 
intended  going  to  S*.  Louis  &  through  the  Western  States. 

A  gentleman  planter  who  had  served  in  the  militia 
during  the  last  war,  accompanied  [*]  me  in  a  hack  to 
visit  the  famous  lines,  where  the  British  received  a  check. 
As  he  was  on  duty  in  them,  he  explained  the  situation 
completely  to  me.  The  lines  were  about  four  miles 
below  the  city.  The  road  to  them  runs  by  the  side  of 
the  Levee,  the  other  or  left  hand  side  of  the  road  being 
occupied  in  the  front  by  fine  gardens  and  country  houses 
and  in  the  rear  by  plantations  as  far  back  as  the  cypress 
marshy  forest.  The  right  end  of  the  lines  touched  the 
levee  &  was  rounded  into  a  redoubt.  The  left  ran  into  the 
wood  &  marsh.  The  line  was  nearly  straight  and  about  half 
a  mile  long.     It  consisted  of  a  thin  parapet  &  small  ditch  in 


352  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

front,  which  filled  with  water  as  soon  as  cut,  being  in  part 
the  ditch  to  drain  the  land.  The  whole  was  quickly  finished 
by  the  militia  which  General  Jackson  has  [sic]  collected  in 
haste.  These  were  spread  along  in  rear  of  the  lines,  where  they 
were  a  few  [*]  days  previous  to  Sir  Edward  Packenham's 
attack,  and  after  it  until  they  heard  of  his  embarkation,  when 
they  withdrew.  A  few  pieces  of  Artillery  were  placed  at  each 
end,  and  in  a  few  places  along  the  line.  On  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river,  a  work  something  similar  was  raised,  though 
not  so  well  made  or  defended.  It  likewise  extended  from 
the  river  across  a  plantation  to  the  wood  on  the  right,  and 
a  few  men  were  sent  across  the  river  to  man  it. 

The  Americans  were  for  three  or  four  days  quite  at  a 
loss  to  guess  why  they  had  not  been  attacked.  &  the  wild 
backwoodsmen  began  to  think  the  British  feared  their 
rifles.  It  was  in  the  month  of  Janx  and  cold  frosty 
weather,  when  early  one  morning  just  as  the  Eastern  horizon 
was  lighting  up,  the  sentries  placed  a  few  hundred  yards  in 
front  on  the  flat  arable  land,  fired  their  rifles  and  retired.  It 
was  then  perceived  from  [*]  within  the  lines  that  two 
columns  were  advancing,  the  one  column  along  the  borders 
of  the  forest,  and  the  other  from  behind  some  farm 
buildings  under  cover  of  the  river  bank.  The  most  expert 
markmen  were  placed  in  front  on  the  step  in  rear  of  the 
parapet,  while  the  remainder  of  the  militia  stood  below 
prepared  to  load  &  hand  them  rifles  as  fast  as  they  fired. 

As  the  columns  approached  rapidly,  a  fire  of  rifles  and 
field  artillery  was  soon  opened  upon  them,  and  day  throwing 
light  around,  its  destructive  fire  was  distinctly  seen  from  the 
lines.  The  redoubt  on  the  right  was  entered  by  the  British,  but 
they  were  afterwards  driven  back  with  great  loss.  The 
column  on  the  left  advanced  steadily  without  firing,  carrying 
fascines  or  bundles  of  sticks  to  throw  into  the  ditch ;  but 
the  loss  experienced  in  killed  &  wounded  was  so  great  that 
they  could  not  reach  it  in  compact  numbers.  Many  however 
jumped  into  the  ditch,  &  were  shot  [*]  endeavouring  to 
scramble  up  the  parapet ;  while  others  when  they  reached  the 
edge  of  the  ditch  cried  out  for  quarter  &  threw  themselves 
flat  on  the  ground,  where  they  remained  till  the  column 
finally  retired  and  left  them  prisoners. — In  the  mean  time 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  353 

success  had  attended  another  part  of  the  British  forces, 
which  had  crossed  the  river  in  boats,  and  taken  the  lines 
on  the  right  bank,  where  they  awaited  orders  to  advance. 

But  the  loss  sustained  by  the  British  induced  them  to 
retire  after  burying  the  dead. 

General  Jackson  had  experienced  some  want  of  zeal  or 
suspected  as  much  &  inclination  among  the  inhabitants  of 
New  Orleans  to  aid  him  in  his  defensive  arrangements.  This 
induced  him  to  declare  martial  law  in  the  place  and  enforce 
the  daily  attendance  at  parade  [*]  in  the  city  of  every 
inhabitant  bound  by  the  terms  of  the  militia  law. — Several 
persons  who  absented  themselves  were  brought  into  the 
ranks  by  files  of  soldiers.  The  rich  &  proud  planters 
did  not  much  relish  thus  being  compelled  to  drill  in  the 
ranks  with  all  sorts  of  people :  and  a  strong  feeling  of 
dislike  was  felt  towards  General  Jackson  whose  conduct 
was  characterized  as  being  extremely  arbitrary.  All  would 
however  have  terminated  to  his  satisfaction,  had  martial 
law  ceased  the  moment  it  was  known  that  the  British 
had  embarked ;  but  the  General  by  continuing  it  a  few 
days  longer  induced  his  enimies  to  bring  an  action  against 
him.  in  the  U.  States  Court,  and  he  was  cast  in  damages 
which  the  people  offered  to  pay  but  he  refused  to  al- 
low.— The  wounded  men  were  brought  into  the  city.  The 
officers  were  invited  out.  as  soon  as  they  began  to 
recover  from  their  wounds :  but  as  the  warm  weather 
had  commenced,  and  a  vessel  lay  in  the  river  waiting 
for  them,  they  quitted  the  scene  of  their  disaster  as 
soon   as   all   could   with   safety    [*]    be   carried   on   board. 

As  I  could  not  find  any  vessel  bound  direct  to  Charleston. 
the  trade  of  these  two  places  being  very  similar.  I  determined 
to  go  by  the  way  of  Havana,  with  which  place  a  considerable 
trade  is  carried  on. — Mr.  [MS  blank]  got  me  a  letter  to 
Messrs.  Castillo  &  Black.  &  M^.  Brock  gave  me  one  to  Colin 
Mitchel.  As  I  was  advised  to  get  a  passport.  I  called  on 
the  Spanish  consul,  who  asked  my  name  &  that  of  the 
vessel  I  was  to  go  in.  Not  having  quite  decided.  I  left 
my  name  and  went  away  to  make  enquiries  for  the  one 
which  would  first  leave  the  port.  On  my  return  the 
consul  inserted  the  name  of  the  vessel  (  Brig  William)  &  I 


354  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

signed  the  passport  printed  in  Spanish  which  was  already 
filled  up,  without  reading  it.  I  afterwards  found  that 
I  was  described  as  a  native  of  the  United  States,  which 
error  though  it  did  not  appear  to  me  at  first  of  any 
consequence,  induced  [*]  me  while  in  Havana  to  be  very 
cautious  not  to  attract  the  slightest  notice,  people's  minds 
being  in  such  a  state  of  distrust  and  suspense. 
1826  March  24th.  I  left  New  Orleans  on  the  evening  of  the  24th.  in  the 

Friday  brig   William,   Capt".    Crowell,   and  in  company   with   the 

New  York  packet  ship  Talma,  &  a  french  merchant  ship;  we 
were  towed  down  the  river  by  a  steamboat. — At  daylight  in 
the  morning  we  were  near  the  mouth  [of]  the  river,  which 
divides  into  two  or  three  narrow  channels  between  sand 
banks  where  vessels  are  often  wrecked  or  injured.  [About 
150  miles  up  the  river  there  is  another  channel  at  a  bend  of 
the  river,  which  runs  into  a  large  lake  to  the  South  West  & 
thence  into  the  gulf.]  The  land  around  is  flat  marshy  & 
covered  with  long  grass  &  bushes.  On  the  right  bank  is  a 
small  settlement  where  the  pilots  reside.  The  buildings  are 
of  wood  supported  above  the  water  by  strong  piles.  Some 
years  since  the  buildings  at  this  [*]  place  were  washed  away 
during  a  hurricane,  which  drove  the  sea  in.  This  port  is 
called  the  Balise,  the  name  given  to  bouyes  which  mark  the 
channel. — As  the  wind  was  fair,  and  we  set  sail  as  soon  as  a 
pilot  came  on  board  &  the  tow-rope  was  thrown  off,  I  could  not 
go  on  shore  to  deliver  to  the  Lieutenant  the  letter  of  intro- 
duction from  his  captain  &  see  the  sight  of  the  intended  fort. 
On  board  the  brig  were  four  Spaniards,  one  Italian 
of  the  name  of  Philippe,  a  Mf,  Aldridge,  a  New  England 
trader,  a  gentleman  going  to  Key  West,  a  station  at  the 
southern  extremity  of  Florida,  Captain  Chase  going  to 
take  command  of  a  merchant  ship  lying  in  the  bay  of 
Havana,  and  a  Kentuckian  who  had  the  deck  covered  with 
150  fat  hogs,  which  he  was  taking  to  market.  Planks  had 
been  lashed  across  from  bulwark  to  bulwark,  and  these 
served  as  a  temporary  deck  to  walk  over  the  hogs. — Let 
no  one,  [*]  if  he  can  help  it  go  in  a  vessel  that  has  hogs  on 
board.  Their  grunting,  fighting,  &  stench  are  abomi- 
nable.— As  too  small  a  quantity  of  water  had  been  put  on 
board    for    them,    thev   were    two    or    three    days    without 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  355 

drinking.  This  made  them  extremely  savage,  they  rioted 
day  &  night,  &  frequently  destroyed  one  another.  About  20 
were  thrown  overboard  dead. — The  Italian  had  some 
hundred  hogsheads  of  tobacco  on  board.  I  asked  him  how- 
he  could  gain  by  taking  tobacco  to  Havana.  He  replied 
that  more  tobacco  came  from  Havana  than  grew  in  it,  and 
that  it  was  a  practise  to  mix  together  the  tobacco  of 
America  &  Cuba. — The  Spaniards  seemed  not  disposed  to 
let  out  their  real  sentiments,  but  I  could  see  that  they  were 
republicans,  though  inhabitants  of  Havana.  [The  distance 
from  the  baHse  or  mouth  of  Mississippi  to  Havana  is 
between  5  &  600  miles.]  The  wind  remained  fair  the  three 
first  days  that  we  were  out,  but  light.  It  afterwards  blew 
fresh  from  the  East  &  south  east.  The  fifth  day  we  made 
the  Tortugas,  small  low  islands  near  Cape  Florida  with  a 
lighthouse  on  one  of  them.  The  following  [*]  day  the  wind  Friday  316*. 
changed  to  the  west  and  we  crossed  over  the  gulph  stream.  ^*arch 
On  Friday  morning  at  day  break  we  made  Cuba,  a  few  miles 
east  of  Havana  and  just  succeeded  against  the  stream  in 
tacking  into  the  harbour  about  9  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
The  country  appeared  hilly  &  covered  with  low  woods. 
In  the  distance  I  saw  the  peaks  of  mountains,  quite  a  novel 
sight  to  an  eye  long  accustomed  to  the  flats  &  marshes 
of  the  Western  country  &  Mississippi.  An  old  castle  stood 
near  the  water's  edge,  which  reminded  me  of  the  Old 
World,  and  intimated  that  I  was  approaching  some  of  its 
dependent  settlements. — The  entrance  of  the  harbour  is 
narrow.  On  the  left  project  high  rocks  against  which  the 
ocean  breaks.  Their  smaller  crevices  are  filled  with 
masonry,  and  the  whole  mass  supports  a  solidly  built  fort 
called  the  Moro  Castle.  From  this  signals  are  made,  and  all 
vessels  hailed  as  they  go  in  or  out  of  the  harbour.  The 
castle  is  connected  by  a  line  of  [*]  fortifications  to  a  large 
work  called  the  Cabafias,  which  stands  on  the  ground  which 
rises  immediately  behind  the  castle,  looking  down  upon  the 
harbour  &  the  town.  Beyond  this  work  towards  the  east 
Is  a  redoubt,  built  to  occupy  in  advance  the  ridge  of  land  on 
which  the  Cabanas  is  built  and  by  which  it  &  the  Castle 
might  be  approached.  [In  the  Moro  Castle  there  are 
dungeons  in  which  some  state  prisoners  are  confined.     An 


356  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

underground  communication  is  said  to  exist  between  this 
work,  &  the  Cabanas.  So  great  is  the  mystery  kept  up 
respecting  the  works  of  defence,  that  I  have  heard  some  of 
the  natives  maintain  that  there  is  a  communication  from 
the  town  to  the  Cabaiias  under  the  harbour!  Should  such 
be  the  case,  the  Thames  Tunnel  would  be  a  bagatelle 
compared  to  it.]  Entering  the  harbour  the  bank  on  the  left 
is  steep  up  to  the  outworks  &  walls  of  the  Cabanas.  On  the 
right  is  a  sandy  beach  with  reefs  of  rocks,  on  which  stand 
a  Fort.  Passing  in  you  come  to  the  town  on  the  right  of 
the  bay  which  spreads  into  a  fine  sheet  of  water  two  miles 
broad.  The  wharves  are  of  wood,  and  defended  by  the 
batteries  on  the  town  walls  behind  them.  Vessels  of  war  & 
trade  from  many  nations  lie  here  in  crowds.  At  the  time  of 
our  arrival  there  were  English,  American,  Spanish  &  French 
men  of  war  in  the  bay,  and  merchant  vessels  from  America 
&  all  parts  of  Europe. — The  bay  is  surrounded  [*]  by  an 
amphitheater  of  hills  adorned  by  plantations,  woods,  &  scat- 
tered Palm  trees.  The  town  is  enclosed  within  strong  forti- 
fications, and  on  a  rising  ground  about  two  miles  to  the 
west  of  it,  stands  conspicuously  a  large  &  strong  fort.  The 
subburbs  are  extensive,  having  fine  gardens,  full  of  the  rich 
vegetation  of  a  tropical  climate;  for  Plavana  is  just  within 
the  tropics,  being  in  about  22° -30  north  lat<Je. 

We  anchored  about  the  middle  of  the  harbour  between 
the  wharves  and  the  high  works  of  the  Cabanas.  Soon 
after  the  Captain  of  the  Port,  a  tall  swarthy  Spaniard, 
came  on  board.  Our  passports  were  collected  &  the  brig's 
bill  of  lading,  and  after  posting  a  sentry  on  the  deck 
he  left  us.  I  now  learnt  that  I  could  not  get  on  shore 
without  a  permit  from  the  Governor  which  would  be 
given  to  any  respectable  inhabitant  that  might  become 
security  for  my  good  conduct  while  in  the  island.  This 
unexpected  news  embarrassed  me  [*]  considerably  at 
first;  but  as  several  strangers  &  merchants  clerks  came  on 
board,  to  whom  the  other  passengers  were  entrusting  their 
letters,  I  gave  notice  to  a  clerk  of  Messrs.  Castillo  &  Black 
that  I  had  a  letter  for  them  and  begged  they  would  get  me 
a  permit  to  land.  This  request  they  very  kindly  complied 
with  immediately,  &  I  got  on  shore  about  2  o'clock  in  the 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  357 

afternoon  taking  a  few  articles  in  my  pockets.  I  put  up 
at  a  boarding  house  kept  by  a  M^s.  Howard,  overlooking 
part  of  the  Harbour,  exposed  to  the  sea  breeze  and  in  a 
short  street  near  the  square  in  which  the  Governor's  palace 
stands. — The  boarders  were  American  &  English  traders  & 
sea  captains.  They  were  just  sitting  down  to  table  when 
I  got  in.  I  seated  myself  by  the  side  of  Capt".  Forbes 
from  New  York,  who  commands  a  fine  merchant  ship  the 
Fabius,  which  had  just  completed  taking  in  cargo  for  Cadiz. 
He  introduced  me  to  several  gentlemen  at  table,  and  after 
dinner  took  me  to  the  coffee  house  on  the  Square,  &  on 
board  his  ship. — Some  of  my  fellow  passengers  put  up 
at  [*]  the  same  house,  so  that  between  these  acquaintances 
and  the  persons  to  whom  Capt".  Forbes  introduced  [me]  I 
always  had  a  companion  with  whom  either  to  sit  or  make 
excursions  about  the  place.  I  delivered  my  letters  to  Colin 
Mitchel  &  Castillo  &  Black,  and  had  invitations  from  them 
to  dinner.  [The  day  after  my  landing  I  got  a  permit  to 
land  my  baggage,  which  was  only  slightly  inspected  as  I 
passed  the  custom  house  at  the  door  of  which  the  porter 
stopped  his  cart.] 

During  my  stay  in  Havana  which  was  only  a  fort- 
night, the  weather  was  very  fine.  A  few  scattered  clouds 
occasionally  appeared  &  one  forenoon  there  were  some  slight 
showers.  The  mornings  were  quite  calm,  close  &  oppressive 
till  9  or  lo  o'clock,  then  an  Easterly  breeze  sprang  up  with 
sea  breezes  which  were  delightfully  refreshing,  and  the 
evenings  were  tolerably  cool.  The  therf.  ranged  from  78° 
to  84°.  One  morning  very  early  I  took  a  boat  &  went  to 
bathe  under  the  rocks  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbour,  but 
I  found  the  water  so  much  warmer  than  I  had  anticipated 
that  I  did  not  repeat  it. — The  natives  however  had  not  yet 
commenced  seabathing,  the  water  being  still  too  cold  for 
them,  and  I  was  told  that  it  was  considered  unhealthy 
at  this  season. 

The  commerce  of  this  place  is  very  considerable,  exchang- 
ing the  fruits  of  the  island  &  coffee  &  sugar  &  tobacco  for 
provissions  &  manufactured  [*]  goods.  The  wharves  are  so 
crowded  with  vessels,  that  they  are  obliged  to  load  &  unload 
over  the  bows,  and  you  can  hardly  pass  along  for  the  piles 


358  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

of  goods  &  carts  passing  &  repassing. — The  population  I 
heard  estimated  at  from  130  to  140,000,  half  white  &  half 
coloured  persons  the  greater  portion  of  whom  are  slaves. 
This  calculation  is  by  no  means  certain  as  so  much  secrecy 
prevails  relative  to  all  general  information ;  but  although  the 
town  within  the  works  does  not  cover  a  great  space,  yet  as 
the  streets  are  extremely  narrow,  the  suburbs,  extensive,  and 
as  the  coloured  people  particularly  live  crowded  together,  the 
above  estimate  may  possibly  be  within  bounds. 

Several  Spanish  regts,  are  here  in  garrison,  and 
barracks  are  seen  in  all  parts  of  the  town.  The  sound 
of  drums  &  trumpets,  the  parades,  the  armed  parties 
marching  from  post  to  post,  the  sentries  at  the  gates,  the 
salutes  &  morning  &  evening  guns  from  the  men  of  war  in 
the  bay,  and  the  military  costume  seen  in  every  street,  were 
numerous  &  striking  contrasts  to  the  sounds  &  objects  in 
the  cities  &  towns  of  the  United  States,  and  after  a  long 
lapse  of  time,  my  memory  again  vividly  represented  to  me 
many    [*]   of  the   former  scenes  of  my  changeful   life. — 

Having  so  suddenly  changed  from  the  cold  of  the 
northern  parts  of  the  Western  country,  to  the  close  atmos- 
phere of  Louisiana  &  the  hot  sun  of  Cuba,  I  felt  much 
overcome  &  exhausted ;  but  as  it  was  my  intention  to  sail  in 
the  first  Charleston  vessel,  I  lost  no  time  in  looking  around 
me.  I  had  been  for  some  time  brushing  up  my  Spanish,  and 
I  now  found  it  very  agreeable  as  well  as  convenient  to  be  able 
to  converse  with  the  natives.  The  heat,  however,  deterred 
me,  as  well  as  my  short  stay,  from  seeking  society;  but  I 
visited  the  churches,  the  Treasury,  theater,  and  lounged 
through  the  streets  &  shops,  observing  the  manners  &  cus- 
toms of  the  place. — The  houses  are,  with  few  exceptions,  of 
stone,  whitewashed,  &  sometimes  painted.  The  ground  floor 
is  for  shops  &  stores,  and  the  upper  one  with  balconies 
serves  for  the  dwelling  appartments.  [There  are  however 
several  exceptions  to  this  arrangement,  and  in  some  streets 
there  are  many  private  houses  the  parlours  &  sitting  rooms 
being  on  the  ground  floor.]  All  the  windows  and  doors  are 
large,  the  former  having  iron  bars  and  shutters  to  protect 
them.  Except  the  busy  merchants  &  the  slaves,  few  inhabi- 
tants are  seen  in  the  streets  or  windows  except  [*]  very  early 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  359 

in  the  morning  or  at  sunset,  when  the  ladies  either  sit  in 
their  windows,  or  drive  out  in  their  volantes,  sometimes 
accompanied  by  the  gentlemen,  who  however,  for  the  most 
part,  walk  out  with  one  another,  or  drink,  smoke,  play  at 
billiards  or  gamble  in  the  coffee  houses.  [The  volanty  is 
a  sort  of  gig  with  a  cover  to  it.  The  wheels  are  extremely 
high,  and  the  shafts  long.  The  body  of  the  gig  hangs  in 
front  of  the  wheels,  and  the  driver  dressed  in  a  gaudy  attire 
with  extremely  large  &  curiously  shaped  jack  boots  &  spurs 
sits  on  the  horse.  The  front  of  the  gig  is  hidden  by  a  piece 
of  grey  or  blue  cloth  stretched  tight,  and  fastened  from  the 
foot  board  to  the  top.  But  the  sides  are  quite  open  and 
expose  the  ladies  to  view  from  head  to  foot.  They  therefore 
are  very  particular  in  their  dress,  wearing  fine  white  muslin 
dresses,  their  heads  finely  curled  &  ornamented  with  combs 
(hats  or  caps  being  entirely  prohibited)  and  their  feet  and 
ancles,  whose  smallness  &  neat  shape  they  are  proud  to 
display,  are  dressed  out  with  beautiful  shoes  &  stockings.] 
The  forti[fi] cations  of  the  town  consist  of  large  ram- 
parts with  bastions  &  broad  dry  ditches  through  which  run  a 
small  stream  ready  to  lay  them  at  any  time  under  water.  The 
scarps  are  of  masonry  from  30  to  40  ft.  high.  There  are 
five  gates  to  go  out  to  the  suburbs.  Two  of  the  gateways 
they  were  rebuilding;  but  the  works  in  general  appeared  dirty 
and  neglected.  The  arsenal  is  on  the  left  by  the  side  of  the 
bay  and  without  the  town  wall.  Beyond  it  on  a  knoll 
projecting  into  the  bay  stands  a  fort. — The  Paseo  or  public 
drive,  is  without  the  wall  and  near  a  large  circular  building 
of  wood,  for  bull  fights.  On  Sundays  &  festival  days,  a 
short  time  before  dark,  should  the  weather  be  fine,  the 
paseo  [*]  is  seen  crowded  with  volantes  driving  up  and 
down  in  regular  succession,  filled  with  ladies  in  their  evening 
dresses.  A  few  dragoons  are  stationed  along  the  middle 
of  the  drive,  to  prevent  one  volante  passing  another  or 
crossing  the  road,  at  each  end  of  which  there  is  a  semi  circle 
round  which  all  must  pass  in  turn.  The  side  walks  are 
occupied  by  the  gentlemen,  who  assemble  like  the  ladies 
purposely  to  look  &  be  looked  at.  Though  such  is  the 
motive  which  usually  brings  people  to  assemblies,  walks  & 
drives,  yet  the  Pa.seo  at  Havana  is  remarkable  as  being  a 


360  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

formal  display  in  public,  the  purpose  of  which  the  very 
arrangement  plainly  declares.  [As  soon  as  it  is  quite 
dark,  the  ladies  return  home  or  visit  their  friends.  Sometimes 
they  continue  for  an  hour  or  two  driving  through  the  dif- 
ferent streets.  The  streets  are  so  narrow  and  the  shafts  of 
the  volantes  so  long  that  in  order  to  turn  they  are  frequently 
obliged  to  go  as  far  as  the  crossing  of  streets.  All  the 
doors  &  windows  being  large,  a  person  standing  in  the 
streets  is  generally  able  to  see  into  every  room  on  the  ground 
floor,  and  small  groups  of  ladies  &  gentlemen  may  be  seen 
through  the  open  windows  sitting  in  conversation  on  low  & 
easy  chairs  &  sofas — This  mode  of  life  &  form  of  society 
may  be  supposed  to  arise  from  the  jealous  character  of  the 
Spaniard,  throwing  social  meetings  into  public  view ;  and 
yet  such  an  arrangement  really  affords  many  unsuspected 
opportunities  for  intrigues.] 

There  are  a  great  many  churches  &  convents,  in 
Havana,  but  at  the  time  of  the  last  revolution  in  Spain, 
when  the  liberals  were  in  power,  the  convents  were  for 
the  most  part  shut  up ;  since  which  time  it  has  not  been 
judged  politic  to  place  them  on  their  former  footing.  Some 
are,  therefore  empty,  &  some  occupied  as  barracks.  I  saw 
very  few  monks  or  priests  of  any  kind.  [*]  There  are 
certain  hours  in  the  day  for  performing  mass  in  the  different 
churches,  when  the  doors  are  open.  Then  such  as  feel 
inclined,  go  in  and  hear  it.  I  attended  frequently  in  various 
parts  of  the  town,  but  seldom  saw  many  persons  assembled 
together.  Perhaps  this  apparent  remissness  is  owing  to 
the  number  of  churches,  &  the  frequency  of  performing 
mass. — Two  daily  gazettes  or  newspapers  are  published,  but 
they  are  small  sheets  and  never  contain  any  public  informa- 
tion. The  Royal  Library  is  a  small  collection  of  books,  in 
paltry  book  cases  in  two  small  dark  rooms  in  one  of  the 
convents.  There  is  no  reading  room  in  the  city,  and 
except  from  strangers  and  a  few  scattered  newspapers  left 
occasionally  by  the  sea  captains  in  the  merchant's  coffee 
room,  no  news  can  be  learnt.  There  are  however  several 
book  stores  in  the  city,  but  all  the  books  are  very  dear. — Talk 
to  a  Spaniard,  and  he  will  tell  you  that  there  are  at  least 
7000  troops  in  Havana,  &  as  many  more  in  the  island ;  and 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  361 

that  20,000  are  on  their  way  from  Spain,  to  reconquer 
Mexico.  But  as  far  as  my  observation  went,  the  force 
and  [*]  the  quality  of  it  was  greatly  overrated.  One  regt. 
called  the  Fixed  regt.  of  Havana  (meaning  it  to  consist 
of  inhabitants  who  could  not  be  sent  from  home,)  said  to 
be  1000  strong,  I  was  informed  by  one  of  the  privates 
consisted  of  no  more  than  from  3  to  400  men,  many  of 
whom  were  foreigners.  In  consequence  of  the  Royal 
Government  &  the  great  number  of  military  men,  as  well 
as  persons  in  civil  situations  under  government,  the  manners 
and  customs  of  Havana,  are  very  similar  to  those  in  the 
South  of  Spain  &  Cadiz,  and  though  the  natives  (Cubenos,) 
boast  of  their  fine  island,  yet  they  imitate  closely  the  old 
Spaniard  in  almost  everything. — The  bishop  of  Havana 
had  a  country  house  &  garden  about  a  league  south  of  the 
city.  This  residence  was  kept  in  good  order,  and  made  a  sort 
of  shew.  The  expense  of  it,  however,  was  beyond  his  means 
after  the  change  made  in  the  church  establishment  &  he  sold 
it.  It  is  now  much  out  of  order,  and  except  for  the  novelty 
of  the  vegetation,  scarcely  worthy  of  a  stranger's  notice.  I 
however  went  in  a  volante  to  see  it.  and  was  much  pleased 
with  the  picturesque  [*]  appearance  of  the  country,  every 
where  around  rich  in  soil,  and  highly  cultivated. 

Having  been  very  intimate  while  at  Cadiz,  with  one 
of  the  Cuba  members  of  the  Cortes  which  drew  up  the 
Constitution,  I  made  several  enquiries  for  him.  I  learnt  that 
his  family  resided  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Principe,  a  fine 
city  in  the  center  &  the  capital  of  the  island;  but  that  they 
were  at  present  under  a  cloud  in  consequence  of  their 
republican  sentiments.  Two  of  their  friends  or  relatives 
had  just  been  shot  for  holding  secret  correspondence  with  the 
Columbians.  I  therefore  judged  it  prudent  not  to  make  any 
further  inquiries  about  my  old  acquaintance,  particularly 
as  I  had  no  intention  of  travelling  into  the  country. 

Steam  navigation  will  hereafter  be  of  great  service  to 
this  island  which  is  several  hundred  miles  in  length  and 
very  narrow ;  and  as  it  is  under  the  influence  of  the  trade 
winds,  &  subject  to  a  [*]  great  many  calms  on  its  southern 
side.  At  present  there  are  two  running  continually  from 
Havana  to  Matanzas,  which  is  the  resort  of  many  Americans 


362  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

from  the  southern  states,  being  considered  a  fine  dimate. 

In  the  interior  of  the  island  there  are  mountain  ridges, 
and  many  l>eautiful  &  fertile  vallies  which  are  said  to  be 
well  peopled  and  very  healthy.  An  opinion  prevails  in 
Europe  that  white  people  cannot  work  under  a  hot  sun 
so  well  as  negroes ;  but  I  have  been  told  that  in  the  interior 
of  Cuba,  many  farmers  from  Europe  work  in  company 
with  their  slaves  and  are  found  to  be  more  robust,  to  labour 
better,  and  to  enjoy  better  health  than  their  slaves.  The 
country  society  is  said  to  be  very  agreeable,  and  the  proprie- 
tors very  hospitable.  A  European  of  education  does  not  find 
it  difficult  to  get  married  to  the  daughter  of  a  rich  proprietor 
who  will  secure  a  rich  dowry  in  lands,  houses  &  stock  to 
his  daughter,  provided  the  stranger  will  engage  to  live  on  his 
property.  So  [*]  attached  are  the  females  to  their  homes, 
that  they  will  not  accept  a  foreigner's  offers  unless  they 
agree  to  adopt  as  their  own  the  native  country  of  their  brides. 

The  population  of  the  island  is  said  to  be  nearly  divided 
equally  into  white  &  coloured  persons.  The  native  white 
people  are  for  the  most  part  inclined  to  separate  from 
Spain,  but  as  Spanish  troops  are  spread  over  the  island,  they 
fear,  should  they  attempt  a  revolution,  that  the  slaves  would 
rise  and  destroy  them.  Thus  it  is  that  with  the  terrible 
example  of  S*.  Domingo  close  to  them,  they  remain  apparently 
reconciled  to  the  imbecile  proceedings  of  one  of  the  worst 
colonial  governments  on  earth. 

A  British  commissioner  resides  in  the  city  of  Havana,  for 
the- purpose  of  securing  the  fulfilment  of  the  treaty  relative 
to  the  emancipation  [*]  of  the  slaves.  But  it  is  strongly 
rumoured  that  vessels,  belonging  to  wealthy  &  influencial 
inhabitants,  are  continually  bringing  African  slaves  into 
different  ports  in  the  island.  A  late  representation  on  this 
subject  was  made  by  M^.  Canning  to  the  Spanish  minister, 
and  while  I  was  in  Havana,  I  read  a  royal  decree  from 
Madrid,  published  in  the  Cuba  Papers.  Among  other 
provissions,  was  one  offering  freedom  to  any  slave  who 
should  come  forward  and  declare  that  he  had  been  brought 
as  a  slave  from  Africa  into  the  island,  after  the  date  of  this 
decree.  But  it  was  thought  by  those  persons  with  whom 
I  conversed  on  the  subject,  that  this  decree  would  be  a  dead 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  363 

letter;  and  considering  the  fear,  ignorance  &  confinement 
of  the  slaves,  and  the  prejudice  imbibed  from  infancy  by  all 
classes,  that  the  negroe  is  little  better  than  a  monkey,  I  am 
much  inclined  to  be  of  the  same  opinion. — If  we  except  the 
experiment  [*]  now  making  by  Miss  Wright  &  her  friends 
in  the  U.  States,  which  may  possibly  miscarry  should  no 
good  men  of  business  be  engaged  to  make  the  slave  labour 
profitable,  I  have  not  seen  or  heard  of  any  proper  steps  being 
taken  to  secure  liberty  to  the  emancipated  negroes,  when 
they  obtain  it,  or  fit  them  duly  to  apretiate  or  enjoy  it. — In 
Louisiana  where  there  is  a  law  prohibiting  the  marriage 
of  white  with  coloured  persons,  I  have  seen  some  of  the 
latter  (who  are  called  quadroons)  whiter  even  than  the 
whites,  and  yet  these  persons  run  the  risk  if  they  travel,  to 
be  kidnapped,  and  though  they  have  become  free,  cease  to 
be  so  on  entering  some  of  the  slave  states. — Education 
which  is  carefully  kept  from  the  negroes,  would  fit  them  for 
freedom,  and  give  them  the  power  both  to  procure  it  and 
to  secure  it  to  themselves  when  once  obtained. 

Silver  has  become  very  scarce  in  Havana.  I  had  to  give 
above  half  a  dollar  to  [*]  get  a  dubloon  (17$  in  Cuba  &  16$ 
in  the  U.  States)  changed.  In  New  Orleans  I  was  given 
several  Mexican  dollars,  but  these  few  persons  would 
take,  as  the  government  are  jealous  of  the  circulation  of 
a  coin  with  the  cap  of  liberty  upon  it.  But  the  scarcity 
of  the  old  coin  &  the  poverty  of  the  Spanish  mint  will 
doubtless,  soon  force  the  new  Mexican  coins  into  circulation 
here  as  it  is  doing  throughout  the  U.  States. 

Once  a  week  about  8  o'clock  in  the  evening,  a  band  of 
music  plays  on  the  square  near  the  governor's  palace ;  then 
the  ladies  may  be  seen  sitting  on  the  benches  in  the  open 
air,  and  enjoying  the  close  &  inquisitive  observation  of  the 
gentlemen.  [The  soldiers  are  for  the  most  part  young 
men.  Their  countenances  give  no  sign  of  minds  impregnated 
with  any  firm  or  moral  principles.  Their  discipline  appears 
loose,  &  they  seem  not  to  possess  that  military  spirit,  which 
serves  to  render  men  steady  in  the  ranks  and  to  give  precision 
to  their  movements.  But  they  are  better  than  their  officers 
who  appear  ignorant  of  the  military  character  &  unfit  to 
discipline  their  men.    They  seem  always  to  be  either  listening 


364  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

to  the  music  of  the  band,  looking  at  the  surrounding 
spectators,  or  thinking  of  their  own  dress,  in  place  of 
attending  to  the  movements  of  the  privates.] 

At  the  time  when  the  Spaniards  made  their  first 
settlements  in  the  New  World,  they  still  retained  in  great 
force  many  Moorish  habits  &  customs.  On  first  entering 
Havana,  I  was  struck  with  this  fact;  &  as  colonies  seem 
to  [*]  change  their  habits  more  slowly  than  the  mother 
countries,  I  remarked  that  I  had  not  seen,  in  Old  Spain,  any 
town  so  like  in  external  appearance  a  Moorish  city,  as  Havana. 

The  foreign  merchants  are  generally  more  wealthy  & 
active  than  those  of  Havana.  Colin  Mitchell's  house  is 
considered  one  of  the  first,  and  as  he  has  now  resided  so 
long  in  the  place  as  to  be  almost  like  a  native,  he  is  always 
consulted  on  commercial  matters. — It  is  very  expensive 
living  here.  I  paid  2  1/2$  a  day,  and  was  accommodated 
in  a  very  indifferent  manner.  The  expense  of  governing 
a  people  by  force  occasions  an  oppressive  taxation,  which 
is  wasted  in  the  support  of  persons  in  office,  almost  all  of 
whom  are  open  to  the  lowest  description  of  corruption  & 
bribery.  Every  person,  any  way  connected  with  government 
is  looking  out  for  bribes  to  neglect  whatever  duty  he  is 
called  upon  to  perform  [*]  and  if  you  observe,  he  has 
his  hands  &  eyes  always  on  the  watch  for  what  they  can 
catch.  A  gentleman  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  met  me  one 
day  in  the  street;  "this  paper,  said  he,  "has  just  cost  me  three 
"dubloons ;  it  is  a  decree  that  I  have  been  buying.  Bribery 
"will  do  any  thing  here." 

In  every  street  may  be  seen  one  or  two  tobacco  shops, 
where  3  or  4  or  more  men  and  boys  sit  rolling  up  segars.  A 
dozen  good  ones  may  be  bought  for  sixpence  or  less,  &  every 
body,  men  women  &  children,  may  be  seen  smoking.  As 
a  stranger  I  sometimes  stopped  at  a  window,  and  asked 
some  stranger's  question  of  the  ladies  sitting  at  it,  and  I 
have  seen  a  young  lady  while  listening  to  my  enquiries, 
puffing  away  with  her  segar. 

There  is  a  real  polish  and  sociability  among  these 
people,  that  led  me  to  think,  spite  of  their  ignorance  &  vices, 
their  company  attractive,  &  agreeable.  The  Spaniards  are 
social  but  passionate.     They  live  in  much  more  familiarity 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  365 

with  their  slaves  than  the  Americans  [*]  and  at  first  sight 
seem  to  treat  them  well ;  but  they  are  unsteady  in  their 
behaviour,  &  will  occasionally  lose  their  temper  &  abuse  & 
beat  them  like  dogs. — I  have  frequently  heard  it  said  that 
Scotchmen  are  tyrannical  to  their  slaves;  &  I  think  I  have 
myself  remarked  that  when  once  a  European  becomes 
accustomed  to  have  slave  servants,  he  likewise  becomes  hard 
hearted  towards  them ;  he  loses  the  feelings  natural  between 
one  human  being  &  another,  which  is  not  &  cannot  be 
replaced  by  that  Domestic  habit  which  the  native  of  a 
slave  country  has  in  his  conduct  with  his  coloured  people. 

[One  forenoon  I  crossed  the  harbour  in  a  boat  &  landing 
under  the  Cabafias  ascended  the  steep  &  rocky  bank  by  a 
winding  path  and  entered  the  main  ditch  of  that  Fortification 
which  may  be  called  the  citadel.  A  great  part  of  it  is 
cut  in  the  solid  rock.  The  scarps  are  of  a  formidable 
height  &  part(l)y  formed  of  rock.  I  got  as  far  as  the 
underground  entrance  in  the  middle  of  the  curtain  of  the 
Eastern  front,  when  a  sentry  stopped  me.  Perhaps  I  might 
have  continued  my  rambles  with  the  aid  of  some  silver,  but 
avoiding  the  contagion  I  was  contended  to  pass  out  upon  the 
glacis  by  another  route.  There  are  few  guns  mounted,  and 
I  should  judge  that  all  the  works  are  in  a  rather  neglected 
state.  But  they  are  on  a  comprehensive  scale  &  no  expense 
seems  to  have  be  (en)  spared  in  their  original  construction. 

It  is  a  frequent  topic  of  conversation  among  the  Ameri- 
cans, whether  Cuba  can  remain  a  Spanish  colony,  or  become 
independent ;  or  whether  it  be  the  secret  wish  of  the  British 
government  to  obtain  possession  of  it.  In  the  hands  of 
Great  Britain  it  would  no  doubt  be  a  powerful  check  upon 
the  commerce  of  the  Southern  States,  &  therefore  no  wonder 
that  fear  should  suggest  the  possibility  of  such  a  change ;  but 
the  attempts  made  lately  in  congress  by  Mf.  Webster  to  prove 
that  Spain  has  no  right  to  sell  or  cede  the  island  to  Great 
Britain,  is  absurd.  The  U.  States  government  purchased 
Louisiana  of  the  French  &  the  Spanish  government  ceded 
Florida  to  them  ;  surely,  then,  there  are  precedents  authorising 
either  the  cession  or  the  sale  of  Cuba.  But  it  would  be  far 
better  (provided  the  island  remain  a  colony.  &  not  become 
independent,)   that  it  should  not  belong  to  England.     The 


366  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

habits  of  the  natives  are  not  to  be  easily  changed,  and  they 
would  in  all  respects  be  disagreeable  to,  &  clash  with  those 
of  England.  The  striking  difference  between  Spaniards  & 
British  appears  of  less  consequence,  while  only  a  few 
travellers  &  commercial  men  associate  with  the  former ;  but 
were  Cuba  under  the  British  government,  the  intercourse 
would  necessarily  greatly  augment,  and  that  in  a  way  the 
most  annoying  to  national  prejudices.  I  know  of  no  two 
nations  more  widely  differing  on  fundamental  principles 
than  England  and  Spain,  and  I  likewise  know  that  an 
Englishman  who  studies  the  Spanish  language  cannot 
converse  in  it,  or  even  understand  a  fourth  part  of  what 
a  Spaniard  says,  until  he  has  learnt  and  been  some  length 
of  time  conversant  with  their  peculiar  ideas  &  modes  of 
thinking.  To  place  then  the  large  &  populous  island  of 
Cuba  under  the  British  rule  would.  I  should  conceive,  be 
the  height  of  misjudgment.  Better  let  it  remain  imder  that 
of  Spain,  than  any  other  foreign  power,  until  its  own  people 
or  its  Southern  brethren  make  it  independent.  Next  to  the 
British,  the  U.  States  are  the  last  that  should  govern  it.  At 
the  present  moment  the  Americans  abuse  the  islanders,  who 
habitually  feeling  their  dissimilarity,  hate  the  Americans.] 
FVtday  14'**.  Having  got  my  passport  indorsed  by  the  governor,  for 

^"  which   I    paid    4$,    I    took   a   passage   on    board    the    brig 

Mary  Capt".  Booth  bound  for  Charleston  and  sailed  from 
Havana  about  10  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  Friday  the 
14th.  April. — The  guard  boat  boarded  us  as  we  passed  and 
e.xamined  our  passports,  [*]  and  we  were  hailed  from  the 
Moro  Castle. — The  weather  was  very  calm  &  hot,  and  we 
were  left  entirely  to  the  influence  of  the  Gulf  stream,  which 
generally  carries  vessels  to  the  N.E.  at  the  rate  of  3  miles 
an  hour.  But  the  strength  of  the  current  is  varied  so  much 
by  the  winds,  that  the  Captain,  who  was  an  old  &  experienced 
hand,  said  that  he  never  could  be  quite  certain  whereabouts 
he  was  while  in  the  current.  We  kept  on  shore  till  the 
evening  breeze  from  the  land  which  soon  carried  out  of  sight 
of  it. — Every  day  we  had  light  bree-^es,  generally  from  the 
East.  We  saw  a  great  number  of  flying  fish  &  dolphins.  The 
flying  fish  are  small  and  have  a  silvery  blue  appearance ;  they 
fly  sometimes  above  a  hundred  yards.     Their  flight  is  very 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  367 

fast,  in  a  straight  direction,  &  just  above  the  surface  of 
the  water.  The  dolphins  pursue  them,  &  devour  a  great 
many — On  Wednesday  (19*^)  forenoon,  we  made  sound- 
ings [*]  and  in  the  afternoon  we  came  in  sight  of  Charleston  Wednesday  rpth. 
light  house  and  the  low  and  woody  shores  of  South  Carolina.  ^P'"''~26. 
A  Pilot  soon  came  on  board,  and  steering  us  over  the  bar 
anchored  us  soon  after  sunset  in  the  bay  &  abreast  of 
Sullivan's  island — the  wind  and  tide  being  against  our 
reaching  the  city  of  Charleston,  which  stands  five  miles  up 
the  bay  on  the  point  of  a  neck  of  land  (between  one  &  two 
miles  wide)   formed  by  the  rivers  Cooper  &  Ashley. 

[The  brig  was  laden  with  coffee  &  sugar,  &  fruit  for 
the  most  part  oranges  &  bananas.  The  banana  looks  &  tastes 
something  like  a  green  fig.  There  was  a  gentleman  with  his 
wife  8z  child  on  board.  He  was  from  North  Carolina  &  had 
been  passing  the  winter  months  at  Matanzas  to  recover  his 
health  after  a  severe  cold  &  fever.  I  generally  slept  on  the 
deck  rolled  up  in  my  cloak,  the  weather  being  calm  &  close,  & 
warnied  by  the  hot  gulf  stream. 

Soon  after  coming  to  anchor  we  were  boarded  by  two 
newspaper  Editors,  anxious  to  get  papers  &  news  from  us.] 

Early  in  the  morning  we  got  under  weigh,  and  got 
alongside  the  wharf  about  six  o'clock.  I  landed  and  went 
to  the  Planters  Hotel,  Mi*.  Calder,  a  Scotchman  who  had 
married  the  sister  of  a  M«*.  Metcalf  who  was  at  the  head 
of  the  Edinburgh  Police.  The  house  is  comfortable,  and 
the  resort  of  many  travellers.  M^s.  Calder  is  a  very 
active  &  clever  woman,  and  is  particularly  kind  &  accom- 
modating to  all  her  [*]  guests.  I  learnt  that  Jones'  in 
Broad  S*.  is  the  resort,  however,  of  the  most  genteel  families 
from  the  country. 

After  breakfast  I  went  to  the  custom  house,  &  got  a 
permit  for  25  cents  to  land  my  baggage.  I  then  called  and 
gave  two  letters  of  introduction,  one  to  Mr.  James  Calder 
from  Mr.  Brock  of  New  Orleans,  &  another  to  Mr.  Edmonston 
from  Messrs.  Castillo  &  Black  of  Havana.  They  are  two  of 
the  principal  merchants  in  the  place.  I  was  introduced  to 
several  other  merchants,  and  in  the  evening  I  went  to  the 
Circus  where  I  saw  a  party  of  Seminole  Indians  from 
Florida.     They  were  highly  delighted  with  the  horseman- 


368  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

ship  &  rope  dancing,  expressing  it  by  smiles  and  observations 
to  one  another  in  a  greater  degree  than  by  accounts  of 
Indian  seriousness  &  taciturnity  I  had  been  led  to  expect.  One 
of  the  [*]  feats  of  the  rope  dancer  was  to  hang  himself  by 
the  neck.  The  chief  of  the  Indians,  who  was  a  prince  among 
them,  on  being  asked  what  he  thought  of  the  exhibition 
replied  that  it  had  pleased  him  very  much  with  the  exception 
of  the  above  feat  which  he  disapproved  of  extremely,  as 
it  was  indecent  for  a  man  to  hang  himself  in  the  presence 
of  his  fellow  beings. 

These  Indians  belong  to  a  tribe  of  about  5000.  The 
Americans  since  they  have  obtained  possession  of  Florida 
wish  to  buy  their  lands,  and  induce  them  to  emigrate  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  as  well  as  the  tribes  bordering  on  the 
State  of  Georgia.  They  are  however  better  satisfied  to 
remain  in  the  land  of  their  forefathers  and  free  from  the 
warlike  tribes  who  would  surround  them  in  the  West.  The 
Prince  and  five  other  chiefs  under  the  guidance  of  an 
American  Colonel,  are  on  their  way  to  Washington  to  settle 
these  points  with  the  government. — The  [*]  next  day  I  went 
with  a  gentleman  to  call  upon  them.  They  occupied  two 
large  rooms  in  an  outbuilding  of  the  Planters'  hotel.  We 
found  them  all  lying  at  their  length  on  carpet  beds  in  the 
same  room.  Some  were  mending  moccasins,  &  others 
various  parts  of  a  motley  dress  of  white  blue  &  red 
cotton.  They  had  coloured  silk  handkerchiefs  tied  round 
their  heads.  Their  skin  was  dark  brown  mixed  with  a 
reddish  cast;  and  it  was  much  tattooed  with  black  &  blue 
liquids.  Their  features  were  large  and  expressive,  and 
their  countenances  expressed  intelligence  shrewdness  &  be- 
nevolence, but  the  lines  in  it  would  lead  a  person  to  suppose 
their  passions  to  be  violent.  The  Prince  appeared  upwards 
of  60,  &  a  very  healthy  and  stout  built  man.  His  manners 
were  easy  but  dignified.  A  [*]  negroe  servant  attended 
them.  The  salutation  was  a  shake  of  the  hand,  and  a  slow 
inclination  of  the  body.  No  conversation  of  any  consequence 
took  place.  The  next  day  they  embarked  on  board  a  vessel  for 
New  York. — Two  other  deputations,  from  the  Cheroquees  & 
Choctaws,  whose  lands  border  on  Georgia  &  Carolina,  are  at 
present  in  Washington. — It  seems  as  if  no  means  had  been 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  369 

discovered  of  fitting  the  Indian  tribes  to  live  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  white  people.  The  increase  of  the  population 
of  the  latter,  and  their  rapid  improvements,  render  such 
neighbours  intolerable,  as  they  interrupt  communications 
by  roads  &  canals,  &  never  advancing  themselves,  seem 
disposed  to  live  with  the  lands  around  in  a  wild  state  of 
nature. — The  [*]  Americans  who  have  had  long  experience 
on  this  subject,  seem  to  be  generally  of  opinion  that  they 
will  gradually  encroach  on  the  Indians,  till  all  within  their 
present  limits  will  be  exterminated  or  driven  by  treaties  of 
some  description  or  other  far  into  the  west.  They  will 
afterwards,  as  the  population  of  America  encreases,  dwindle 
into  nothing.  Such  a  fate  is  a  melancholy  prospect  for  the 
Philanthropists ;  but  it  is  difficult  for  any  one  acquainted  with 
their  character  &  habits  of  life,  to  suppose  it  possible  to  change 
numerous  tribes  of  hunting  Indians  delighting  to  roam  over 
the  wilderness  into  the  peaceable  &  industrious  inhabitants 
of  a  cultivated  country  in  which  even  the  wild  appearances 
of  nature  are  the  effects  of  art.  All  that  can  be  hoped  is 
that  they  may  leave  the  [*]  whites  a  legacy  of  their  virtues 
while  they  carry  with  them  to  the  grave  their  savage  vices. 
The  city  of  Charleston  is  about  a  mile  &  a  half  long,  &  half 
a  mile  wide.  The  streets  are  straight.  Some  of  them  are 
wide,  and  contain  many  good  buildings.  [Very  few  of  the 
streets  are  paved,  and  as  the  soil  is  sandy,  the  town  is  most 
disagreeably  dusty  in  dry  weather.]  There  are  several  large 
churches,  one  of  which  has  a  fine  spire.  In  S*.  Philip's 
church,  the  oldest  in  the  city,  there  is  an  organ  which  was 
played  at  the  coronation  of  George  2^^.  This  city  resembles 
an  English  town  more  than  any  other  which  I  saw  in  the 
U.  States.  The  wharves  are  large  and  convenient  admitting 
large  merchant  vessels  to  lie  alongside.  They  are  built  with 
palmeto,  a  spung}\  disagreeable  smelling  wood,  which  the 
worms  will  not  touch.  The  trade  from  this  place  consists 
in  rice  and  cotton,  which  are  considered  superior  to  any 
in  the  world. — The  rivers  Cooper  &  Ashly  are  large  and 
navigable,  and  since  the  steamboats  have  been  in  use.  these 
com-  [*]  modifies,  are  brought  down  the  rivers  to  the 
wharves,  instead  of  being  brought  in  the  country  waggons 
through   the  town.     This   change  of  business  has   greatly 


370  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

impoverished  the  upper  part  of  the  town,  while  it  has  tended 
to  encrease  the  value  of  the  property  near  the  rivers. 

The  population  of  Charleston  is  very  mixed.  The 
coloured  persons  form  a  very  large  proportion  of  it.  There 
are  some  french,  and  a  considerable  number  of  English, 
Scotch  &  Irish  merchants. — Some  few  years  ago  a  dangerous 
conspiracy  was  discovered  among  the  Negroes,  to  murder  all 
the  whites,  rob  the  city,  and  seizing  the  best  ships,  to  remove 
to  St.  Domingo.  The  scheme  was  well  planned  &  arranged 
by  a  free  negroe,  and  only  discovered  two  days  before  the 
appointed  time.  About  20  blacks  were  hung.  Since  that 
period  volunteer  [*]  companies  guard  the  city,  and  no 
coloured  person  can  be  out  after  10  at  night,  unless  with 
a  written  pass  from  the  master. — Any  coloured  person 
belonging  to  a  vessel  arriving  in  the  port,  is  seized  by  the 
police  &  kept  in  confinement  till  the  vessel  sails  when  he  is 
again  sent  on  board. — The  militia  have  periodical  musters.  I 
attended  one — the  2"d  May,  which  took  place  on  the  race 
course,  a  mile  out  of  the  City.  The  governor  of  the 
State,  ]\Ianning.  was  present.  The  number,  including  the 
city  volunteer  companies,  did  not  exceed  1000.  A  dispute 
about  precedence  took  place  between  two  of  these  companies, 
while  they  were  in  line  before  the  governor,  when  in  true 
democratic  spirit  one  of  the  dissatisfied  companies  left  the 
field.  There  is  a  law  that  no  coloured  person  can  accompany 
the  soldiers,  or  attend  their  parades,  and  any  citizen  may 
arest  and  put  in  the  guard  house  anyone  disobeying  this 
order.  The  owner  of  the  slave  [*]  has  to  pay  the  citizen  a 
dollar  for  his  release.  After  the  muster  of  the  militia,  several 
negroe  children  were  thus  confined  for  the  sake  of  the 
reward. — A  truly  democratic  spirit  under  a  Republican 
Government,  should  lead  a  population  to  be  averse  to  any 
attempts  at  military  shew.  I  could  not  help  regretting 
to  see  persons,  who  in  their  proper  pursuits  appear  to 
advantage,  unnesessarily  &  on  false  principles  exposing 
themselves  to  the  ridicule  of  lookers  on,  who  know  little 
beyond  the  art  of  destruction  and  are  far  less  valuable 
citizens  than  the  persons  whom  they  thus  have  a  full 
opportunity  of  laughing  at.  The  worth  of  a  national 
militia  is   not  in  the  proportion   of   its  acquaintance  with 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  371 

the  duties  of  regular  soldiers.  It  depends  upon  the  good 
understanding  &  conduct  of  the  citizens  who  step  forward 
to  defend  their  rights,  and  the  less  they  know  [*]  about 
the  business  of  regular  soldiers,  the  better  will  they  cooperate 
together  in  their  true  character.  Such  a  feeling  would  induce 
them  to  prefer  the  plain  attire  of  citizens,  and  save  them 
from  the  contagious  desire  of  aping  the  dress  &  conduct 
of  the  military. — 

During  the  last  war  it  was  suspected  that  the  British 
intended  to  attack  Charleston.  The  militia  were  therefore 
ordered  down,  &  companies  were  formed  in  the  city.  Lines 
of  defence  &  redoubts  were  erected  across  the  neck  of  land 
just  outside  the  city;  temporary  barracks  of  wood  were 
built  within  the  lines  for  the  troops,  who  were  occasionally 
exercised  in  their  duties.  I  visited  the  remains  of  these 
works,  which  must  have  made  the  approach  to  the  city 
very  difficult.  During  the  revolutionary  war  the  city  was 
likewise  [*]  protected  by  lines  across  from  one  river  to  the 
other;  but  the  city  being  at  that  time  smaller,  the  remains 
of  those  lines  are  but  few,  and  are  half  a  mile  within  the 
late  ones. — One  afternoon  I  went  down  the  bay  in  a  packet 
boat  to  Sullivan's  Island,  which  is  formed  of  sand,  and 
partly  covered  with  frame  buildings,  the  summer  residences 
belonging  to  the  citizens,  many  of  whom  pass  there  the 
greater  portion  of  the  hot  season.  A  brick  built  fort,  bearing 
a  strong  battery  of  heavy  guns,  is  placed  on  the  .south  side  of 
it  to  defend  the  entrance  which  is  difficult  in  consequence 
of  a  sand  bank,  and  bar  across  its  mouth.  In  the  middle 
of  the  bay  is  another  Island  with  a  castle  fort  upon  it,  and 
on  the  southern  shore  facing  it,  another  fort.  At  the  close  of 
the  war  two  Martello  towers  were  left  unfinished  [*]  which 
were  intended  for  the  defence  of  the  passages  round  the 
island  to  the  south  &  up  the  Ashley  river. — Considering  the 
swampy  nature  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  the  defences 
made  at  the  different  approaches  to  the  city  by  land  &  water, 
it  would  require  more  means  &  exertion  than  might  at  first 
be  supposed  to  take  forcible  possession  of  it  in  time  of 
war. — The  country  is  flat  &  swampy  for  many  miles 
inland,  and  very  unhealthy  during  summer.  The  banks  of 
the  rivers  are  the  only  inhabited  parts   for  some  distance 


372  INDIANA   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

up  the  rivers,  the  sea  breeze  &  salt  water  being  considered 
the  best  preservative  of  health.  Although  the  whole  of  the  city 
is  subject  to  disease,  yet  that  part  nearest  to  the  point  is 
considered  the  most  healthy ;  and  the  practice  in  this  country 
is  to  remove  into  the  city  in  summer  &  back  again  to  the 
country  in  winter. 

Hearing  that  there  was  [*]  a  camp  meeting  on  the  bank 
of  Cooper  river  about  15  miles  above  the  city,  I  went  to  see 
it  the  Sunday  after  my  arrival.  It  had  commenced  the 
beginning  of  the  preceding  week.  As  it  was  to  conclude 
the  next  day,  crowds  of  persons  visited  it.  On  board  the 
steam  boat  in  which  I  went  to  the  ground,  were  between 
5  &  600  persons,  principally  persons  of  colour.  The  camp 
consisted  of  a  semicircle  of  huts,  which,  as  the  weather  was 
dry,  were  lightly  built  &  covered  with  green  boughs  &  leaves. 
Within  this  inclosure  were  ranges  of  benches  with  a  rude 
pulpit  &  similar  covering  of  leaves,  &  open  on  all  sides.  In 
the  rear  of  all  were  scattered  horses  &  carts  &  the  cooking 
huts,  surrounded  by  the  forest.  In  the  river  lay  at  anchor  a 
few  sloops  &  boats  in  which  families  had  come  to  this  annual 
religious  meeting.  [*]  Most  of  the  white  visitors  were  drawn 
there  by  curiosity,  as  there  are  ahvays  exhibitions  of  the  ex- 
travagant fancies  &  feelings  of  the  superstitious  &  ignorant. 
It  being  Sunday  the  idle  gazers  were  numerous.  Few  of  the 
well  informed  portion  of  society  seemed  to  be  communicants. 
There  were  morning,  noon,  afternoon  &  night  preachings,  at 
vyhich  many  were  violently  affected,  crying  aloud  for 
forgiveness,  calling  themselves  vile  sinners  deserving  of  hell 
flames,  groaning  loudly,  throwing  themselves  down,  &  beat- 
ing their  heads  &  breasts.  Between  the  discourses  little 
groupes  were  to  be  seen  listening  to  some  fervent  petitioner 
or  devout  expounder  of  the  faith,  while  in  every  direction 
around,  others  were  strolling  or  enjoying  themselves.  The 
preachers  are  generally  men  strong  both  in  mind  &  body.  They 
have  great  facility  and  familiarity  in  their  discourses,  and 
forcibly  lay  down  their  tenets,  working  upon  the  human 
feelings.  The  negroe  is  consoled  in  his  misfortunes  by  the 
hopes  which  are  continually  held  out  to  him  of  equality  & 
liberty  in  Heaven.  [*]  These  camp  meetings,  though  un- 
attended &  despised  by  the  rich  &  powerful,  are,  however, 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  373 

considered  by  them  as  doing  more  good  than  harm,  keeping 
the  idle  &  depraved  in  check  through  fear,  and  making  the 
slaves  patient  under  their  chains  in  the  hope  that  hereafter 
their  rewards  will  be  proportioned  to  the  degrees  of  their 
patience  &  resignation  in  this  life. — Thus  is  religion  made 
a  political  engine  in  the  west,  as  well  as  in  the  east. 

[They  have  two  old  established  Clubs  in  Charleston,  the 
St.  Andrews  &  the  St.  Georges.  I  dined  once  at  the 
latter.  Kean  performed  one  night  while  I  was  there.  He 
had  been  very  well  received;  but  this  time  I  heard  he  was 
rather  tipsy.]  [I  met  M«-.  Davis  &  M^.  Westfeldt,  with 
whom  I  crossed  the  Atlantic  last  summer  in  the  Canada 
packetship.]  The  weather  while  I  remained  in  Charleston 
was  extremely  warm  and  close;  the  ther"".  was  generally 
in  the  morning  at  about  76°  &  from  10  o'clock  till  four 
or  five  in  the  afternoon,  at  81°  or  82°;  but  I  was  told 
that  in  the  autumn  it  ranges  from  86°  to  94°  with  a  still 
closer  state  of  the  atmosphere. 

Having  engaged  my  passage  to  Liverpool  on  board  the 
Mary  Catherine  (400  tons)  ship,  Capt".  Pace,  I  made  haste 
to  look  at  the  Academy  of  Arts,  a  small  Exhibition  of  bad 
paintings,  and  a  small  museum,  which  however,  [*]  con- 
sidering that  it  has  been  a  very  short  time  established,  con- 
tains a  tolerable  collection  of  curiosities. 

I  embarked  Wednesday  night  the  3rd.  May,  the  Mary  ^lay  3rd.  1826 
Catherine  having  been  bawled  into  the  stream. — The  next  ednesday 
morning  early  we  moved  down  the  bay  &  the  wind  being 
South  East  anchored  near  Sullivan's  island  where  we  lay 
the  whole  day. — In  the  course  of  the  night  the  wind  came 
round  to  the  West,  which  enabled  our  pilot  to  take  us  over  the 
bar  (on  which  there  was  not  more  than  3  1/4  fathoms,  while 
the  Mary  Catharine  drew  nearly  two  &  a  half)  before  break- 
fast on  Friday  the  5th ;  when  having  a  fine  breeze  off  land,  he 
took  his  leave  &  all  sail  was  immediately  made  to  the  East. 
[Vessels  have  been  known  to  wait  3  weeks  before  they  could 
get  a  wind  to  cross  the  bar.  Some  expectation  is  entertained 
that  an  attempt  will  be  made  to  deepen  the  water  by  narrowing 
the  entrance,  engineers  having  been  appointed  to  survey 
it  and  report  upon  the  subject.] 

[Our  ship  was  laden  with  cotton.]    There  were  on  board 


374  INDIANA   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY 

as  passengers  :  M^s.  Muggridge  and  her  two  young  daughters 
whom  she  was  taking  to  school  in  England,  her  husband 
being  in  business  in  Charleston:  M^.  Lucas,  half  English  & 
half  an  American,  a  South  Carolina  planter,  having  mills 
for  [*]  cleaning  rice  near  London,  a  well  informed  gentleman 
and  pleasant  companion:  [Mr.  Lucas  mentioned  to  beautiful 
shrubs  which  he  has  introduced  into  South  Carolina,  the 
gardinia  or  Cape  Jassamine,  and  the  Lagerstremia  Indica.] 
Mr.  Bishop  an  Iron  &  Steel  Manufacturer  from  Leeds, 
likewise  pleasant  &  accommodating:  &  Mr.  Smith  a  young 
English  gentleman  engaged  in  business.  We  agreed  remark- 
ably well  together;  and  the  Captain  being  a  well  informed 
and  agreeable  man ;  our  Society  was  easy  &  pleasant. 

The  coast  gradually  deepens  at  the  rate  of  a  fathom  a  mile 
till  you  get  into  the  Gulf  Stream  which  is  marked  by  the  sea 
weed.    [We  saw  two  water  spouts,  while  in  the  Gulf  Stream.] 

We  had  light  southerly  winds  with  thunder  &  lightning 
for  the  first  days.  Then  a  gale  from  the  North  East  came 
on,  and  continued  four  days.  The  wind  changed  on  Sunday 
the  14th.  to  the  West,  and  carried  us  at  an  average  rate 
of  8  miles  an  hour  till  Thursday  i8th.  when  we  got  near 
the  South  end  of  the  Great  Newfoundland  Bank,  There 
fogs  and  rain  lessened  the  breeze  &  the  wind  changed  to  the 
northward.  Friday  night  we  had  [*]  squalls,  one  of  which 
laid  the  ship  nearly  on  her  beam  ends,  &  carried  away  the 
main  top  gallant  sail.  [We  amused  ourselves  a  great  part 
of  our  time  reading.  Mr.  Bishop  lent  me  Cooper's  novels. 
Precaution,  The  Spy,  The  Pilot,  The  Pioneers,  &  The  Last 
of  the  Mohegans.  I  also  read  all  the  Presidents  messages 
bound  in  one  vol.  with  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  &  the 
Constitution  of  the  U.  States.  To  those  who  have  never 
been  a  length  of  time  at  sea,  it  would  be  difficult  to  conceive 
the  habit  of  life  thus  fallen  into;  confined  within  the  limits 
of  a  little  wooden  world  rolling  (or  rather  tossing)  in  a 
watery  element,  for  weeks  or  months  together ;  all  known  to 
one  another  and  having  almost  the  same  interest;  seeing 
and  hearing  the  same  things,  and  sharing  alike  in  all  the 
vicissitudes  of  life.  A  belief  that  such  would  be  our 
future  mode  of  life  and  a  practice  of  a  few  months,  would 
I  think  in  most  cases  reconcile  mankind  to  such  a  state  of 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  375 

existance. — ]  We  continued  running  at  the  rate  of  from 
8  to  10  miles  an  hour  till  Sunday  the  2ist.^  the  wind  blowing 
from  the  N.N.W.  Our  place  at  midday  was  Lat.  43.52. 
Lon.  38.  In  the  afternoon  a  sailor  fell  from  the  main 
cross  trees  into  the  sea,  his  legs  striking  the  bulwarks  as 
he  fell.  We  were  running  at  the  rate  of  9  knots  at  the 
time,  with  a  stiff  breeze,  the  sea  not  running  very  high  at 
the  time.  The  ship  was  put  about  &  a  boat  lowered.  One 
of  the  hen  coops  and  two  planks  were  thrown  overboard,  but 
after  an  hour's  search,  the  boat  returned  without  having 
found  him.  It  was  supposed  that  he  was  stunned  by  the 
fall,  and  disabled  from  swimming.  I  saw  his  head  above 
water  astern  of  the  ship,  but  soon  lost  sight  of  him  in  the 
hollow  of  the  waves. — When  a  ship  is  moving  so  fast  threw 
the  water,  she  will  in  spite  of  the  utmost  expedition,  be  far 
away  before  she  can  come  round. —  [After  this  accident  the 
conversation  turned  on  the  subject  of  the  loss  of  men  at 
sea,  when  almost  every  one  related  some  melancholy  tale  of 
a  sailor  falling  overboard,  which  threw  a  gloom  over  our 
minds  for  the  rest  of  the  day.]  [With  the  N.  West  wind 
the  therr.  fell  at  one  time  to  55°  from  ranging  between 
65°  &  76°.]  The  next  day  it  was  almost  calm.  In  the 
evening  the  wind  came  round  to  the  east,  &  the  follow- 
ing [*]  morning  blew  fresh  from  the  South  East,  where 
it  continued  driving  us  on,  steering  nearly  east  &  running 
at  from  7  to  9  knots  an  hour  till  friday  26th.  when  it 
lessened.  [On  the  25th.  a  hawk  alighted  on  one  of  the 
yards,  quite  fatigued.  It  soon  fell  asleep  &  was  caught  by 
one  of  the  sailors.  As  the  wind  was  from  the  direction  of 
the  Azores,  it  is  probable  that  this  bird  was  blown  from 
one  of  those  islands.  The  26th.  -^^'q  threw  a  bottle  overboard 
containing  the  following  notice  in  English,  French  &  Spanish. 

Lat.49-10  N.  )  , ,  ^..  o  /C 
,  ^  „,  >  May  26tn.  1826 
Lon.2i.ioW.^  -^ 

The  Ship  Mary  Catherine  of  Liverpool 

Robert  Pace  Master. 

Sailed  from  Charleston  S.  Carolina  on  the  S^^^-  i"st.  &  bound 

to  Liverpool.     The  finder  of  this  bottle  is  requested  to  give 

notice  thereof  in  the  newspapers,  when  and  where  found.] 

On  the  27th  ^e  were  becalmed  till  sunset,  when  a  northerly 


376  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

wind  sprung  up.  We  had  light  winds  through  the  night. 
[The  27^^.  while  becalmed  we  let  down  an  empty  bottle  well 
corked  &  sealed  &  a  cork  tied  by  a  piece  of  twine  100  fathoms 
under  water.  When  the  bottle  was  drawn  up,  we  found  that 
it  was  full  of  water  the  sealing  wax  having  been  cracked,  & 
the  cork  squeezed  &  loosened  so  as  to  admit  the  water.  The 
cork  which  had  been  tied  with  twine,  was  missing,  having 
been  compressed  so  as  to  escape  from  the  twine  bound  round  it. 
During  the  last  week  me  met  and  overtook  several  ves- 
sels ;  one  appeared  to  have  a  number  of  Irish  emigrants  on 
board  going  west.]  Sunday  28tli.  we  had  a  fine  breeze  from 
the  N.W.  &  smooth  sea.  The  day  was  cloudy  &  rainy.  The 
therf.  in  the  cabin  at  breakfast  time  stood  at  61  1/2° .  Early 
Monday  morning  it  changed  to  the  East.  The  day  cleared 
up,  and  we  had  a  brisk  breeze  from  the  N.E.  bringing  with 
it  the  smell  of  the  land.  The  wind  got  more  round  to  the 
East,  and  lessened  in  the  night.  Early  on  tuesday  we  were 
in  soundings  60  fathoms,  to  the  south  of  the  Scilly  Islands. 
We  tacked  &  stood  all  day  to  the  northward.  The  night  was 
calm.  Some  small  land  birds  were  seen  about  the  ship.  At 
4  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  Wednesday  31^*.  we  were  in  80 
fathoms  water.  A  breeze  sprung  up  from  the  north.  &  we 
steered  an  easterly  course.  Several  vessels  in  sight.  We 
tried  to  catch  fish  without  success.  The  wind  came  more 
favorable  in  the  afternoon  &  we  stood  to  the  N.E.  The 
Kerry  mountains  were  discerned  on  our  weather  bow  about 
half  past  two.  In  the  evening  we  were  abreast  of  the 
Kinsale  light  house.  The  night  was  fine.  Several  vessels 
were  in  sight.  After  midnight  the  wind  failed.  Thursday 
the  ist.  we  had  a  light  westerly  breeze,  and  made  but  little 
Thursday  ist.  way.  The  coast  of  Cork  &  Waterford  [*]  [MS  mutilated] 
June  i8[26]  le  distant  from  [MS  mutilated].     We  hailed  a  boat  &  got 

some  skate  &  codfish.  The  day  was  beautiful ;  the  therr. 
stood  in  the  cabin  between  60°  &  65°.  A  steamboat  crossed 
our  way,  supposed  from  Bristol  to  Waterford.  At  sunset 
we  were  off  the  Salters  light  with  the  Tusher  light  ahead. 
The  following  billet  rolled  up  in  a  small  bit  of  oiled  paper 
was  sewed  with  silk  ribbon  round  the  Hawk's  neck ; 

"This   noble   Hawk    (supposed   to  be  a   native   of   the 
''Azores)  was  blown  by  a  South  Easterly  gale  on  board  the 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  377 

"ship  Mary  Catherine  Cap^".  Rob*.  Pace,  on  her  passage 
"from  Charleston  to  Liverpool,  the  24th.  May  1826  in 
"Lat.  47-10  North  &  Long.  29-10  West,  and  was  liberated 
"with  this  billet  round  his  neck,  the  i^t.  June  1826  in  the 
"Irish  channel  off  the  Waterford  Coast. — Being  a  beautiful 
"bird  of  its  kind,  it  will,  it  is  hoped,  improve  the  breed  in 
"Ireland,"  &  the  bird  was  then  released  from  his  con- 
finement: but  he  was  too  weak  to   fly   f[rom]    the   ship. 

[To  A  Little  Land  Bird,^ 

Which  settled  on  a  vessel,  between  two  and  three  miles 
from  the  nearest  shore. 

Welcome,  weary,  winged  stranger, 

Welcome  to  our  rocking  bark ; 
Welcome,  'mid  this  wide-spread  danger, 

As  the  night  grows  wild  and  dark. 

Why  suspect  us ?  we  are  friendly, — 

Cease  thy  fluttering,  go  to  rest — 
We  a  resting  place  will  lend  thee, 

Here  benighted  from  thy  nest. 

Yes,  the  hardy  sailor  hails  thee 

As  a  wand'rer  from  thy  home : 
Wonders  what  can  so  far  wing  thee. 

Tempt  thee,  like  himself,  to  roam. 

But  here's  one  whose  gentle  bosom 

Feels  kind  pity's  higher  swell ; 
To  his  bosom,  wand'rer,  welcome. 

There  thy  sorrows,  stranger,  tell. 

Come  and  pour  thy  little  sorrows. 

They  shall  touch  some  kindred  chords; 

Tun'd  to  sympathy,  which  borrows 
Strength  from  what  its  aid  affords. 

Yes,  here's  one  to  grief  no  stranger. 

One  whose  breast  for  thee  can  move ; 
Come,  then,  little  airy  ranger, 
Come,  and  all  his  pity  prove.] 
'From  a  clipping  inserted  in  the  margin  of  the  Diary. — Ed. 


378 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


[For  the  last  3  days  we  had  turtle  soup  &  steaks.  ^Madeira 
wine,  20  years  in  bottle,  and  excellent  sparkling  champagne.] 
The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  ship's  lat.  &  Ion.   for 
the  several  days  of  our  voyage  across  the  Atlantic : 
Charleston     Lat.  32-36     north 
Lon.  80-         west 
Sunday  7th.  May  Lat  38.49  Lon. 77. 


8  . 

9  • 

10 
II 
12 


cloudy 
do. 


34.15  ....73.42 
33.45 72.20 


Saturday   13  [MS  mutilated] 
Sunday 


34.54  ....66.[MSillt^gible][*] 


14- 

15' 
16. 

18 


35-18 

36.14 

?,7-33 

39- 

39-50 

19 •-   41-30 

20 42.36 

Sunday     21 43-52 

22 44.41 

23 45-32 

24 47-10 

25 48.50 

26 49.40 

27 50. 

Sunday     28 50.7 

29 50.8 

30 50.20 

31 50.48 

Thursday  i^t.  June  we  were  off  the  Water  ford  coast  distant 
15  miles.  We  were  becalmed  the  whole  of  the  day.  Our 
poor  hawk  seemed  to  be  recovering  himself.  He  was,  there- 
fore released  from  his  cage  &  allowed  to  walk  the  deck.  In 
the  course  of  the  afternoon  he  appeared  disposed  to  fly,  and 
at  length  ventured  to  try  his  strength,  but  fell  into  the  sea 
a  short  distance  from  the  ship,  and  was  drowned.  We  all 
regretted  the  melancholy  fate  of  our  hawk,  after  having 
entered  so  warmly  into  the  project  of  sending  him  safely 


62 

60.30 

57.20 

55-30 

51-30 

46 

45 
38 
34.45 

33 
29.10 

25.10 

21. 

19. 

16. 

12.30 

9.10 

9.20 


MACDONALD  DIARIES  379 

on  shore.  In  the  evening  a  steamboat  passed  [*]  [MS 
mutilated]  The  whole  of  Friday  we  had  light  winds  from 
the  North  and  made  very  little  way  In  the  evening  we 
passed  the  New  York  Packet,  two  days  from  Liverpool,  off 
the  Wicklow  coast.  I  felt  a  pleasure  at  the  sight  of  the 
ship  in  which  I  had  twice  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  most  agree- 
able company,  so  safely  &  so  comfortably  accommodated. — 
The  wind  came  round  to  the  South,  and  at  day  break  on 
Saturday  y^  we  were  close  to  Holyhead.  The  wind  was 
light  all  the  forenoon,  &  the  tide  against  us;  but  a  breeze 
springing  up  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  Liverpool  by 
10  o'clock  at  night,  and  landed  without  an  accident. 


PORTRAITS  AND  PAINTERS 

OF  THE 

GOVERNORS  OF  INDIANA 

1800^1943 


By 
WILBUR  D.  PEAT 

Director  of  the  John  Herron  Art  Museum 


INDIANAPOLIS 

INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

1944 


INDIANA 

HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

PUBLICATIONS 

VOLUME  14 

NUMBER  3 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The  Collection   -^g- 

William  Henry  Harrison,  1800- 18 12 390 

Portrait  by  Barton  S.  Hays,  facing  p.  390 

John  Gibson,  Acting  Governor,  1 800-1 801,  1812-1813.  .  .    392 
Portrait,  Artist  Unknown,  facing  p.  390 

Thomas  Posey,  1813-1816 393 

Portrait  by  John  B.  Hill,  facing  p.  390 
Jonathan  Jennings,  1816-1822 394 

Portrait  by  James  Forbes,  facing  p.  390 

Ratlif f  Boon,  1822 396 

Portrait  by  James  Forbes,  facing  p.  398 
William  Hendricks,   1822-1825 397 

Portrait  by  S.  Burtis  Baker,  facing  p.  398 
James  Brown  Ray,  1825-183 1 .  .  .  , 401 

Portrait  by  Jacob  Cox,  facing  p.  398 

Noah  Noble,  1831-1837 402 

Portrait  by  Jacob  Cox,  facing  p.  398 

David  Wallace,  1837-1840 403 

Portrait  by  Jacob  Cox,  facing  p.  404 
Samuel  Bigger,  1840-1843 404 

Portrait  by  Jacob  Cox,  facing  p.  404 
James  Whitcomb,  1843-1848 405 

Portrait  by  James  Forbes,  facing  p.  404 
Paris  Chipman  Dunning,  1848-1849 406 

Portrait  by  James  Forbes,  facing  p.  404 
Joseph  Albert  Wright,  1849-1857 408 

Portrait  by  Jacob  Cox,  facing  p.  408 
Ashbel  Parsons  Willard,  1857- 1860 409 

Portrait  by  George  W.  Morrison,  facing  p.  408 
Abram  Adams  Hammond,  1860-1861 410 

Portrait  by  John  B.  Hill,  facing  p.  408 
Henry  Smith  Lane,  1861 410 

Portrait  by  Jacob  Cox,  facing  p.  408 
Oliver  Perry  Morton,  1861-1867 4^  i 

Portrait  by  James  Forbes,  facing  p.  412 
Conrad  Baker,    1867-1873 4^3 

Portrait  by  James  Forbes,  facing  p.  412 

(385) 


386  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

PAGE 

Thomas  Andrews  Hendricks,  1873- 1877 414 

Portrait  by  William  R.  Freeman,  facing  p.  412 
James  Douglas  Williams,   1877-1880 415 

Portrait  by  Harry  M.  Colcord,  facing  p.  412 

Albert  Gallatin  Porter,  1881-1885 416 

Portrait  by  Theodore  C.  Steele,  facing  p.  416 
Isaac  Pusey  Gray,  1880-1881,  1885-1889 417 

Portrait  by  Theodore  C.  Steele,  facing  p.  416 
Alvin  Peterson  Hovey,   1889-1891 418 

Portrait  by  Theodore  C.  Steele,  facing  p.  416 
Ira  Joy  Chase,   1891-1893 419 

Portrait  by  Theodore  C.  Steele,  facing  p.  416 

Claude  Matthews,  1893-1897 420 

Portrait  by  Theodore  C.  Steele,  facing  p.  420 

James  Atwell  Mount,  1897-1901 420 

Portrait  by  James  M.  Dennis,  facing  p.  420 
Winfield  Taylor  Durbin,  1901-1905 422 

Portrait  by  Wayman  Adams,  facing  p.  420 
James  Frank  Hanly,   1905-1909 423 

Portrait  by  Wayman  Adams,  facing  p.  420 
Thomas  Riley  Marshall,   1909-1913 424 

Portrait  by  Wayman  Adams,  facing  p.  424 

Samuel  Moffett  Ralston,  1913-1917 424 

Portrait  by  Wayman  Adams,  facing  p..  424 
James  Putnam  Goodrich,  1917-1921 425 

Portrait  by  Wayman  Adams,  facing  p.  424 
Warren  Terry  McCray,  1921-1924 426 

Portrait  by  Robert  W.  Grafton,  facing  p.  424 

Emmett  Forrest  Branch,  1924-1925 427 

.     Portrait  by  Simon  P.  Bans,  facing  p.  428 

Ed  Jackson,  1925-1929 428 

Portrait  by  Robert  W.  Grafton,  facing  p.  428 

Harry  Guyer  Leslie,   1929-1933 428 

Portrait  by  Robert  W.  Grafton,  facing  p.  428 

Paul  Vories  McNutt,  1933-1937 429 

Portrait  by  Wayman  Adams,  facing  p.  428 

Maurice  Clifford  Townsend,   1937- 1 941 430 

Portrait  by  Cornelius  C.  Zwaan,  facing  p.  430 
Henry  Frederick  Schricker,   1941- 431 

Portrait  by  Marie  Goth,  facing  p.  430 

The  Artists  and  Their  Subjects 432 


PORTRAITS  AND  PAINTERS  OF  THE  GOVERNORS 
OF  INDIANA 

1 800- 1 943 

The  Collection 

FOR  MORE  than  seventy  years  the  state  of  Indiana  has  been 
collecting  paintings.  It  has  not  acquired  masterpieces  of 
such  rarity  and  worth  as  to  arouse  the  jealousy  of  museum 
officials,  but  it  has  assembled  in  the  State  House  a  notable 
group  of  portraits.  There  are  forty  canvases,  the  likenesses  of 
thirty-seven  of  the  thirty-eight  men  who  have  served  as  chief 
executive  of  Indiana  since  it  was  made  a  territory.  There  are 
two  pictures  of  three  of  the  governors,  Jennings,  Morton,  and 
Thomas  A.  Hendricks.  Except  for  the  portrait  of  John  Gibson, 
who  was  acting  governor  of  the  territory  on  two  occasions 
and  is  included  in  our  list  of  chief  executives,  the  roster  is 
complete  to  date. 

At  present  the  portraits  are  displayed  in  the  corridors  on  the 
fourth  floor  of  the  State  House  and  in  two  of  the  executive 
offices  where  they  may  be  seen  at  any  time.  People  throughout 
the  state  are  aware  of  their  existence  but  unfortunately  few 
seem  impressed  with  the  scope  or  historical  significance  of  the 
collection.  Part  of  this  indifference  may  be  due  to  the  meager 
information  which  is  available  about  the  paintings,  as  well  as 
to  the  poor  lighting  and  unsatisfactory  places  for  their  display. 
The  intrusion  of  office  equipment  into  the  corridors  in  recent 
years  has  added  nothing  to  their  effectiveness. 

A  label  attached  to  the  frame  of  each  portrait  gives  the 
name  of  the  subject  and  his  term  as  chief  executive.  It  does 
not  carry,  of  course,  the  name  of  the  artist  nor  the  date  of  the 
painting,  leaving  people  to  conclude  that  each  was  painted  from 
life  when  the  man  was  occupying  the  governor's  chair.  Recent 
investigation  has  shown  that  such  was  not  the  case.  Only 
thirteen  of  the  portraits,  to  the  best  of  our  knowledge,  were  made 
during  the  incumbency  of  the  subject ;  the  others  deviate  from 
the  men's  terms  in  office  by  as  little  as  a  year  or  as  much  as 

(387) 


388  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

a  century,  depending  upon  the  obstacles  encountered  in  securing 
adequate  likenesses. 

A  collection  of  this  kind  is  important  for  several  reasons. 
Primarily  it  is  a  historical  record  or  chronicle :  it  preserves  the 
appearance,  and  to  a  certain  extent  the  personality  of  each  of 
Indiana's  chief  executives,  and  being  a  collection  of  large 
paintings,  it  lends  dignity  and  distinction  to  their  office.  As 
some  of  the  portraits  are  the  only  knov^^n  likenesses  of  the 
men,  their  documentary  value  is  considerable. 

But  the  collection  is  significant  for  another  reason.  It  is 
more  than  an  assemblage  of  faces.  It  represents  the  work  of 
more  than  a  dozen  painters  who  lived  and  worked  in  Indiana  at 
different  times,  and  while  some  of  them  are  not  very  well  known 
today,  others  are  ranked  as  our  foremost  artists.  With  the 
growing  interest  in  American  art,  particularly  that  of  the 
frontier  regions,  more  attention  is  being  given  to  the  men  who, 
however  humbly,  contributed  to  the  rise  of  a  native  movement. 

The  value  of  the  collection  to  people  interested  in  this  phase 
of  the  subject  depends,  quite  naturally,  upon  their  knowing  who 
made  the  portraits  and  when  the  work  was  done.  Until  lately 
this  information  was  not  accessible:  most  of  it  had  been  for- 
gotten or  filed  away  in  archives.  Recent  studies,  however,  have 
brought  a  good  deal  of  it  to  light,  enabling  us  now  to  identify 
the  authors — fifteen  in  all — date  the  paintings  more  or  less 
accurately,  and  reconstruct  the  history  of  each  portrait.  The 
following  sketches  are  the  outcome  of  this  investigation. 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  Governor  Conrad  Baker  was 
responsible  for  starting  the  collection.  In  1869  he  began  to 
assemble  pictures  that  would  "convey  to  future  generations  an 
idea  of  how  the  early  rulers  of  Ind.  looked."^  Not  satisfied 
with  photographs  or  daguerreotypes,  he  undertook  the  arduous 
task  of  getting  oil  paintings.  Seventeen  men  had  preceded  him 
as  chief  executive  of  the  territory  and  state,  and  realizing  that 
delay  would  only  add  to  the  difficulty  of  securing  their  por- 
traits, he  enlisted  the  help  of  the  legislature  and  obtained  its 

^Quoted  in  a  letter  from  James  Forbes  to  John  M.  Commons,  Governor 
Baker's  private  secretary,  October  11,  1869,  Governor  Baker's  correspondence, 
folder  relating  to  governors'  portraits,  Archives  Division,  Indiana  State 
Library,  hereafter  cited  as  Governor  Baker's  correspondence. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  389 

authorization  at  the  special  session  of  1869  "to  secure,  as  soon 
as  practicable,  a  true  and  life-like  likeness  of  each  of  the 
Governors  of  the  State  and  Territory  of  Indiana,  including  the 
present  incumbent,  to  be  placed  in  the  State  Library,"  at  a  cost 
not  exceeding  two  hundred  dollars  each.-  Then  he  called  upon 
people  in  different  parts  of  the  state  to  help  him  find  pictures 
which  could  be  acquired  or'  borrowed  as  models  for  artists  to 
copy.  His  next  step  was  that  of  selecting  the  painters  for  the 
different  portraits — a  task  which  might  have  been  very  difficult 
if  he  had  not  already  given  some  thought  to  the  matter,  and  if  he 
had  not  counted  among  his  friends  several  of  the  local  painters. 

The  sustained  interest  of  Governor  Baker  and  his  friends 
brought  about  the  desired  results  within  a  few  months,  and  the 
foundation  of  the  official  portrait  gallery  was  laid.  Six  artists 
were  employed  on%he  project  at  the  time,  working  from  living 
models  or  from  earlier  paintings  or  photographs  as  the  circum- 
stances required.  Their  work  seems  to  have  satisfied  the 
Governor  and  met  the  specifications  of  the  legislature.  Each 
portrait  presented  a  different  problem,  as  the  following  pages 
show.  Thirteen  of  the  seventeen  preceding  governors  had 
died,  making  the  job  of  obtaining  likenesses  a  difficult 
one — some  had  died  before  the  introduction  of  photography. 
The  portraits  of  the  men  who  were  still  living  in  1869  presented 
no  serious  obstacles. 

Since  Baker's  administration,  the  collection  has  grown 
steadily,  each  governor  posing  for  his  portrait  before  an  artist 
of  his  choice,  either  during  his  term  in  office  or  soon  after. 
Upon  acceptance,  the  portraits  have  been  hung  in  the  State 
House  and  placed  under  the  custody  of  the  Indiana  State 
Library.  Since  1927  their  procurement  has  been  directed 
by  the  Indiana  Historical  Bureau,  while  the  amount  appro- 
priated by  the  legislature  has  been  increased  to  five  hundred 
dollars  in  most  cases. 

For  the  sake  of  clarity  the  following  discussion  of  the  indi- 
vidual portraits  is  based  on  the  chronology  of  the  administrations 
rather  than  on  the  dates  of  the  individual  paintings.  For  in- 
stance, the  earliest  painting  in  the  group,  made  about  1837,  is  the 
likeness  of  Noah  Noble,  governor  from  183 1  to  1837,  while 

"•Laws  of  Indiana,  1869  (special  session),  p.  11. 


390  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

the  portrait  of  William  Henry  Harrison,  the  first  governor,  was 
not  painted  until  1869.  Biographical  comments  about  the 
governors  have,  of  necessity,  been  left  out  of  this  review. 


William  Henry  Harrison 
May  13,  1800-December  28,  1812 

William  Henry  Harrison,  the  first  governor  of  Indiana 
Territory,  sat  for  his  portrait  on  several  occasions,^  but  evidently 
no  painting  made  from  life  could  be  procured  when  Governor 
Baker  was  assembling  the  collection.  A  copy  or  replica  of 
another  portrait  had  to  be  made,  and  Barton  S.  Hays,  a  well- 
known  painter  of  Indianapolis  during  the  sixties  and  seventies, 
was  selected  to  do  the  work.  He  was  an  Ohioan  by  birth,  but 
had  come  to  Indiana  as  a  youth,  settling  in  Montgomery  County 
and  embarking  upon  his  career  by  making  likenesses  of  relatives 
and  friends  in  Wingate,  Covington,  and  Attica — frequently  for 
his  room  and  board.  Like  most  of  our  early  painters  he  found 
portraiture  more  remunerative  than  landscape  painting,  and, 
although  he  had  very  little  formal  training,  he  developed  into 
a  very  capable  technician.  His  residence  in  Indianapolis  dated 
from  1858,  at  which  time  he  established  a  Daguerrean  firm 
with  a  man  named  Runnion.  Within  a  few  years  he  acquired 
a  good  reputation,  working  either  from  photographs  (a  very 
popular  method  in  those  days)  or  from  life.  It  is  reported  that 
at  this  time  he  was  receiving  seventy-five  dollars  for  a  portrait 
showing  the  head  and  shoulders,  and  one  hundred  dollars 
if  it  included  the  hands. 

When  the  commissions  for  the  portraits  of  the  governors 
were  being  given  in  1869,  Hays  was  one  of  the  leading  painters 
in  Indianapolis,  and  it  is  not  surprising  to  learn  that  he  was 
asked  to  make  the  Harrison  portrait.  Unfortunately  no  records 
have  been  found  describing  its  evolution.  Since  Hays  had  to 
rely  on  another  picture,  he  probably  selected  one  which  was 
most  convincing  in  its  likeness  and  characterization,  as  well  as 
concurrent  in  date  with  Harrison's  term  in  office.    A  compara- 

'Among  the  artists  who  painted  William  Henry  Harrison  are  Thomas 
Sully,   Rembrandt   Peale,   Henry   Inman,   J.   R.   Lambdin,   and   Bass   Otis. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON 

by  Barton  S.  Hays 


JOHN  GIBSON 

Artist  Unknown 


THOMAS  POSEY 
by  John  B.  Hill 


JONATHAN  JENNINGS 
by  James  Forbes 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  391 

tive  study  of  the  known  portraits  of  Harrison  leads  to  the 
conclusion  that  Hays  copied  an  oil  portrait  which  is  now  in  the 
library  of  Bowdoin  College.  The  pose,  costume,  lighting,  and 
age  of  the  subject  in  the  two  paintings  are  almost  identical. 

Hays  succeeded  in  making  a  very  forceful  portrait  of 
Harrison.  It  is  a  good  likeness  and  an  unusually  convincing 
character  study.  Harrison's  expression  is  resolute  and  tense ;  a 
look  of  incisiveness,  and  not  a  little  shrewdness,  appears  in  the 
eyes  and  about  the  mouth ;  the  forms  of  the  head  are  strongly 
and  fully  modeled.  Some  of  the  picture's  strength  comes  from 
its  rich,  deep  colors;  ruddy  flesh  tones  and  deep  blacks  are 
placed  against  a  greenish-gray  background,  and  red  accents 
appear  at  the  left  where  light  falls  on  the  upholstery  of  the 
chair.  The  weakest  part  of  the  picture  is  Harrison's  hand,  due 
to  its  having  been  forced  into  the  picture  area  from  below. 

For  some  years  there  was  a  copy  of  the  Hays  portrait  of 
Harrison  in  the  State  House  collection.  It  was  made  by 
T.  C.  Steele  in  191 6.  This  was  Indiana's  centennial  year,  and 
Samuel  Ralston,  then  governor,  asked  Steele  to  paint  the 
portraits  of  four  governors  who  belonged  to  "epochal"  periods 
of  the  state's  history.  They  were  Harrison,  first  territorial 
governor,  Jennings,  first  state  governor,  Morton,  the  Civil 
War  governor,  and  Thomas  A.  Hendricks,  an  outstanding 
figure  in  the  period  of  development  following  that  war.  For 
the  Harrison  portrait  Steele  is  reported  to  have  used  "prints 
that  had  been  handed  down  through  past  generations  as 
authoritative."*  The  artist's  own  inscription  on  the  front  of 
the  painting  contradicts  this  assertion.  It  reads :  "After  the 
library  portrait,  T.  C.  Steele."  The  paintings  of  the  governors 
were  always  referred  to  as  the  library  portraits  because  they 
hung  in  the  State  Libary  when  it  was  in  the  State  House.  Even 
if  this  inscription  were  not  on  the  canvas,  a  comparison  of  the 
two  would  convince  one  that  Steele  copied  the  painting  by  Hays. 

A  few  years  ago  the  Hays  portrait  was  taken  from  the 
State  House  and  hung  in  the  old  capitol  at  Corydon.  In  the 
fall  of  1943  it  was  brought  back  to  Indianapolis,  repaired,  and 
hung  in  the  State  House,  and  the  Steele  portrait  replaced 
it  at  Corydon. 

^Indianapolis  News,  May  20,  1916,  p.  17,  c.  i. 


392  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

John  Gibson 

Acting  Governor,  July  4,  1800- January  10,  1801 ; 
June,  i8i2-May,  181 3 

John  Gibson,  secretary  of  Indiana  Territory,  acted  as 
governor  until  Harrison's  arrival  in  1801  and  also  from  the 
time  of  Harrison's  resignation  in  18 12  until  the  arrival  of  the 
new  governor,  Thomas  Posey.  His  position  is  unique  in  that 
he  ran  the  affairs  of  the  state  on  these  occasions,  yet  he  was 
not  recognized  as  the  actual  governor. 

There  is  no  portrait  of  Gibson  in  the  State  House  and  until 
recently  there  was  none  in  the  state.  Conrad  Baker  had  written 
to  John  B.  Dillon,  historian,  in  1869,  about  the  possibility  of 
obtaining  portraits  of  certain  men,  among  them  Gibson,  and 
Dillon  replied  that  he  doubted  the  existence  of  a  contemporary 
likeness  of  the  territorial  secretary. "^  Baker  continued  the 
search  during  his  administration  and  other  attempts  were  made 
in  later  years  to  supply  the  missing  picture.  A  portrait  believed 
to  be  of  Gibson  was  published  in  the  Indianapolis  News  late  in 
1932  in  connection  with  a  series  of  articles  about  the  governors 
of  Indiana,"  but  later  investigation  disclosed  that  the  portrait 
was  not  that  of  the  secretary  of  Indiana  Territory  but  of  a 
contemporary  Pennsylvanian  of  the  same  name. 

It  was  not  until  1941  that  information  was  received  that 
led  to  the  discovery  of  a  John  Gibson  portrait.  In  April  of 
that  year  the  Indiana  State  Library  received  an  inquiry  from 
MrSw  Marie  Carey  of  New  York  about  the  career  of  Gibson.  In 
the  correspondence  that  followed  the  library  learned  that  she 
had  a  portrait  of  him  which  had  come  down  to  her  from 
Gibson's  daughter.^  After  several  months,  during  which  time 
steps  were  taken  to  verify  the  sitter's  identity  and  establish  the 
authorship  of  the  work,  it  was  purchased  by  Eli  Lilly  of 
Indianapolis  and  hung  in  "Grouseland,"  the  Vincennes  home 
of  William  Henry  Harrison. 

The  painter  of  this  portrait  is  not  yet  known.    At  one  time 

■Dillon  to  Governor  Baker,  August  16,  1869,  Governor  Baker's  cor- 
respondence. 

"Indianapolis  News,  November  30,  1932,  pt.  2,  p.  i. 

''Indiana  History  Bulletin,  XIX,  No.  4  (April,  1942),  p.  150. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  393 

it  was  thought  to  be  Charles  Willson  Peale,  but  this  cannot  be 
substantiated  either  by  records  or  by  the  style  of  the  work.  The 
portrait  was  probably  painted  in  Philadelphia,  and,  if  we  can 
accept  the  inscription  on  the  back  of  the  canvas  as  accurate,*  it 
was  made  in  1806,  between  Gibson's  two  terms  as  acting 
governor.  There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  report  that  it  was 
painted  from  life. 

Gibson  appears  in  the  portrait  as  a  heavy,  round-faced 
man,  of  friendly  disposition,  with  a  mild  but  astute  expression 
on  his  face.  The  dark  and  colorless  effect  of  the  picture  is  due 
to  the  poor  treatment  it  has  received  in  the  past :  at  some  point 
in  its  history  it  was  so  vigorously  cleaned  that  its  many  color 
glazes  were  removed. 


Thomas  Posey 
March  3,  1813-November  7,  18 16 

The  portrait  of  Thomas  Posey,  the  last  chief  executive  of 
Indiana  Territory,  was  painted  at  the  time  Governor  Baker 
was  ordering  the  work  for  the  State  House.  A  clue  to  the 
whereabouts  of  an  authentic  likeness  of  Posey  came  through 
a  picture  of  him  in  Dillon's  History  of  Indiana.^  Upon  writing 
to  the  author  in  Washington  for  information  about  the  original 
picture,  Governor  Baker  was  referred  to  relatives  of  Posey  in 
Kentucky.  They  owned  a  miniature  of  him  painted  in  1795 
by  the  noted  American  artist,  Rembrandt  Peale. 

The  man  selected  to  copy  and  enlarge  this  miniature  for  the 
state  was  John  Bayless  Hill,  a  young  local  artist.  "Jackie"  Hill, 
as  he  was  familiarly  called,  was  born  in  Indianapolis  in  1849, 
the  son  of  John  F.  Hill  of  the  firm  of  Drum  and  Hill.  He 
studied  for  a  brief  period  with  Jacob  Cox,  the  leading  painter 

'The  inscription  on  the  back  of  the  canvas,  written  in  ink  by  an  unknown 
hand,  reads,  "Judge  John  Gibson  Indian  Interpreter  &  Judge  of  Allegheny 
County.  Portrait  June  1806  Phila.  Given  to  his  daughter  Mrs.  George 
Wallace."     The  inscription  was  covered  in  relining  the  canvas  in  1941- 

"John  B.  Dillon,  A  History  of  Indiana  .  .  .  (Indianapolis,  i8S9), 
frontispiece. 


394  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

of  the  city/"  He  was  introduced  to  Governor  Baker  by 
A.  H.  Conner,  proprietor  of  the  IndianapoHs  Daily  and  Weekly 
Journal,  as  "an  artist  of  rare  promise. "^'^  However,  Hill's 
connection  with  Cox  was  probably  more  of  a  recommendation 
than  Conner's  letter,  since  we  have  reason  to  believe  that 
Governor  Baker  and  Jacob  Cox  were  close  friends.  Hill  was 
only  twenty  when  the  collection  was  being  formed,  but  he  had 
a  studio  of  his  own  and  must  have  been  regarded  as  a  portraitist 
of  sufficient  ability  to  carry  out  the  order. 

A  comparison  of  Hill's  painting  with  a  photograph  of  the 
miniature  shows  that  he  took  a  number  of  liberties  with  the 
original.  Thomas  Posey  appears  younger — much  too  young 
if  we  want  to  think  of  the  portrait  as  representing  him  while 
in  office — and  his  handsome,  boyish  face  is  decidedly  lacking 
in  character  and  expression.  It  is  regrettable  that  no  portrait 
exists  depicting  Posey  as  a  man  approaching  sixty-three,  his 
age  at  the  time  he  became  governor  of  Indiana  Territory.  He 
had  fought  in  the  Revolution  and  with  Wayne  in  the  Northwest 
and  had  risen  to  the  rank  of  major-general.  His  ripe  years 
and  wide  experience  must  have  given  him  a  forceful  appearance, 
hardly  like  that  which  confronts  us  in  the  State  House  portrait. 

John  Hill's  method  of  working  was  precise  and  painstaking. 
The  brush  strokes  lacked  decisiveness  and  the  paint  was  thin. 
The  colors  are  peculiar,  too ;  the  pale  background,  mottled  with 
rose  and  gray  tints,  seems  to  emphasize  the  gentle,  wistful 
character  of  the  subject. 


Jonathan  Jennings 

November  7,  1816-September  12,  1822^' 

The  next  portrait  is  that  of  Jonathan  Jennings,  the  first 
governor  of  Indiana  after  it  became  a  state.  The  signature 
which  it  bears  has  an  unfamiliar  ring  to  students  of  Indiana 

"Jacob  P.  Dunn,  Greater  Indianapolis  ...  (2  volumes.  Chicago,  1910), 
I,  482. 

"Conner  to  Governor  Baker,  July  29,  1869,  Governor  Baker's  cor- 
respondence. 

"Jennings  resigned  on  September  12,  1822,  upon  his  election  to  Congress. 
His  term  was  completed  by  Ratliff  Boon. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  395 

art.  Dunn  says,  in  writing  of  the  governors'  portraits  :  "there 
had  been  a  Canadian  painter,  James  Forbes,  who  visited 
Evansville,  and  painted  a  portrait  of  John  B.  Baker,  brother 
of  Governor  Baker,  and  impressed  the  Governor  with  his  ability 
as  an  artist.  Nothing  is  known  of  Forbes  here  beyond  his  work, 
and  the  fact  that  he  was  a  typical  Englishman  in  appearance 
and  dress.  Governor  Baker  had  Forbes  paint  his  own  portrait, 
and  also  the  portraits  of  Governors  Jennings,  Whitcomb, 
Dunning,  and  Morton. "^^  To  these  should  be  added  the 
name  of  Governor  Boon. 

It  is  surprising  to  learn  that  a  stranger  was  commissioned 
to  paint  so  many  of  the  official  portraits,  and  that  his  visit 
was  so  shrouded  in  mystery  that  no  one  was  able  to  give  a 
report  of  him  after  he  left  Indianapolis.  It  is  known  that  his 
name  was  brought  to  Governor  Baker's  attention  by  H.  F. 
Blount,  of  Evansville,  who  wrote  to  the  Governor  about  his 
work,  adding:  "I  should  be  glad  if  he  might  be  favorably 
remembered  in  the  selection  of  an  artist."^*  Forbes  had  re- 
turned to  Chicago  and  Baker  wrote  to  him  there,  asking  if  he 
w^ould  consider  painting  certain  of  the  governors.  Forbes 
replied  that  he  would,  and  in  the  correspondence  that  followed 
he  expounded  some  of  his  theories  on  portrait  painting  but, 
unfortunately,  said  nothing  about  his  career  as  an  artist.^'^ 

Contrary  to  Dunn's  statement,  James  Forbes  was  a  Scots- 
man, not  a  Canadian.  He  was  born  in  Scotland  about  1800,  had 
received  his  training  in  his  native  land,  and  had  exhibited 
paintings  at  the  Royal  Scottish  Academy  and  at  the  Royal 
Academy,  London.  It  is  not  known  when  he  came  to  America, 
but  he  had  a  studio  in  Chicago  after  i860.'*'  Dunn's  reference 
to  him  as  a  Canadian  suggests  that  he  lived  in  Canada  prior  to 
coming  to  Chicago,  but  this  has  not  been  verified.  After 
completing  his  commissions   for   Indiana  nothing  more  was 

"Dunn,  Greater  Indianapolis,  I,  481. 

"Blount  to  Governor  Baker,  July  7,  1869,  Governor  Baker's  correspond- 
ence. 

''Forbes  to  Governor  Baker,  July  20,  29,  August  6,  and  September  i, 
1869,  loc.  cit. 

'"Ulrich  Thieme  and  Felix  Becker  (eds.),  Allgemeines  Lcxikon  dcr 
bildendcn  Kiinstler  .    .    .    (Leipsiz,  1907-1937),  XII,  201. 


396  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

heard  of  him  here  :  even  the  date  and  place  of  his  death  have 
not  been  determined. 

As  no  original  portrait  of  Jonathan  Jennings  could  be 
purchased  by  the  state  in  1869,  it  was  again  necessary  to  find 
a  picture  for  Forbes  to  copy.  It  is  well  established  that  he  used 
a  miniature  which  Jennings  brought  as  a  present  to  Ann  Hay, 
his  fiancee,  upon  his  return  from  his  first  year  as  Indiana's 
delegate  in  Congress."  Forbes  has  been  remarkably  faithful 
to  the  original,  and  yet  he  has  worked  so  broadly  that  his  ver- 
sion does  not  reveal  its  derivation  from  a  miniature.  Since  the 
original  was  painted  about  18 10,  the  Forbes  painting  makes 
Jennings  look  younger  than  he  actually  was  during  his  ad- 
ministration. He  appears  as  a  dapper  young  man,  stylish  in 
dress,  with  a  forthright,  intelligent  face.  The  colors  are  not 
bright,  but  they  vary  sufficiently  in  tone  to  give  the  portrait 
a  rich  effect. 

Jonathan  Jennings  was  the  second  "epochal"  governor 
whom  T.  C.  Steele  painted  for  Samuel  Ralston  in  19 16,  so 
there  are  two  portraits  of  him  now  in  the  State  House.  These 
are  so  similar  that  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  Steele  copied 
the  one  by  Forbes  or  used  a  photograph  of  the  miniature  re- 
ferred to  above. 


Ratliff  Boon 

September  12-December  4,  1822 

Ratliff  Boon,  whose  short  term  of  three  months  as  governor 
followed  the  resignation  of  Jonathan  Jennings,  is  represented 
in  the  portrait  collection  by  a  painting  which  also  bears  the 
signature  of  James  Forbes. ^^  The  portrait  can  be  assigned  by 
means  of  letters  to  the  year  1869 — twenty- five  years  after 
Governor  Boon's  death — and  the  correspondence  shows  that 
the  search  for  a  portrait  which  would  serve  as  a  model  was 
directed  toward  Boonville,  Indiana.     Isaac  S.  Moore  informed 

'"Mabel  C.  Morrison,  .-hui  Gilmorc  Hay,  Wife  of  Jonathan  Jennings 
.  .  .  (n.  p.,  1925),  p.  12;  see  also  p.  20  for  a  reproduction  of  the  picture 
from  which  Forbes  worked. 

'*This  portrait  is  erroneously  assigned  to  Jacob  Cox  by  Dunn,  Greater 
Indianapolis,  I,  481. 


RATLIFF  BOON 
by  James  Forbes 


WILLIAM  HENDRICKS 
by  S.  Burlis  Baker 


JAMES  B.   RAY 
by  Jacob  Cox 


NOAH  NOBLE 
by  Jacob  Cox 


I 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  397 

Governor  Baker  that  John  Hacpole  of  that  town  had  a  picture 
of  "Mr  Boon  said  to  be  a  good  likeness  of  him,"'''  and  evidently 
it  was  the  one  which  Forbes  copied.  This  may  be  the  same 
portrait  of  Ratliff  Boon  now  hanging  in  the  old  capitol  at 
Corydon,  which  was  obtained  in  Boonville  at  the  time  the  capitol 
building  was  being  restored.^" 

From  this  portrait  Forbes  succeeded  in  making  a  convincing 
likeness  of  his  subject ;  the  pose  is  quiet  but  not  without  the  sug- 
gestion of  vitality ;  the  features  are  sensitively  drawn  and  clean- 
cut  ;  and  Boon's  expression  is  one  of  thoughtf ulness  as  he  gazes 
out  into  space.  The  colors  are  full  bodied :  a  black  suit  and 
tawny  face  are  set  against  a  warm  gray  background,  and  a  deep 
red  note  is  made  by  the  chair  on  the  left  side  of  the  composition. 


William  Hendricks 

December  4,  1822-February  12,  1825"^ 

The  portrait  of  Governor  William  Hendricks  presented  the 
most  difficult  problem  of  all  for  Conrad  Baker,  and  makes  one 
of  the  most  interesting  chapters  in  the  history  of  the  collection. 
By  strange  coincidence,  the  picture  which  was  ultimately  ac- 
cepted was  not  painted  until  1925,  one  hundred  years  after 
Governor  Hendricks'  election  to  the  United  States  Senate  and 
his  retirement  from  the  State  House.  This  was  the  second 
Hendricks  painting  that  had  been  made  for  this  project,  for  in 
1870  Governor  Baker  succeeded  in  getting  a  plausible  likeness 
to  complete  the  collection,  although  few  people  know  about 
it  today. 

The  story  of  the  first  portrait  runs  like  this  :  After  a  fruitless 

'"Moore  to  Governor  Baker,  September  22,  1869,  Governor  Baker's 
correspondence. 

""According  to  Judge  Roscoe  Kiper  (quoting  from  the  Warrick  Democrat 
of  May  14,  1853,  manuscript  copy  in  Indiana  Historical  Society  Library, 
Indianapolis),  a  portrait  of  Boon  painted  by  an  unnamed  artist  of  \\'ash- 
ington,  D.  C,  for  John  C.  Rives  of  that  city  was  presented  "to  the  Democracy 
of  Warrick  County,"  on  May  lo,  1853,  and  hung  in  the  courthouse.  We  do 
not  know  whether  this  is  the  portrait  which  Forbes  copied,  nor  do  we  know 
whether  it  is  the  one  hanging  in  the  Corydon  capitol. 

'•Hendricks  resigned  on  February  12,  1825,  upon  his  election  to  the 
United  States  Senate.     His  term  was  completed  by  James  B.  Ray. 


398  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

search  for  a  likeness  of  William  Hendricks  (the  gentleman  had 
shown  a  decided  aversion  to  posing  for  artists  during  his 
lifetime),  Governor  Baker  learned  through  John  R.  Cravens,  of 
Madison,  that  a  man  named  R.  H.  Buckley,  of  New  Castle, 
Kentucky,  was  willing  to  paint  the  desired  portrait. ^^  Buckley 
wrote  to  Cravens  that  he  believed  he  was  "the  only  artist  that 
could  be  looked  to  with  hope  in  this  work"  because  he  had 
known  Hendricks,  and  that  if  he  could  get  certain  aids,  he 
would  "enter  upon  it  with  great  hopes  of  a  success."  The  aids 
which  he  obtained  included  a  photograph  of  the  late  Governor's 
brother,  Jamison  Hendricks,  who  was  residing  in  Madison;  a 
memory  sketch  by  the  Governor's  son,  Grover;  and  verbal 
descriptions  by  people  who  had  known  William  Hendricks.  We 
can  imagine  Governor  Baker's  skepticism  in  the  face  of  such 
unreliable  material.  Even  the  artist  wrote  that  "such  a  work 
as  could  be  wrought  from  a  living  subject  is  not  to  be  expected." 
But  confronted  by  the  realization  that  no  other  course  lay  open, 
and  being  determined  to  complete  the  collection  before  his  term 
expired,  Governor  Baker  told  Buckley  to  undertake  the  work. 
The  picture  was  delivered  in  December,  1870,  preceded  by  a 
letter  from  the  artist  pointing  out  that  if  his  portrayal  seemed 
too  young  to  those  who  knew  Hendricks  in  his  last  days,  it  was 
because  he  himself  had  "not  seen  his  [Hendricks']  face  for 
a  space  of  more  than  thirty  five  years. "^^ 

Buckley's  work  remained  in  the  collection  for  a  very  short 
time.  When  Thomas  A.  Hendricks  assumed  office  in  1873,  he 
was  displeased  with  this  portrayal  of  his  uncle  and  had  it 
removed  from  the  walls.  The  report  of  the  State  Library  in 
1874  includes  Governor  Hendricks'  own  statement  of  the 
act :  "I  have  this  day  withdrawn  from  the  State  Library,  and 
the  custody  of  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Oren,  the  State  Librarian,  the 

'"In  Governor  Baker's  correspondence  there  are  letters  from  Buckley 
(one  dated  December  5,  1870,  and  one  undated)  in  which  he  states  that  from 
his  sixteenth  to  his  twenty-fifth  year  he  had  been  a  professional  artist.  He 
had  then  taken  up  the  practice  of  law.  At  the  time  he  was  writing  to 
Governor  Baker  he  was  fifty-six  years  old  and  desirous  of  dropping  law 
and  resuming  his  original  profession.  No  further  biographical  data  have 
been  found. 

^^R.  H.  Buckley  to  John  R.  Cravens,  March  28,  April  18,  1870 ;  Cravens 
to  A.  W.  Hendricks,  n.  d.  and  April,  1870 ;  Buckley  to  Governor  Baker, 
October  31,  1870,  loc.  cit. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  399 

portrait  of  Governor  Wm.  Hendricks,  painted  for  the  State 
during  Governor  Baker's  administration,  because  the  same  is 
not,  in  any  respect,  a  'true  and  life-like  likeness,  [']  as  con- 
templated by  the  act  authorizing  its  procurement.""*  That 
is  the  last  we  hear  of  the  Buckley  painting. 

For  more  that  forty  years  there  was  no  portrait  of  William 
Hendricks  in  the  collection,  and  there  is  nothing  to  show  that 
any  definite  steps  were  taken  by  state  officials  to  find  one.  In 
1 919  word  reached  the  State  Library  that  H.  J.  Gensler,  of 
the  Official  Reporters'  office.  United  States  Senate,  had  dis- 
covered a  picture  of  Hendricks  in  a  painting  of  a  group  of 
Congressmen.  The  correspondence  which  followed  revealed 
that  the  picture  was  a  study  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
painted  about  1822  by  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse,  and  owned  by  the 
Corcoran  Gallery  of  Art  at  Washington.  Gensler  wrote :  "I  am 
pretty  sure  it  contains  the  only  picture  of  Governor  Hendricks 
extant.  I  had  searched  for  it  far  and  wide  and  was  told  there 
was  none.  I  discovered  it  by  mere  accident,  after  I  had  been 
repeatedly  advised  by  Indianians  that  he  would  not  sit  for  a 
portrait. "^^  The  diminutive  figure  of  Hendricks — one  of 
eighty-six  in  the  composition — was  near  the  lower  left-hand 
corner.  Since  the  picture,  according  to  the  artist  himself,  was 
not  intended  "so  much  to  give  highly-finished  likenesses  of  the 
individuals  introduced  as  to  exhibit  to  the  public  a  faithful 
representation  of  the  national  hall,"^®  the  features  of  Hendricks 
were  not  well  defined.  This  together  with  the  age  of  the 
painting,  made  it  a  poor  model  for  anyone  to  copy. 

The  first  plan  was  to  get  a  photograph  of  the  figure  of 
Hendricks  from  which  a  local  painter  could  make  an  oil  portrait 
for  the  collection.  This  scheme  failed  because  the  painting  had 
deteriorated  to  such  an  extent  that  the  blemishes  were  more 
pronounced  on  the  negative  than  the  image.  Steps  were  taken 
then  to  have  a  painting  made  directly  from  the  composition,  but 

"Librarian  of  the  State  of  Indiana,  Biennial  Report,  1874  (Indianapolis, 
1874),  pp.  21-22. 

''Correspondence  relating  to  governors'  portraits,  manuscript  collection, 
Indiana  Division,  Indiana  State  Library. 

■'Life  in  America  .  .  .  (Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York,  1939). 
pp.  51-52.  This  painting  is  reproduced  in  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse,  American 
Painter  .   .   .   (Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York,  1932),  Figure  20. 


400  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

since  no  artist  was  found  at  the  time  who  was  wilHng  to  do  the 
work  for  the  amount  authorized  by  the  legislature,  the  matter 
was  dropped.  Three  years  later  Merrill  Moores,  then  represent- 
ing the  Seventh  Indiana  District  in  Congress,  became  interested 
in  the  subject,  checked  the  accuracy  of  the  key  to  the  painting 
which  identified  the  figure  of  Hendricks,  and  suggested  that 
Edward  Lind  Morse,  son  of  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse,  copy  the 
figure.  It  was  his  idea  "that  the  son  might  understand  his 
father's  methods  better  than  another  artist.''  Unfortunately, 
this  plan  could  not  be  carried  out  because  Morse  was  unable  to 
go  to  Washington  to  do  the  work."  Again  the  project  was 
abandoned.  In  1925  the  Historical  Bureau  renewed  the  subject 
and  succeeded  in  engaging  a  Washington  artist  to  make  an 
enlarged  replica  of  the  William  Hendricks  figure  in  the  Morse 
painting.  Without  any  more  obstacles  the  picture  was  finished, 
delivered,  and  hung  in  the  State  House  a  year  later,  bringing 
to  a  close  an  enterprise  which  had  troubled  people  for  more 
than  half  a  century. ^^ 

The  artist  who  finally  painted  the  William  Hendricks 
portrait  was  S.  Burtis  Baker.  He  was  born  in  Boston  in  1882, 
but  lived  in  Washington  for  many  years  as  a  portrait  painter 
and  instructor  at  the  Corcoran  Art  School.  His  connection 
with  the  gallery  in  which  the  large  Morse  painting  hung  led 
very  naturally  to  his  receiving  the  commission.  Baker's  work 
is  conscientious.  His  broad  and  turgid  style  is  in  keeping  with 
modern  tendencies  and  his  work  makes  an  interesting  contrast 
with  the  portraits  of  the  other  early  governors.  Hendricks' 
features  are  strong  and  thickset,  planes  of  his  face  are  sharply 
defined,  and  an  expression  verging  on  cynicism  or  contempt 
plays  around  his  mouth  and  eyes.  His  swarthy  face  and  black 
coat  are  accentuated  by  a  gray-green  background. 

"Correspondence  relating  to  governors'  portraits,  manuscript  collection, 
Indiana  Division,  Indiana  State  Library. 

-''Indiana  History  Bulletin,  III   (1926),  162,  182. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  401 

James  Brown  Ray 
February  12,  182 5 -December  7,  1831-^ 

The  next  portrait,  that  of  James  Brown  Ray,  brings  the 
name  of  another  painter  into  this  discussion.  The  portrait  has 
no  signature,  but  Dunn  is  our  authority  for  assigning  it  to 
Jacob  Cox,  dean  of  the  Indianapolis  artists  during  the  post-Civil 
War  period,  and  one  of  the  most  revered  painters  in  the  state. ^^ 
The  style  or  method  of  painting  supports  this  attribution.  Since 
the  portrait  is  not  dated,  the  circumstances  of  its  execution  are 
left  in  question.  If  James  Ray  sat  for  the  portrait,  it  was 
made  early  in  Cox's  career  as  a  painter,  for  Governor  Ray  died 
in  1848.  If  it  was  made  at  the  order  of  Governor  Baker  in 
1869,  Cox  would  have  used  either  a  photograph  or  another 
painting. 

A  study  of  the  portrait  itself  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  it 
was  painted  from  life,  and  in  comparing  it  with  other  portraits 
by  Cox,  it  seems  to  belong  to  the  year  1840.  If  it  goes  back 
to  that  date,  it  was  not,  in  all  probability,  commissioned  by  the 
state.  We  may  surmise  that  Ray  conceded  to  the  artist's  wish 
to  make  a  study  of  him,  and  that  the  painting  remained  in  the 
artist's  studio  until  Governor  Baker  acquired  it  in  1869. 
Although  the  execution  is  far  from  skillful,  the  artist  has  given 
life  and  personality  to  the  figure — the  strongest  argument  for 
the  conclusion  that  the  picture  was  painted  from  life.  Ray's 
expression  is  not  genial;  he  appears  sullen,  if  not  cantakerous ; 
the  personal  and  political  quarrels  of  his  administration  seem 
to  be  registered  in  his  face. 

Jacob  Cox  was  born  near  Philadelphia  in  18 10,  and  his 
youth  was  spent  in  Philadelphia  and  in  Washington,  Pennsyl- 
vania. When  he  was  about  twenty  years  old,  he  went  by  boat, 
with  his  bride  and  his  brother,  from  Pittsburgh  to  Cincinnati.  In 
1833,  they  came  to  Indianapolis,  where  the  brothers  established 
a  stove,  tinware,  and  coppersmith  business.  Jacob  had  displayed 
some  talent  for  art  in  his  boyhood  days,  but  he  was  persuaded 

''Ray  completed  Hendricks'  unfinished  term  and  served  two  full  terms 
as  governor. 

^"Dunn,  Greater  Indianapolis,  I,  481. 


402  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

to  take  up  a  more  practical  trade  and  was  discouraged  from 
taking  instruction  in  drawing  and  painting.  The  tinware 
establishment  was  very  successful  here,  but  Jacob  found  his 
eagerness  to  paint  overshadowing  his  interest  in  business,  and 
spare  moments  given  to  sketching  and  reading  art  books  multi- 
plied until  painting  became  the  dominant  interest  of  his  life.  He 
opened  a  studio  in  Indianapolis  in  1835  and  began  his  long 
career  as  an  Indiana  painter,  which  was  interrupted  by  a  short 
stay  in  Cincinnati  in  1842.  His  reputation  grew  rapidly,  and 
within  a  few  years  he  became  the  leading  artist  of  Indianapolis, 
receiving  many  important  commissions  and  attracting  to  his 
studio  most  of  the  art  students  of  the  period.  He  retained  his 
popularity  until  his  death  in  1892.^^ 


Noah  Noble 
December  7,  1 831 -December  6,  1837 

The  portrait  of  Noah  Noble  is  another  product  of  Jacob 
Cox's  studio  and  raises  the  same  queries  regarding  date  and 
derivation  as  does  the  portrait  of  Ray.  In  some  ways  it  is  less 
competent  than  the  Ray  portrait,  and  the  fact  that  Noble  died 
before  Ray  ( 1844)  may  place  it  at  an  earlier  date.  A  compari- 
son of  the  men's  ages  as  depicted  by  the  paintings  leads  to  the 
same  conclusion.  Ray  and  Noble  were  the  same  age,  but  in  his 
portrait  Noble  appears  several  years  younger,  in  spite  of  the 
lines  in  his  face  and  the  coarse,  rigid  delineation  of  his  features. 

This  inflexible  drawing  is  another  argument  for  placing 
this  painting  at  an  earlier  date.  Noble  was  a  handsome,  pre- 
possessing man,  judging  from  other  portraits,  but  Cox  lacked 
the  technical  knowledge  to  do  him  justice.  The  eyes  are  dis- 
similar in  drawing,  the  mouth  is  weak,  the  chin  large  and  badly 
modeled.  The  artist  has  also  failed  to  give  us  a  convincing 
impression  of  personality.  Such  deficiencies  point  to  a  date 
around  1837,  four  years  after  Cox  came  to  Indianapolis  and 
near  the  termination  of  Noble's  tenure  of  office.     Like  the 

'Tor  a  more  detailed  account  of  Cox's  life  see  exhibition  catalogue 
Paintings  by  Jacob  Cox  .  .  .  (Indianapolis,  John  Herron  Art  Museum 
I1941]). 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  403 

portrait  of  Ray,  this  painting  probably  remained  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  artist  until  it  was  acquired  by  the  state  in  1869. 

It  is  interesting  to  see  that  Cox  has  used  the  same  composi- 
tional scheme  for  the  portraits  of  Ray  and  Noble.  The  men  are 
seated  in  similar  positions,  their  left  shoulders  turning  toward 
the  observer  and  their  right  arms  extending  at  the  same  angle. 
The  architectural  settings,  which  lend  rank  and  dignity,  are 
alike  in  their  main  features. 


David  Wallace 
December  6,  1837-December  9,  1840 

The  portrait  of  David  Wallace  is  the  third  in  the  collection 
by  Jacob  Cox  and  unquestionably  the  best  of  this  artist's  early 
production.  It  is  well  painted  and  convincing  in  its  suggestion 
of  character,  the  personality  being  almost  as  important  in  it  as 
the  likeness;  the  subject  is  seen  and  drawn  more  broadly;  and 
the  composition  is  less  ornate  than  in  the  two  preceding 
portraits.  Wallace  appears  as  a  heavy  man  with  a  round  face 
and  clean-cut  features.  His  expression  is  incisive  and  resolute, 
yet  sympathetic,  and  he  impresses  one  as  a  man  of  convictions. 

The  success  with  which  the  artist  has  given  these  impres- 
sions leaves  little  doubt  in  one's  mind  that  the  portrait  was 
painted  from  life.  But  in  addition  to  these  internal  evidences, 
we  have  a  statement  from  an  eyewitness  of  the  sittings.  Lew 
Wallace,  in  his  chatty  story  about  his  early  aspirations  to  become 
an  artist,  tells  how  he  found  his  father  posing  one  day  in 
Jacob  Cox's  studio :  "When  I  heard  that  Mr.  Cox  painted 
pictures  in  oil,  I  nerved  myself  and  boldly  invaded  his  studio. 
He  was  painting  my  father's  portrait  when  I  went  in.  The 
coincidence  excused  me.  We  became  good  friends,  and  not  a 
few  of  my  truancies  were  passed  watching  him  at  work."^^ 

The  context  of  this  incident  in  the  story  of  Lew  Wallace's 
adventures  would  suggest  that  the  portrait  was  painted  while 
his  father  was  governor,  between  1837  and  1840.  If  this  is 
true,  it  is  remarkably  good  for  so  early  a  work.    Mary  Burnet, 

^^Leiv  Wallace,  An  Autobiography  (2  volumes.  New  York  and  London, 
1906),  I,  49. 


404  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

in  her  book  on  Indiana  art,  implies  that  it  was  painted  between 
1840  and  1842/^  and  Louis  E.  Gibson  speaks  of  the  portrait 
as  having  been  made  after  Cox's  return  from  Cincinnati,  which 
would  place  it  around  1843.^*  Comparing  it  with  Cox's  early 
portraits,  the  later  date  seems  most  plausible.  There  must  have 
been  a  mutual  sympathy  and  understanding  between  artist  and 
model  for  so  convincing  a  portrait  to  have  evolved. 

It  is  regrettable  that  we  do  not  know  whether  the  picture  was 
ordered  by  Governor  Wallace  or  done  at  the  request  of,  and  as 
a  favor  to,  the  artist.  Between  the  date  of  its  execution  and 
the  time  it  entered  the  official  collection  in  1869  it  must  have 
been  known  to  many  people,  but  no  writer  has  mentioned  it.  We 
do  not  even  know  whether  the  state  acquired  it  from  the  artist 
or  from  some  member  of  the  family. 


Samuel  Bigger 
December  9,  1840-December  6,  1843 

The  portrait  of  Samuel  Bigger  is  the  fourth  painting  by 
Jacob  Cox  in  the  State  House  Collection.  Louis  Gibson,  in  his 
article  referred  to  above,  coupled  it  with  the  portrait  of  David 
Wallace  and  implied  that  it  was  painted  in  1843.^'  While  the 
Wallace  portrait  is  of  superior  quality  and  appears  to  be  a 
later  work,  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  Bigger  sat  for 
his  official  portrait  in  1843,  his  last  year  in  office.  Although 
there  are  no  records  relating  to  its  passing  into  the  possession 
of  the  state,  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  Governor  Baker 
acquired  it  from  Cox  in  1869. 

Cox  has  painted  the  Governor  in  a  conventional,  unadorned 
manner.  The  elegant  columns  and  voluminous  curtains  which 
served  as  decorative  devices  in  his  two  earlier  canvases  have 
been  discarded,  and  instead  we  see  a  quiet  gray  background, 
relieved  only  by  some  law  books  behind  the  sitter's  left  shoulder. 
The  color  scheme  is  gray  and  dark  red.  Bigger  sits  rather 
erect,  holding  an  envelope  in  his  hand.     His  face  is  thoughtful 

^"Mary  Q.  Burnet,  Art  and  Artists  of  Indiana  (New  York,  1921),  p.  80. 

^^Indianapolis  Aden's,  July  20,  1893,  p.  5,  c.  i. 

''Ibid. 


DAVID  WALLACE 
by  Jacob  Cox 


SAMUEL  BIGGER 
by  Jacob  Cox 


JAMES  WHITCOMB 

by  James  Forbes 


PARIS  C.  DUNNING 
by  James  Forbes 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  405 

and  rather  serious.  There  is  a  suggestion  of  nervous  energy 
in  his  pose.  The  expression  conveys  the  strain  that  the 
Governor  is  under  as  he  tries  to  guide  the  destinies  of  a 
state  almost  bankrupt. 


James  Whitcomb 
December  6,  1843-December  26,  1848^" 

The  official  portrait  of  James  Whitcomb  is  the  work  of 
the  Scottish  artist,  James  Forbes.  This  and  Forbes's  previous 
commissions  from  the  state  were  carried  out  in  Evansville  early 
in  the  fall  of  1869.  Like  his  portraits  of  Jennings  and  Boon, 
the  portrait  of  Whitcomb  was  painted  from  another  picture. 

Whitcomb  had  died  in  1852  and  Governor  Baker  had  some 
difficulty  securing  good  pictures  for  Forbes  to  copy.  The  first 
that  he  found  was  an  oil  portrait  made  from  a  daguerreotype 
about  1849  when  Whitcomb  was  in  the  United  States  Senate. 
The  owner,  Mrs.  Claude  Matthews  of  Clinton,  Indiana, 
daughter  of  James  Whitcomb,  prized  it  highly  and  regarded  it 
as  an  excellent  likeness.  The  artist,  on  the  contrary,  did  not 
find  it  a  good  model  for  his  work,  judging  by  his  letter 
to  Governor  Baker :  ''After  I  had  cleaned  and  varnished  the 
portrait  of  Gov^.  Whitcomb,  it  looked  so  much  improved,  that 
I  commenced  a  copy  of  it.  .  .  .1  hope  however  you  will  find 
a  daguerrotype  or  photograph  of  some  sort  for  me  to  copy 
from — for  tho  this  may  be  a  very  cognizable  likeness  It  wants 
individuality — or  mental  character. — Has  a  vapid  expression 
that  makes  one  feel  they  are  looking  on  a  poorly  painted  picture, 
instead  of  on  the  man  himself."''" 

A  damaged  and  faded  daguerreotype  was  owned  by  a 
descendant  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  but  due  to  its  condition  steps 
were  not  immediately  taken  to  secure  it,  a  photograph  of  it  being 
borrowed  instead.  Forbes  brought  his  portrait  nearer  to 
completion  with  the  aid  of  the  photograph,  but  the  finishing 

^^VVhitcomb  served  one  full  term  as  governor  and  part  of  a  second.  He 
resigned  December  26,  1848,  upon  his  election  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

=Torbes  to  Governor  Baker,  September  27,  1869.  Governor  Baker's 
correspondence. 


406  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

touches  were  not  added,  judging  by  the  correspondence,  until 
he  had  the  daguerreotype  in  his  studio.^* 

When  the  portrait  was  finally  finished,  Forbes  placed  it  on 
view  in  Evansville  for  the  inspection  of  Whitcomb's  old  friends. 
''Drs.  Bray,  Casselberry,  and  De  Bruler,  Major  Robinson  and 
several  others  called  to  see  Govf.  Whitcomb's  portrait,"  wrote 
Forbes  to  Governor  Baker.  "I  am  glad  to  say  they  each  thought 
the  likeness  good  tho  some  at  first  could  barely  recollect  the 
features  after  so  many  years. "^''  Like  the  other  portraits  by 
James  Forbes,  the  study  of  Whitcomb,  although  largely  from 
a  photograph,  has  a  good  deal  of  pictorial  charm  and  breadth 
of  execution.  The  Governor's  dark  suit  and  mass  of  black 
hair  are  placed  against  a  warm  gray  background,  with  a  red 
tablecloth  adding  a  pleasing  note  of  color  to  the  arrangement. 
The  turn  of  the  Governor's  head  and  gesture  of  his  hand  give 
the  pose  considerable  animation.  However,  Forbes  has  failed 
to  convey  the  intellectual  force  and  fine  character  which  are 
synonymous  with  Whitcomb's  name.  The  rather  listless  eyes 
and  weak  mouth  are  probably  due  to  the  poor  prototypes  Forbes 
had  to  follow,  and,  judging  by  remarks  he  made  in  his  letters  to 
Conrad  Baker,  he  himself  was  not  entirely  satisfied  with  the 
result. 


Paris  Chipman  Dunning 

December  26,  1848-December  5,  1849 

The  likeness  of  Paris  C.  Dunning,  the  Lieutenant  Governor 
who  filled  out  Whitcomb's  second  term,  was  the  first  state 
portrait  painted  by  James  Forbes  from  life.  The  artist's  three 
earlier  commissions — the  portraits  of  Jonathan  Jennings, 
Ratliff   Boon,  and  James  Whitcomb — had  been   done   from 

'^Forbes  to  Governor  Baker,  September  27  and  October  20,  1869;  Claude 
Matthews  to  Governor  Baker,  September  27,  and  October  3,  1869 ;  Forbes 
to  John  M.  Commons,  October  11,  18,  i86g;  R.  R.  Seymour  to  Governor 
Baker,  October  20,  1869,  Governor  Baker's  correspondence.  The  daguerreo- 
type was  the  property  of  R.  R.  Seymour  of  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  a  brother-in-law 
of  Governor  Whitcomb. 

^''Forbes  to  Governor  Baker,  October  20,  1869,  Governor  Baker's  cor- 
respondence. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  407 

Other  pictures,  and  judging  from  his  correspondence  with 
Conrad  Baker,  Forbes  was  aware  of  the  superiority  of  portraits 
made  from  Hfe,  and  was  looking  forward  to  the  opportunity 
of  painting  one  or  two  of  the  former  governors  who  were 
still  living. 

Governor  Baker  submitted  to  Dunning  his  plan  of  as- 
sembling the  governors'  likenesses,  and  Dunning  consented  to 
have  his  own  painted  at  the  earliest  date  possible.  His  reply 
to  Baker  was :  "I  will  accommodate  myself  to  Mr  Forbes 
convenience,  whom  I  will  meet  in  Evansville  on  next  Wednesday 
or  Thursday,  if  that  time  will  suit  him.  .  .  .  Your  recommenda- 
tion of  Mr  Forbes  is  entirely  satisfactory  to  me."*° 

The  sittings  began  in  September,  1869,  and  the  picture  was 
ready  for  delivery  in  about  two  weeks,  both  men  having  enjoyed 
the  experience  of  watching  the  portrait  take  shape.  "The  Govf. 
seems  much  pleased  to  give  me  every  advantage  he  can  in  the 
way  of  sitting,"  wrote  Forbes.  "He  says  'he  is  here  for  the 
sole  purpose  and  desires  the  portrait  may  be  a  success.' — It  is 
of  course  unsafe  to  say  any  thing  about  it  as  yet  but,  I  think 
Gov^  Dunning  has  individual  character  enough  to  make  the 
likeness  as  strong  as  I  wish,  if  it  should  have  no  other  merit — "*^ 

Looking  at  the  portrait  today  one  feels  that  the  artist  made 
more  than  a  good  likeness.  He  has  succeeded  in  catching  the 
"individual  character"  which  he  admired  so  much  in  his  model. 
Dunning  is  a  real  personality  in  the  picture.  His  friendly  and 
candid  eyes  are  fixed  on  the  spectator ;  his  posture  is  alert,  and 
his  expression  reflects  a  genuine  interest  in  people  and  events. 

Forbes  has  used  a  slightly  different  color  scheme  in  this 
instance.  Dunning's  face  and  chubby  hands  are  ruddy,  his 
suit  is  dark  green,  and  the  wall  behind  is  warm  gray.  There 
are  no  accessories  in  the  picture  except  the  letter  that  Dunning 
holds  in  his  right  hand ;  the  simplicity  of  the  composition  seems 
to  emphasize  the  Governor's  straightforward  nature. 

^''Dunning  to  Governor  Baker,  September  17,  1869,  Governor  Baker's 
correspondence. 

"Forbes  to  Governor  Baker,  September  27,  1869,  loc.  cit. 


408  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Joseph  Albert  Wright 
December  5,  1849-January  12,  1857 

Joseph  Wright's  portrait  in  the  collection  is  another  by 
Jacob  Cox.  It  was  acquired  for  the  state  in  Governor  Baker's 
time,  but  since  there  are  no  records  of  the  date  or  of  the  circum- 
stances of  its  execution,  or  of  its  history  prior  to  its  placement 
in  the  State  House,  we  can  only  speculate  about  its  origin. 

Wright  left  Indiana  at  the  termination  of  his  governorship 
in  1857  and  took  over  his  duties  as  minister  to  Prussia.  The 
remaining  ten  years  of  his  life  were  spent  abroad  or  in  the  East. 
Therefore,  in  all  probability  Cox  painted  him  before  he  left 
Indianapolis.  The  execution  is  such  as  to  lead  one  to  believe 
that  the  portrait  was  made  from  life:  the  drawing  is  firm  and 
the  character  is*  strongly  suggested. 

The  expression  on  Wright's  face  is  as  forceful  as  any  in 
the  collection.  His  eyes  are  obdurate  and  penetrating;  his  set 
jaw  and  thin,  compressed  lips  imply  an  unyielding  disposition; 
and  the  gesture  of  his  hand  toward  a  statute  book  clearly  sug- 
gests his  regard  for  the  authority  of  the  law. 

Cox  has  been  more  successful  here  in  his  use  of  color  than 
in  some  of  his  other  paintings.  The  tones  are  deep  and  rich. 
The  sitter's  black  coat  fades  into  a  somber  green  wall,  and  a 
dark  red  curtain  cuts  into  the  upper  corner  of  the  composition. 
The  well-modeled  head  is  strongly  illuminated,  giving  the  face  a 
ruddy  hue  and  making  it  stand  out  clearly  from  the  background. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Cox  had  painted  five  Indiana 
governors  before  the  formation  of  the  collection  in  1869,  and 
one  cannot  help  but  wonder  if  the  existence  of  this  nucleus  was 
not  a  large  factor  in  encouraging  Conrad  Baker  to  initiate 
the  project. 


JOSEPH  A.  WRIGHT 
by  Jacob  Cox 


ASHBEL  P.  WILLARD 
by  George  W.  Morrison 


ABRAM  A.  HAMMOND 
by  John  B.  Hill 


HENRY  S.   LANE 
by  Jacob  Cox 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  409 

AsHBEL  Parsons  Willard 
January  12,  1857-October  4,  1860*^ 

The  portrait  of  Ashbel  P.  Willard  is  the  work  of  George  W. 
Morrison,  a  fellow  citizen  of  Willard  in  New  Albany.  Morrison 
was  the  leading  portrait  painter  of  the  town  and  its  vicinity,  and 
was  highly  respected  as  a  citizen  and  as  an  artist.  He  was 
born  in  Maryland  in  1820,  but  spent  most  of  his  life  in  New 
Albany,  dying  there  in  1893. 

Governor  Baker's  introduction  to  him  came  through  Colonel 
Benjamin  F.  Scribner  of  New  Albany,  who  called  the 
Governor's  attention  to  a  portrait  of  Ashbel  P.  Willard  which 
Morrison  had  painted  in  1857,  three  years  before  Wlllard's 
death.  Scribner  wrote  :  "This  picture  is  still  in  Mr  Morrisons 
possession,  and  is  considered  a  fine  likeness  by  all  who  knew 
Willard  in  his  best  days  It  [is]  a  half  length  with  hands  29  x 
36  price  one  hundred  &  fifty  dolls  without  the  frame. "^'^  It 
was  sent  to  the  Governor  for  inspection  in  January.  1870,  and 
as  there  was  some  delay  in  purchasing  it,  the  New  Albany 
press  published  some  crusading  editorials  on  the  artist's  behalf. 
The  portrait  was  eventually  acquired  by  the  state  and  placed 
in  the  collection,  much  to  the  pleasure  of  the  artist  and  his 
New  Albany  friends.** 

Like  most  of  Morrison's  work,  the  technique  is  rather 
painstaking  and  tight ;  the  pose  is  rigid,  and  the  delineation  of 
features  is  accurate  but  lacking  in  strong  characterization. 
Morrison  had  a  way  of  investing  his  subjects  w'ith  a  mild,  genial 
spirit,  and  the  impression  created  by  his  study  of  Governor 
Willard  is  that  of  a  calm,  placid  personality.  The  canvas  is 
larger  than  most  in  the  collection.  Willard  stands  upright, 
facing  his  audience  as  though  ready  to  address  them,  and  holds 
a  letter  and  a  book  in  his  hands.  Behind  him  is  a  gray  wall 
with  a  suggestion  of  an  architectural  column  at  the  left. 
Against  the  background,  Willard's  dark  suit  stands  out  in  a 

^■Willard  died  on  October  4,  i860,  and  his  term  was  completed  by 
Abram  A.  Hammond. 

"Scribner  to  Governor  Baker,  August  3,  1869,  Governor  Baker's 
correspondence. 

"George  W.  Morrison  to  Governor  Baker,  January  7,  i8;o,  he.  cit. 


410  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

positive  way.  This  is  one  of  Morrison's  best  portraits  on 
record,  and  it  adds  materially  to  the  collection  of  pictures  in 
the  State  House, 


Abram  Adams  Hammond 
October  4,  i860- January  14,  186 1 

The  portrait  of  Abram  A.  Hammond,  who  occupied  the 
governor's  chair  upon  the  death  of  Willard,  was  the  second 
commission  given  by  Governor  Baker  to  John  B.  Hill,  the 
young  Indianapolis  artist.  (His  first  was  the  portrait  of 
Thomas  Posey.)  As  the  portrait  is  signed  and  dated  1869.  there 
is  no  question  about  the  authorship  or  circumstances  of  the 
work.  It  was  made  from  life,  eight  years  after  the  close  of 
Governor  Hammond's  incumbency,  and  while  he  was  practicing 
law  in  Indianapolis. 

The  sitter  is  portrayed  very  objectively,  and  the  paint  is 
applied  in  an  indecisive,  laborious  way,  with  considerable 
emphasis  on  details  of  costume  and  lines  of  the  face.  Hill  was 
not  a  skillful  technician,  and  lacking  experience  as  a  portrait 
painter,  he  had  a  tendency  to  exaggerate  minor  elements,  such 
as  wrinkles,  folds,  and  buttons.     The  color  is  dull,  also. 

As  one  of  the  few  extant  paintings  by  Hill,  and  unquestion- 
ably his  most  important  made  from  life,  the  portrait  of 
Hammond  is  of  more  than  passing  interest.  The  tired  and 
rather  wan  look  on  the  Governor's  face  was  doubtless  due  to 
his  poor  health  at  the  time  the  portrait  was  painted.  It  will 
be  recalled  that  he  suffered  from  rheumatism  and  became  so 
badly  crippled  that  late  in  life  he  had  to  walk  on  crutches, 

Henry  Smith  Lane 

January  14-16,  1861^^ 

The  portrait  of  Henry  S.  Lane  in  the  State  House  was 
painted  eight  years  after  the  Governor's  very  brief  occupancy 
of  the  executive  chair.    It  is  the  work  of  Jacob  Cox.    Governor 

■'''Lane  resigned  as  governor  on  his  third  day  in  office,  upon  his  election 
to  the  United  States  Senate.    His  term  was  completed  by  Oliver  P.  Morton. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  411 

Baker  sent  word  to  Lane  at  his  home  in  Crawfordsville  about 
the  collection  of  governor's  portraits,  and  suggested  that  Cox 
make  his  portrait.  Lane  answered:  "I  have  received  your 
letter  of  the  12th  Inst,  in  reference  to  Painting  my  portrait,  in 
pursuance  of  a  provision  of  the  last  Legislature  &  I  am  much 
pleased  with  your  selection  of  Mr.  Cox  as  the  artist.  I  will 
send  a  large  Photograph  by  Brady  which  is  thought  to  be  a 
good  hkeness,  ('painfully  Hke  the  Original')  I  will  give  a 
sitting  or  two  either  at  this  place  or  Indianapolis  as  may  best 
suit  his  convenience  at  any  time  which  he  may  designate."^''  It 
is  likely  that  Lane  came  to  Indianapolis  and  gave  Cox  the 
necessary  sittings  in  his  studio. 

The  portrait  represents  the  venerable  Governor  and  Senator 
comfortably  seated  in  a  large  red  chair,  holding  a  cane  in  his 
left  hand.  He  looks  out  of  the  frame  with  deep-set,  intelligent 
eyes ;  the  white  hair  and  beard  contrast  with  the  dark  shadows 
of  the  background.  His  pose  is  lifelike  and  his  attitude  ami- 
able and  gracious. 

This  study  of  Lane  is  the  sixth  and  last  portrait  by  Jacob 
Cox  in  the  State  House  collection.  It  is  the  only  one  of  his 
works  made  specifically  for  the  collection. 


Oliver  Perry  Morton 
January  16,   1 861 -January  23,   1867*^ 

The  portrait  of  Indiana's  Civil  War  governor,  Oliver  Perry 
Morton,  was  painted  by  James  Forbes.  Correspondence  be- 
tween Governor  Baker  and  the  artist  informs  us  that  Baker 
had  selected  Forbes  to  paint  Morton  some  time  before  the 
artist's  visit  to  Indianapolis  in  the  fall  of  1869.  Forbes  looked 
forward  to  the  undertaking  with  interest,  and  not  without  some 
anxiety,  as  is  shown  in  his  letter  of  October  20,  1869: 

"I  would  beg  to  say — that  However  anxious  I  may  be  to 
paint  the  portrait  of  a  gentleman  of  such  eminent  abilities  as 

"Lane  to  Governor  Baker,  August  16,  1869,  Governor  Baker's  cor- 
respondence. 

"Morton  completed  Lane's  term  as  governor.  He  was  then  elected 
governor  and  served  until  his  election  to  the  United  States  Senate  on 
Jajiuary  23,  1867.  Morton's  uncompleted  term  was  filled  out  by  Conrad  Baker. 


412  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Govi".  Morton,  I  am  not  sanguine  he  will,  from  any  thing  in 
the  two  portraits  sent,  select  me  to  do  it — and  am  unwilling 
he  shall  conclude  I  cannot  do  a  better  portrait  than  either  with 
even  less  pains  than  I  have  bestowed  on  them."*^ 

The  two  portraits  referred  to  were  those  he  had  painted  in 
Evansville  of  Governors  Whitcomb  and  Dunning.  Evidently 
both  Morton  and  Baker  were  satisfied  with  the  performances, 
for  Forbes  was  given  the  honor  of  painting  the  Morton  portrait. 
The  sittings  were  probably  in  Indianapolis. 

Forbes  has  succeeded  in  making  a  very  convincing  likeness, 
as  well  as  in  representing  Morton  with  that  determined,  forceful 
attitude  which  was  so  characteristic  of  him.  The  Governor 
holds  out  his  right  hand  in  an  artificial  pose  of  declamation,  his 
eyes  fastened  on  his  observer  with  an  expression  wholly  unre- 
lated to  the  gesture.  Strong  contrasts  of  dark  hair  and  beard 
against  light  flesh  tints  and  white  shirt  front,  the  sharp  eyes, 
and  the  clear  demarcation  of  the  head  against  the  background 
help  to  give  the  composition  a  vivid  effect. 

Another  portrait  of  Morton  in  the  collection,  done  by 
T.  C.  Steele,  belongs  to  the  paintings  of  "epochal"  governors 
ordered  in  1916  for  the  executive  office,  and  pays  tribute  to 
his  leadership  through  the  Civil  War  period.  Since  the  pose 
is  not  the  same  as  in  the  Forbes  portrait,  we  know  that  Steele 
went  to  another  source  for  his  model ;  according  to  the  local 
press  the  picture  he  used  came  from  a  relative  of  the  War 
Governor,  "who  declared  the  print  an  excellent  likeness."*^ 
Steele's  version  of  Morton  is  more  reserved  in  spirit  and  more 
resti"ained  in  tone  and  color  than  the  Forbes  work.  The  subject 
appears  several  years  older,  and  he  looks  off  to  the  left  in  a 
relaxed,  thoughtful  attitude. 

"Forbes  to  Governor  Baker,  October  20,  1869,  Governor  Baker's  cor- 
respondence. 

""Indianapolis  Neivs,  May  20,  1916,  p.  17,  c.  i. 


OLIVER  P.   MORTON 
by  James  Forbes 


CONRAD  BAKER 

by  James  Forbes 


THOMAS  A.   HENDRICKS 

by  William  R.  Freeman 


JAMES  D.  WILLIAMS 
by  Harry  M.  Cole  or  d 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  413 

Conrad  Baker 
January  23,  1867-January  13,  1873 

Conrad  Baker  had  his  own  portrait  painted  late  in  1869  or 
early  in  1870,  as  he  was  completing  the  collection  for  the  state. 
His  respect  for  James  Forbes  had  grown  so  steadily  as  work 
on  the  different  paintings  progressed  that  he  selected  the 
visiting  Scotsman  rather  than  one  of  the  resident  artists  to  make 
it.  This  was  the  sixth  and  last  of  the  Forbes  commissions.  The 
picture  also  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  in  the  group 
known  to  have  been  painted  when  the  subject  was  in  office. 

Baker  is  shown  sitting  in  a  chair,  his  body  turned  toward 
the  left,  holding  a  letter  in  his  hand  as  though  discussing  its 
contents.  He  is  a  handsome  man  with  regular  features,  a 
heavy  beard,  and  thin  brown  hair ;  his  expression  is  genial  and 
his  attitude  sympathetic.  The  same  rich  tones  are  used  here 
as  in  Forbes's  earlier  compositions.  Against  a  gray-green  back- 
ground the  healthy  ruddiness  of  Baker's  face  makes  a  strong 
color  note ;  the  whites  of  the  shirt,  collar,  cuffs,  and  paper  are 
set  in  strong  opposition  to  the  black  suit ;  and  touches  of  green 
on  the  back  of  the  chair  repeat  the  general  tone  of  the  back- 
ground. Forbes  put  his  signature  on  the  arm  of  the  chair  near 
the  lower  left  corner  of  the  canvas. 

For  about  ten  years  the  picture  by  Forbes  was  not  in  the 
collection.  It  was  removed  in  1933,  at  the  request  of  Governor 
Baker's  children,  some  of  whom  felt  that  it  was  not  as  good  a 
likeness  of  their  father  as  an  oil  painting  done  by  Jacob  Cox 
from  life  in  1883.  The  family  engaged  Miss  Clara  Barrett- 
Strait,  a  New  York  artist,  to  copy  the  Cox  portrait  for  the 
State  House.  She  was  known  to  members  of  the  family  as 
a  capable  portraitist  and  one  experienced  in  making  copies  of 
old  pictures.  Only  the  head  and  shoulders  are  shown  in  her 
composition.  Conrad  Baker's  round,  chubby  face  is  framed 
by  thinning  white  hair  and  heavy  curling  beard. 

The  Forbes  portrait  of  Governor  Baker  was  returned  to 
the  State  House  collection  in  December,    1943-"' 

'"The  portrait  by  Miss  Barrett-Strait  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mrs. 
Evans  Woollen,  Sr.,  Indianapolis. 


414  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Thomas  Andrews  Hendricks 
January  13,  1873- January  8,  1877 

Governor  Thomas  A.  Hendricks  had  his  portrait  painted  by 
an  artist  named  William  R.  Freeman  soon  after  he  assumed 
office  in  1873.  Freeman,  the  fifth  Indiana  painter  to  be 
employed  on  the  project,  was  well  known  in  this  region.  He 
traveled  rather  extensively  in  connection  with  his  portrait  work, 
visiting  Indianapolis  more  than  once  as  he  shuttled  back  and 
forth  through  Indiana  and  the  neighboring  states.  Dunn  re- 
ports that  Freeman  was  "a  transient  here  in  1873-4,  who 
stopped  at  the  Bates  House  and  painted  several  portraits  of 
citizens.""^     The  Hendricks  portrait  is  signed. 

Freeman  was  born  in  New  York  state  about  1820  and  came 
to  Vincennes,  Indiana,  in  1849.  He  rented  a  studio  there  and 
painted  portraits  of  members  of  some  of  the  early  families. 
Later  he  moved  to  Terre  Haute,  and  at  one  time  he  lived  in 
Madison.  Following  his  short  stay  in  Indianapolis,  he  went 
to  San  Francisco,  and  so  far  as  is  known,  did  not  return  to 
Indiana.    He  died  in  St.  Louis  about  1906. 

Freeman's  canvas  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  State  House 
collection.  Hendricks  sits  upright  in  his  office  chair,  looking 
off  to  the  observer's  right  with  a  thoughtful  expression.  He 
appears  relaxed ;  his  hand,  holding  an  Indianapolis  newspaper, 
has  dropped  to  his  lap.  His  head  is  well  drawn ;  the  figure  is 
fully  modeled,  and  features  are  clearly  indicated.  The  artist 
has  suggested  a  candid,  honest,  and  amiable  personality.  Free- 
man's style  is  mellower  than  that  of  the  painters  we  have  dis- 
cussed up  to  this  point ;  and'  his  colors,  though  limited  to  grays 
and  reds,  are  pleasing  and  harmonious. 

Thomas  A.  Hendricks,  because  of  his  achievements  as  a 
peace  governor,  was  one  of  the  four  men  chosen  by  Governor 
Ralston  at  the  time  of  the  state's  centennial,  for  representation 
as  an  ''epochal"  governor.  Steele's  portrait  made  for  this 
group  seems  to  have  been  painted  from  a  photograph  taken  late 
in  Hendricks'  life.  According  to  the  Indianapolis  press. 
Governor  Ralston  was  especially  pleased  with  the  study  of 
"gentle,  yet  courageous  Hendricks  whom  he,  as  a  young  man 

"Greater  Indianapolis,  I,  481. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  415 

beginning  his  study  of  law,  had  as  a  friend.  Members  of  the 
Hendricks  family  who  have  seen  the  portrait  of  their  illustrious 
ancestor  have  expressed  their  admiration  for  the  Steele 
painting.  "^^ 


James  Douglas  Williams 
January  8,  1877-November  20,  1880^^ 

The  portrait  of  James  D.  Williams,  Indiana's  farmer 
governor,  has  puzzled  local  historians  for  some  time  due  to 
the  lack  of  information  about  the  artist  who  painted  it.  The 
earliest  statement  regarding  its  genesis  was  made  by  Dunn,  who 
reported  that  it  was  painted  by  "a  Mr.  Colcord,  an  unknown 
transient."^*  Colcord's  name  could  not  be  connected  with  any 
work  of  art  in  Indiana  or  in  neighboring  states,  and  for  a  long 
time  nothing  could  be  discovered  about  the  man  beyond  the  fact 
that  he  had  painted  Governor  Williams'  portrait.  A  clue  to 
his  identity  was  recently  found  by  chance  in  a  catalogue  of  an 
exhibition  held  in  Indianapolis  in  1878,  sponsored  by  the 
Indiana  Art  Association,  controlling  body  of  the  first  art 
school  in  Indianapolis.  One  item,  a  "Portrait  of  M.  McRea," 
was  listed  as  the  work  of  H.  Colcord.  In  the  city  directories 
of  the  period  it  was  found  that  an  artist  named  Harry  M. 
Colcord  was  a  resident  of  Indianapolis  in  1878  and  1879  and 
that  he  had  a  studio  at  37  West  Washington  Street,  the  building 
in  which  T.  C.  Steele  worked  at  that  time.  The  dropping  of 
Colcord's  name  from  the  directories  after  1879  suggests  that 
he  left  Indianapolis  about  1880.  Where  he  came  from  and 
where  he  went  remain  a  mystery. 

The  style  of  work  in  this  instance  is  rather  simple  and 
turgid,  producing  an  effect  that  is  generally  called  "primitive" 
by  art  critics.  The  manner  is  characteristic  of  painters  who 
have  had  little  or  no  academic  training,  but  who  possess  some 

''Indianapolis  Star,  March  18,  1916,  p.  7-  The  paintings  of  the  four 
epochal  governors  are  reproduced  here. 

°*Williams  died  on  November  20,  1880,  and  his  term  was  completed  by 
Isaac  P.  Gray.    See  post,  pp.  417-18. 

"Greater  Indianapolis,  I,  481. 


416  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

natural  ability  and  an  innate  sense  of  pleasing  design.  It 
happens  to  be  fortunate  in  this  case :  the  severe  manner  seems 
appropriate  for  the  delineation  of  so  plain  and  unaffected  a 
man  as  James  Williams. 

Colcord's  canvas  is  large,  and  upon  it  he  has  worked  out 
an  imposing  composition.  The  Governor  sits  facing  the  front, 
his  right  arm  leaning  on  a  table,  his  legs  crossed,  and  his  eyes 
directed  toward  the  observer.  Behind  are  the  official  appurte- 
nances which  so  many  artists  saw  fit  to  use  in  portraits  of 
important  people — a  column  and  a  draped  curtain.  Even  these 
assume  severe  lines  under  Colcord's  hand,  and  echo  the  angu- 
larity of  Williams'  figure.  The  "blue  jeans"  in  which  the 
Governor  is  painted  was  his  customary  dress ;  it  gave  him  his 
nickname,  and  made  the  campaign  in  which  he  was  elected  to 
office  the  most  picturesque  in  the  state's  history.  This  portrayal 
of  him  as  a  tall,  rawboned  man,  with  high  cheekbones  and  large 
hands,  is  in  keeping  with  early  descriptions. 

Albert  Gallatin  Porter 
January  lo,   1 88 1 -January  12,   1885 

With  the  portrait  of  Albert  G.  Porter,  there  begins  a  series 
of  five  paintings  of  governors  by  T.  C.  Steele  made  in  the  order 
in  which  the  subjects  served.  These  are  not  to  be  confused  with 
the  four  paintings  made  by  him  in  connection  with  the  state 
contennial  in  191 6. 

Theodore  Clement  Steele,  perhaps  the  most  revered  of  all 
our  state  painters,  was  a  native  of  Indiana.  He  was  born  in 
Owen  County  in  1847.  When  he  was  four  years  old,  his  family 
moved  to  Waveland  where  he  received  his  early  schooling  and 
some  instruction  in  art  at  the  Waveland  Academy.  He  had 
very  little  formal  training  in  painting,  but  he  probably  derived 
some  help  from  visits  to  Cincinnati  and  Chicago  in  his  impres- 
sionable years.  His  first  activities  as  a  professional  portrait 
painter  took  him  to  Battle  Creek,  Michigan,  in  1870.  Three 
years  later  he  moved  to  Indianapolis  and  opened  a  studio  on 
the  Bradshaw  Block  where  he  remained  until  1880.  Portrait 
painting  continued  to  be  his  chief  activity  during  that  period, 
and  although  he  painted  several  prominent  people,  he  was  not 


ALBERT  G.   PORTER 

by  Theodore  C.  Steele 


ISAAC  P.  GRAY 
by  Theodore  C.  Steele 


ALVIN   P.   HOVEY 

by  Theodore  C.  Steele 


IRA  J.  CHASE 
by  Theodore  C.  Steele 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  417 

commissioned  to  portray  the  governors  then  in  office.  In  1880 
he  went  abroad  for  more  intensive  training  at  the  Royal 
Academy  of  Art  in  Munich  and  stayed  there  five  years. 

Upon  his  return  to  IndianapoHs  in  the  summer  of  1885, 
Steele  opened  his  studio  again  and  began  taking  commissions 
for  portraits.  One  of  his  first  was  that  of  Porter,  whose  term 
as  governor  had  ended  in  January.  Circumstantial  evidence 
points  to  the  probability  that  Porter  postponed  having  his  por- 
trait painted  until  Steele  returned,  knowing  something  of  the 
artist's  ability  and  reputation.  It  must  have  been  an  important 
assignment  for  Steele,  in  that  it  would  help  greatly  in  re-estab- 
lishing him  in  the  city. 

Technically  the  portrait  reflects  the  method  of  painting 
taught  in  Munich.  The  tones  are  dark,  the  color  scheme  is 
dominantly  brown,  and  forms  melt  into  the  background. 
Steele  has  drawn  Governor  Porter's  features  with  a  sure,  steady 
hand,  and  has  thoughtfully  analyzed  his  model's  character. 
Porter  appears  as  an  intellectual  and  cultured  man,  wearing  an 
expression  that  suggests  a  serious  but  kindly  disposition.  His 
attitude  in  the  portrait  is  that  of  an  accomplished  jury  lawyer. 


Isaac  Pusey  Gray 

November  20,  1880- January  10.  188 1 ; 
January  12,  1885-January  14,  1889" 

Isaac  P.  Gray,  who  preceded  and  followed  Albert  Porter 
as  governor,  is  portrayed  in  a  gracious  and  sympathetic  way  by 
T.  C.  Steele.  He  is  seated  in  a  large  chair,  upholstered  in  red 
leather,  undoubtedly  the  one  that  he  used  in  his  executive 
office.  This  leads  us  to  conclude  that  the  portrait  was  painted 
in  the  State  House.  The  canvas  carries  the  artist's  signature 
and  the  date  1886. 

Governor  Gray  is  shown  sitting  erect  at  his  desk  with  his 
right  shoulder  turned  toward  the  front,  a  book  in  his  left  hand, 
and  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  spectator  with  an  astute  look.  The 
pose  is  natural,  and  the  expression  lifelike.    The  effect  of  light 

"Gray  completed  the  term  of  James  D.  Williams;  he  was  elected  to 
succeed  Governor  Porter. 


418  '  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

and  air  enveloping  the  model  is  unusually  convincing;  forms  are 
well  modeled  without  appearing  hard,  and  the  brush  has  moved 
across  the  canvas  with  apparent  ease.  Colors  are  few  but  the 
artist  has  managed  them  carefully:  the  different  tones  of  gray 
in  the  Governor's  suit  and  in  the  background  are  set  off  by  the 
warm  flesh  tints  and  the  deep  red  upholstery  of  the  chair. 
Steele  seems  to  have  reached  his  stride,  so  to  speak,  with  this 
portrait,  because  technical  problems  have  been  solved  with  less 
effort  than  in  the  painting  which  preceded  it. 


Alvin  Peterson  Hovey 
January  14,  1889-November  23,  1891^® 

Steele's  portrait  of  Alvin  P.  Hovey  is  an  impressive  canvas, 
large  in  size  and  bold  in  design.  It,  too,  may  have  been  painted 
in  the  executive  office;  it  is  dated  1889,  the  year  in  which 
Hovey  began  his  administration. 

The  Governor  is  represented  in  a  standing  pose,  almost  full 
length,  with  his  left  arm  and  hand  extended  downward  holding 
a  book,  and  his  right  hand  clasping  a  handkerchief.  The  right 
side  of  his  face  is  shown  as  he  looks  toward  a  window  not  visible 
in  the  picture.  The  strong  light  falling  on  his  face  and  down 
the  side  of  his  long  coat  emphasizes  his  stately,  commanding 
figure.  His  firmly  modeled  features  are  set  in  earnest  thought ; 
and  although  he  appears  to  be  motionless,  the  artist  has  sug- 
gested intensity  of  spirit  and  momentarily  restrained  activity. 

The  colors  are  more  forceful  than  in  the  other  portraits  by 
Steele.  Against  a  dark  brown  background  the  gray  coat  makes 
an  effective  area,  especially  as  it  assumes  different  values  under 
the  strong  beam  of  light ;  and  the  rich,  warm  tones  of  the  face 
are  echoed  in  the  tan  books  and  rose-colored  cloth  on  the  table 
at  Hovey's  left. 

°*Hovey  died  on  November  23,  1891,  and  his  term  was  completed  by 
Ira  J.  Chase. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  419 

Ira  Joy  Chase 
November  23,  189 1 -January  9,  1893 

The  portrait  of  Ira  J.  Chase,  whose  governorship  v^^as  an 
interlude  in  his  work  as  a  minister,  was  painted  by  T.  C.  Steele 
in  1892.  It  is  signed  and  dated.  The  sittings  for  this  painting 
were  probably  given  by  Governor  Chase  in  the  artist's  studio 
in  the  old  Tinker  home,  to  which  Steele  had  moved  soon  after 
his  return  from  Munich.  The  John  Herron  Art  Institute  now 
stands  on  that  site. 

In  many  ways  the  Chase  portrait  is  the  best  of  the  series 
painted  by  Steele  for  the  official  collection.  It  has  an  airiness 
and  warmth  about  it  which  is  very  pleasant ;  this  is  in  keeping 
with  the  tendency  of  that  era  to  paint  in  brighter  colors  and 
reproduce  the  effect  of  scintillating  light.  The  composition  is 
forceful  without  being  pretentious,  and  the  colors,  although 
predominantly  gray,  are  fresh  and  harmonious.  Perhaps  the 
better  working  conditions  that  prevailed  in  a  well-equipped 
studio,  away  from  the  disturbances  of  executive  routine,  had 
much  to  do  with  its  success.  Another  factor  must  have  been 
the  artist's  mastery  of  a  method  which  was  most  congenial 
to  his  temperament. 

Governor  Chase  is  portrayed  seated  in  a  mahogany  chair 
turning  toward  the  right.  His  attitude  and  personality  are 
convincingly  described  by  the  artist,  for  he  seems  alert  and 
attentive  to  whatever  is  going  on  around  him,  and  one  is  made 
to  feel  a  fine  character  behind  the  eyes  that  look  out  from  the 
canvas  with  earnestness  and  understanding.  It  is  easy  to  ap- 
preciate, through  Steele's  painting,  why  Ira  Chase  was  greatly 
loved  by  all  who  knew  him. 


420  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Claude  Matthews 
January  9,   1893-January   11,   1897 

With  the  portrait  of  Claude  Matthews  we  come  to  the  fifth 
and  last  of  the  series  of  portraits  made  by  T.  C.  Steele  from 
life.  The  concentrated  light  falling  on  the  figure,  similar  to 
the  lighting  in  the  pictures  of  Governors  Gray  and  Hovey, 
suggests  the  possibility  that  it,  also,  was  painted  in  the  executive 
office  at  the  State  House.  It  is  signed  and  dated  1893,  the 
first  year  of  Matthew's  administration. 

There  is  nothing  unusual  about  either  the  pose  or  the 
composition;  and  while  the  execution  is  most  competent,  it  is 
without  dash  or  eccentricity.  Claude  Matthews,  farmer  and 
expert  stock  breeder,  did  not  present  to  the  artist  so  rich  a 
personality  as  did  some  of  his  predecessors,  although  he  has  the 
appearance  of  a  capable  administrator.  Placed  in  an  un- 
adorned setting,  his  black  suit  silhouetted  against  a  warm  gray 
background,  he  sits  rather  stiffly  in  a  mahogany  chair,  his 
arms  and  hands  relaxed.  The  pose  suggests  a  somewhat  self- 
conscious  subject,  only  mildly  interested  in  the  experience  of 
having  his  portrait  painted. 

Steele's  portraits  of  the  governors  seemed  to  have  attracted 
more  comment  than  the  paintings  of  other  artists  who  had 
worked  on  the  project.  This  was  probably  due  to  the  growing 
interest  in  the  official  collection  at  that  time,  and  to  the  in- 
creasing popularity  of  the  painter  among  his  fellow  townsmen. 
However,  despite  his  success  in  this  field,  Steele  gradually 
turned  his  attention  to  landscape  painting,  and  toward  the  end 
of  his  life  produced  very  few  portraits.  The  five  by  him  in 
the  State  House  are  among  his  finest. 


James  Atwell  Mount 

January  11,  1897-January  14,   1901 

The  portrait  of  James  A.  Mount  is  the  work  of  James  M. 
Dennis,  a  native  of  Dublin,  Indiana,  and  a  resident  of  Indian- 
apolis during  the  sixties  and  seventies.  Dennis  was  born  in 
1840.    He  studied  in  Cincinnati,  and  lived  in  Indianapolis  from 


CLAUDE  MATTHEWS 
bjy  Theodore  C.  Steele 


JAMES  A.  MOUNT 

by  James  M.  Dennis 


WINFIELD  T.  DURBIN 

by  Wayman  Adams 


J.  FRANK  HANLY 
by  Wayman  Adams 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  421 

1865  to  1873  and  again  from  1875  to  1883.  In  the  latter  year 
he  moved  to  Detroit,  and  continued  to  paint  portraits.  land- 
scapes, and  murals.     He  died  on  May  6,  1918/ 

Confirmation  that  Dennis  painted  the  portrait  of  Governor 
Mount  is  found  in  a  letter  that  he  wrote  to  Jacob  Dunn,  after 
he  had  moved  to  Detroit.  After  mentioning  a  period  of  study 
in  New  York,  Dennis  said:  "I  again  returned  to  Indianapolis 
and  painted  many  portraits  and  landscapes.  Some  of  the  por- 
' traits  that  were  painted  at  that  time  were  John  C.  New,  for  the 
Treasury  Building,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Governor  Mount,  for 
the  State  House,  Indianapolis ;  Jefferson  Davis  .  .  .  and 
Joseph  E.  Johns [t] on  ...  all  from  Hfe."" 

The  second  period  of  his  sojourn  in  Indianapolis  was  from 
1875  to  1883.  It  is  puzzling  to  have  him  say  that  he  painted 
Governor  Mount's  portrait  for  the  State  House  at  that  time, 
because  Mount  was  then  living  on  his  farm  and  had  not  entered 
poHtical  life.  His  election  as  governor  was  in  1896.  thirteen 
years  after  Dennis  had  left  the  state. 

Two  alternatives  present  themselves.  Either  Dennis  made 
the  portrait  approximately  fifteen  years  before  Mount  became 
governor,  or  he  returned  to  Indianapolis  again  in  or  around 
1900  to  paint  it  for  the  collection.  His  reference  to  the  portrait 
as  "for  the  State  House"  suggests  the  latter  possibility.  The 
date  1900  seems  more  plausible,  too,  when  the  painting  itself 
is  analyzed.  Mount  appears  as  a  man  between  fifty-five  and 
sixty  years  of  age,  and  not  forty  as  he  would  have  been  in  1883. 
Dennis  has  used  pastel  instead  of  oil  paints,  a  medium  he  used 
almost  exclusively  around  1900  and  thereafter. 

Another  riddle  that  may  be  explained  some  day  is  why  Den- 
nis was  not  commissioned  to  paint  any  of  the  official  portraits 
in  the  seventies  when  other  local  artists  were  being  favored ;  yet, 
after  leaving  Indianapolis,  he  was  called  back  (if  the  above  con- 
clusions are  correct)  to  paint  Governor  Mount — and  this  at  a 
time  when  the  city  could  boast  of  several  capable  and  ex- 
perienced painters  to  whom  the  Governor  could  have  turned. 

The  portrait  of  James  Mount  is  not  very  impressive  as  it 
hangs  in  the  State  House  now.  but  due  to  its  poor  condition 
it  is  not  a  fair  measure  of  the  artist's  work.     At  some  time 

"Dunn,  Greater  Indianapolis,  I,  482. 


422  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

it  was  cleaned  by  somebody  who  did  not  know  that  it  was 
a  pastel  and  was  unaware  of  the  frailty  of  the  medium,  and 
much  of  the  original  color  and  drawing  has  been  removed. 

WiNFiELD  Taylor  Durbin 
January  14,   1 901 -January  9,   1905 

The  official  portrait  of  Winfield  T,  Durbin  is  listed  as  the 
work  of  Seymour  Thomas,  New  York  artist,  in  Mary  Q, 
Burnet's  roster  of  artists  who  painted  the  governors.^®  Either 
this  is  a  mistake,  or  the  Thomas  painting  has  been  removed. 
The  present  portrait  of  Governor  Durbin  is  the  work  of 
Wayman  Adams,  and  is  one  of  six  by  this  artist  in  the  State 
House.  The  painting  is  not  dated,  but  according  to  the  local 
press  it  was  completed  and  hung  in  1920,  fifteen  years  after 
Durbin's  retirement  from  office. ^^ 

This  lapse  of  time  is  hard  to  account  for.  Durbin  did  not 
want  the  legislature  to  pay  for  his  portrait  so  he  arranged  with 
Wayman  Adams  to  paint  it  with  the  intention  of  donating  it 
to  the  state.  The  reports  of  the  State  Library,  which  frequently 
refer  to  the  governors'  portraits,  speak  of  this  gap  in  the  collec- 
tion between  1908  and  1916  and  reiterate  Durbin's  promise 
to  supply  the  missing  item. 

Durbin  should  have  been  very  pleased  with  his  portrait 
when  it  was  finally  hung.  Adams  has  depicted  him  in  a  quiet, 
thoughtful  mood,  facing  his  audience  squarely,  and  holding  on 
his  lap  a  magazine  or  newspaper  which  produces  a  startling 
white  note  in  an  otherwise  dark  composition.  The  pose  is 
natural,  the  head  is  well  drawn,  and  the  paint  is  applied  with 
facility.  Durbin  has  the  appearance  of  a  successful  business 
man,  with  a  face  that  suggests  a  forceful  personality. 

Wayman  Adams,  one  of  America's  most  eminent  portrait- 
ists, is  of  Indiana  origin.  He  was  born  at  Muncie  in  1883.  His 
early  training  was  received  in  the  evening  classes  of  the  John 
Herron  Art  School;  in  19 10  he  went  to  Italy  to  study  under 
William  M.  Chase,  who  was  conducting  classes  in  Florence,  and 
in  19 12  he  went  abroad  again,  accompanying  Robert  Henri  to 

"Burnet,  Art  and  Artists  of  Indiana,  p.  417. 
"Indianapolis  News,  May  18,  1920,  p.  13,  c.  i. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  423 

Spain.  He  had  already  opened  a  studio  in  Indianapolis,  and 
upon  his  return  from  Europe  he  continued  his  work  here  as 
a  portrait  painter.  A  few  years  later  he  went  to  New  York  and 
rapidly  advanced  to  the  top  rank  of  his  profession.  When  he 
painted  Win  field  Durbin  he  had  a  studio  in  New  York,  but 
was  spending  a  good  deal  of  time  in  Indianapolis. 


James  Frank  Hanly 
January  9,  1905-January  11,  1909 

The  portrait  of  the  next  governor,  J.  Frank  Hanly,  is  also 
by  Wayman  Adams,  but  it  antedates  the  one  of  Governor 
Durbin  by  seven  years.  It  is  the  earliest  of  this  artist's  work 
in  the  State  House,  and  in  many  respects  his  best.  In  addition 
to  his  signature  and  the  date  on  the  canvas,  we  have  the  follow- 
ing record  of  its  execution  in  the  Indiana  State  Library  BtiUetin 
of  November,  1913:  "The  last  Assembly  appropriated  funds 
for  the  portraits  of  J.  Frank  Hanly  and  Thomas  R.  Marshall. 
Wayman  Adams  has  finished  the  portrait  of  Mr.  Hanly  and 
it  now  hangs  in  the  State  Library.  Mr.  Marshall's  has  not 
yet  been  painted."  This  was  almost  four  years  after  Hanly's 
administration  closed. 

Wayman  Adams'  technique  is  very  adroit  in  this  and  the 
other  portraits  of  governors.  The  directness  and  speed  with 
which  the  likenesses  are  put  down  lend  the  subjects  considerable 
life  and  vivacity.  Hanly  is  represented  in  a  front-view  pose,  his 
eyes  fixed  intently  on  the  visitor,  and  his  left  hand  gripping 
his  thigh.  The  pose  suggests  an  alert  and  forceful  leader,  while 
the  facial  expression  is  one  of  shrewd  deliberation. 

The  colors  in  Governor  Hanly's  picture  are  deep  and  rich. 
His  swarthy  face  and  hands,  his  black  suit  and  hair,  and  his 
white  vest  are  seen  against  a  dark  brown  1)ackground.  The 
composition  is  severe  in  its  simplicity;  there  is  nothing  to  en- 
rich the  background,  and  no  paraphernalia  surrounds  the  model. 
The  heavy,  loosely  applied  paint  accentuates  the  sitter's  rugged 
and  brusque  character. 


424  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Thomas  Riley  Marshall 
January  ii,  1909-January  13,  19 13 

The  portrait  of  Thomas  R.  Marshall,  the  third  by  Waymaii 
Adams,  was  painted  in  Washington,  nearly  seven  years  after 
the  end  of  Marshall's  governorship  and  toward  the  close  of 
his  second  term  as  vice-president  of  the  United  States.  The 
sittings  were  held  in  his  office  during  December,  1919,  and 
a  report  of  the  work's  completion  came  through  the  story  of 
the  Washington  correspondent  of  the  Indianapolis  News  that 
a  "very  lifelike  portrait  of  Vice-President  Marshall  is  on 
exhibition  at  his  office  here.  It  was  painted  by  Wayman 
Adams,  a  New  York  artist,  formerly  of  Indianapolis.  The 
portrait  will  be  placed  in  the  gallery  of  portraits  of  former 
Governors  of  Indiana  in  the  state  capitol  at  Indianapolis.  An  ap- 
propriation to  pay  for  it  was  made  by  the  Indiana  legislature.'"**' 

The  artist  has  shown  Marshall  in  a  seated  pose,  relaxed,  but 
not  without  dignity.  He  appears  to  be  turning  toward  his  right, 
his  hands  hanging  listlessly  from  the  arms  of  a  chair.  One  gets 
the  impression  that  he  was  a  sagacious  gentleman,  with  con- 
siderable will  power  and  inner  force ;  and  it  is  easy  to  under- 
stand, through  the  portrait,  how  his  personality  and  industry 
brought  him  national  prominence.  Adams  has  recorded 
Marshall's  likeness  with  so  suave  a  technique  and  with  such 
restraint  of  color  that  an  air  of  distinction  permeates  the  canvas. 


Samuel  Moffett  Ralston 

January  13,  19 13- January  8,  19 17 

Samuel  M.  Ralston's  portrait  was  the  second  commission 
received  by  Wayman  Adams  from  the  state  and  the  first  to  be 
painted  by  him  while  the  subject  was  in  office.  The  picture 
was  completed  in  December,  191 6,  and  a  local  newspaper 
reported  :  "Mr.  Adams  is  just  finishing  a  portrait  of  Governor 
Ralston  and  the  work  is  going  to  stand  out  as  one  of  the  young 

""Indianapolis  N^ezus,  December  15,  T919,  p.  12,  c.  8;  the  portrait  is 
illustrated  in  ibid.,  December  20,  1919,  p.  17. 


THOMAS  R.   MARSHALL 

by  Wayman  Adams 


SAMUEL  M.  RALSTON 

by  Wayman  Adams 


JAMES  P.  GOODRICH 

by  Wayman  Adams 


WARREN  T.   McCRAY 
by  Robert  W.  Gra/lon 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  425 

artist's  best.  He  has  the  Governor  in  a  characteristic  pose,  and 
those  who  know  the  Governor  intimately  say  Mr.  Adams  has 
done  a  distinctive  piece  of  work."^^ 

Ralston  is  shown  in  a  front-view  pose,  his  right  hand  in 
his  pocket  and  his  left  hand  holding  some  papers.  The  wide 
expanse  of  white  vest  makes  so  strong  a  note  against  the  dark 
suit  and  shadowy  background  that  it  draws  undue  attention. 
Technically,  the  picture  is  exceptional :  the  artist  has  worked 
rapidly  and  with  apparent  ease,  and  has  caught  the  likeness  as 
the  newspaper  article  suggests ;  he  has  seen  the  head  clearly  and 
drawn  it  well,  and  he  has  studied  the  character  of  the  sitter 
sympathetically.  The  Governor  seems  to  have  been  caught  in 
a  moment  of  serious  reflection,  and  at  a  time  when  he  felt 
both  the  dignity  and  difficulty  of  his  office. 

James  Putnam  Goodrich 
•  January  8,  1917-January  10,  1921 

The  portrait  of  James  P.  Goodrich  was  painted  while  he 
was  in  office,  but  it  did  not  enter  the  collection  until  more  than 
twenty  years  later.  Goodrich  decided  to  have  Wayman  Adams 
paint  it  and  forestalled  an  appropriation  by  the  legislature  by 
offering  to  present  the  portrait  to  the  state  himself. 

Sittings  were  held  in  Indianapolis  in  December,  1920,*^"  but 
when  the  work  was  completed,  the  Governor  did  not  feel  that 
the  likeness  was  entirely  satisfactory;  after  a  lapse  of  time 
Adams  made  certain  alterations  according  to  Goodrich's  sug- 
gestions, but  still  the  portrait  was  not  accepted.  When  other 
changes  failed  to  satisfy  Goodrich,  the  portrait  was  set  aside 
with  the  thought  that  another  might  be  painted. 

No  satisfactory  portrait  was  made,  however,  during  James 
Goodrich's  life,  and  after  his  death  in  1940,  steps  were  taken 
to  have  the  one  by  Adams  hung  in  the  State  House.  Pierre 
Goodrich,  the  Governor's  son,  Colonel  Richard  Lieber.  and 
other  intimate  friends  of  the  late  Governor  suggested  certain 
modifications  which  the  artist  carried  out  to  their  satisfaction, 

"Indianapolis  Nezvs,  May  20,  191 6,  p.  17,  c.  8. 

"'The  portrait  is  shown  in  the  Indianapolis  Neivs,  December  25,  1920, 
p.  I,  c.  2. 


426  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

and  the  painting  was  accepted.  Pierre  Goodrich  supplemented 
the  legislature's  appropriation  to  meet  the  artist's  fee,  and  the 
portrait  was  placed  in  the  State  House  in  1943. 

The  composition  is  striking  in  its  effect  of  light  and  dark, 
and  it  has  been  made  severe  by  an  unadorned  background  and 
a  scarcity  of  accessories.  The  colors  are  deep  and  rich ;  strong 
illumination  on  the  face  and  collar  is  picked  up  again  at  the 
bottom  of  the  picture  by  the  rolled  newspaper  which  the  model 
is  tightly  gripping.  Although  the  likeness  is  good,  Adams' 
description  of  the  Governor's  character  falls  short  of  his  best 
work  in  that  the  pose  is  rigid  and  the  expression  rather  set. 


Warren  Terry  McCray 
January  10,  1 921 -April  30,  1924®^ 

Warren  T.  McCray's  portrait  for  the  State  House  was 
painted  by  Robert  W.  Grafton,  a  prominent  Indiana  artist.  The 
picture  bears  no  date,  but  it  is  said  to  have  been  painted  in 
1927,  three  years  after  McCray  submitted  his  resignation  as 
governor.  It  is  a  rather  frank  portrayal  of  the  man.  He  is 
shown  in  a  chair,  leaning  forward  with  his  right  arm  extended 
on  a  table,  his  right  hand  resting  on  a  large  sheet  of  paper,  and 
his  left  hand  pressing  against  his  leg.  Although  the  picture 
does  not  convey  a  strong  personality,  it  seems  to  suggest  force- 
fulness  tinged  with  shrewdness. 

The  technique  is  realistic,  almost  photographic  in  the  render- 
ing of  features  and  details ;  the  drawing  is  tight ;  and,  except 
for  the  flesh  tints,  the  colors  are  cold  and  gray.  Lacking 
breadth  of  execution  and  pleasing  color  organization,  the 
portrait  loses  much  of  its  pictorial  effectiveness. 

The  artist,  Robert  Grafton,  was  born  in  Chicago  in  1876. 
He  received  most  of  his  instruction  in  art  at  the  Art  Institute 
there,  then  traveled  and  painted  in  England,  France,  and 
Holland.  Upon  his  return  to  this  country,  he  made  his  home 
in  Michigan  City,  Indiana,  and  soon  gained  wide  recognition 
for  the  variety  and  sentiment  of  his  pictures.     Although  he 

"^McCray  resigned  April  30,  1924,  and  his  term  was  completed  by 
Emmett  F.  Branch. 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  427 

painted  figure  compositions  and  murals,  he  is  best  known  for 
his  portraits  of  educators,  professional  men,  and  public  officials. 
The  three  which  he  painted  for  the  state — of  McCray,  Jackson, 
and  Leslie — are  among  his  most  important  commissions.  His 
death  occurred  in  1936. 


Emmett  Forrest  Branch 
April  30,  1924-January  12,  1925 

The  portrait  of  Emmett  Branch,  who  completed  Governor 
McCray's  term,  is  the  work  of  an  Indianapolis  painter, 
Simon  P.  Baus.  It  was  painted  in  1927,  two  years  after  Branch 
left  office,  and  was  accepted  for  the  gallery  of  governors  in 
1928.  Branch  was  living  in  Martinsville  at  the  time,  but  the 
sittings  were  held  in  Baus's  studio  in  Indianapolis. 

According  to  the  artist,  Branch  enjoyed  the  experience.  As 
the  sittings  drew  to  a  close,  he  was  frequently  accompanied 
by  Mrs.  Branch  who  added  much  to  the  genial  atmosphere  of 
the  studio.  The  Governor's  main  concern  had  to  do  with  his 
glasses :  he  could  not  decide  at  first  whether  to  be  painted  with 
them  on  or  to  take  them  off.     He  finally  left  them  on. 

The  portrait  shows  him  in  a  front-view  position,  leaning 
slightly  forward,  with  his  eyes  directed  toward  the  spectator 
through  large,  dark-rimmed  glasses.  His  pose  is  natural  and 
unassuming,  while  his  expression  is  kind  and  attentive.  His 
blue-black  suit  is  seen  against  a  tan  background,  and  a  striped 
necktie  adds  a  colorful  touch  to  the  composition.  A  certain 
decorative  charm  has  resulted  from  the  artist's  tendency  to  sim- 
plify forms  and  emphasize  the  pattern  throughout  the  picture. 

Simon  Baus,  the  artist,  was  born  in  Indianapolis  in  1882, 
and  except  for  a  few  trips  to  the  western  part  of  the  country 
he  has  always  lived  in  his  native  city.  He  received  his  first 
instruction  in  drawing  under  Otto  Stark  at  Manual  Training 
High  School ;  after  graduating  there  he  entered  an  evening  class 
conducted  by  William  Forsyth  in  a  building  on  Virginia  Avenue 
half  a  block  below  Washington  Street.  When  the  Art  Associa- 
tion opened  its  art  school  in  the  old  Tinker  house  on  Sixteenth 
Street,  Baus  went  there  to  study  under  J.  Ottis  Adams,  con- 


428  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

tinuing  as  a  part-time  student  of  the  school  until  igii.  His 
most  important  trips,  so  far  as  his  work  is  concerned,  have 
been  to  New  Mexico  where  he  assiduously  painted  the  Indians 
and  their  environment. 

The  portrait  of  Governor  Branch  is  a  good  example  of  his 
method  of  painting  which  is  characterized  by  direct  brush 
strokes,  bold  design,  and  strong  color. 


Ed  Jackson 
January  12,  1925-January  14,  1929 

The  portrait  of  Governor  Ed  Jackson  was  the  second  made 
for  the  state  by  Robert  W.  Grafton.  It  was  painted  midway  in 
Jackson's  administration  in  1927,  and  it  bears  the  date  as  well 
as  the  artist's  signature.  That  it  was  made  at  Dunes  State 
Park  should  be  of  general  interest :  Jackson  was  greatly  im- 
pressed by  the  unique  beauty  of  the  Indiana  dunes  and  the 
consummation  of  the  acquisition  of  the  tract  by  the  state  for  a 
park  during  his  administration  was  a  source  of  satisfaction 
to  him.  Since  this  enthusiasm  was  shared  by  the  artist,  we  may 
believe  that  the  portrait  was  created  under  most  favorable 
circumstances. 

Grafton  has  sympathetically  interpreted  his  subject.  Jackson 
is  shown  seated  in  a  three-quarter-view  pose,  his  head  turning 
back  toward  the  observer.  His  appearance  as  well  as  his 
personality  seems  faithfully  described.  Grafton's  meticulous 
and  prosaic  method  of  working,  together  with  his  predilection 
for  somber  colors,  has  resulted  in  a  dull  effect.  Not  even  the 
very  pink  complexion  which  he  has  given  his  model  re- 
lieves its  sobriety. 

Harry  Guyer  Leslie 

January  14,  1929-January  9,  1933 

The  third  portrait  by  Robert  W.  Grafton  in  the  State  House 
is  that  of  Harry  G.  Leslie.  It  was  painted  in  1929,  the 
Governor's  first  year  in  office.  A  certain  amount  of  spirit 
and  animation  have  been  suggested  by  the  forced  pose :  Leslie 


EMMETT  F.   BRANCH 
by  Simon  P.  Baus 


ED  JACKSON 
by  Robert  W.  Grafton 


HARRY  G.   LESLIE 

by  Robert  W.  Grajlon 


PAUL  V.  McNUTT 

by  Wayman  Adams 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  429 

leans  forward,  his  left  arm  on  a  table  and  his  right  hand  on 
his  knee,  regarding  the  observer  with  a  look  of  shrewd  scrutiny. 
The  technique,  like  that  of  the  other  paintings  by  Grafton,  is 
deliberate  and  painstaking;  the  colors  are  dark,  while  their 
monotony  is  only  slightly  relieved  by  a  deep  red  necktie  and 
rosy  flesh  tints.  Shadows  are  heavy,  and  the  transition  of 
forms  from  shadow  into  light  is  startling.  A  painting  made 
by  this  polished,  photographic  method  may  lack  pictorial  quali- 
ties present  in  other  portraits  but  it  unquestionably  presents  a 
sitter  with  exactitude. 

Paul  Vories  McNutt 

January  9,  1933-January  11,  1937 

Paul  McNutt  was  the  sixth  governor  to  select  Wayman 
Adams  to  paint  his  portrait  for  the  official  collection.  Although 
the  artist  was  living  in  New  York  at  the  time,  he  came  to 
Indianapolis  at  the  Governor's  request  to  carry  out  the  com- 
mission. This  was  in  the  summer  of  1933.  Sittings  were  held 
in  one  of  the  studios  of  the  John  Herron  Art  School,  and  rather 
than  let  the  enterprise  interfere  with  administrative  duties,  the 
Governor  had  his  secretary  accompany  him  so  that  letters  could 
be  dictated  while  he  posed. "^^  Upon  completion  the  portrait  did 
not  satisfy  McNutt  and  his  friends,  and  a  second  one  was 
undertaken.  This  time,  the  executive  office  at  the  State  House 
became  the  studio.  The  work  progressed  as  well  as  could  be 
expected  under  the  circumstances,  and  when  the  portrait  was 
finished,  it  had  the  approval  of  the  Governor. 

The  canvas  is  large  and  decorative,  although  few  accessories 
have  been  brought  into  the  picture  area.  McNutt  faces  the 
front,  sitting  rather  stiffly  in  a  chair,  with  his  right  elbow  rest- 
ing on  a  table.  A  letter  held  loosely  in  the  fingers  of  his  right 
hand  draws  the  eye  to  the  lower  edge  of  the  canvas,  accentuating 
the  long  vertical  axis  of  the  composition.  The  pose  is  dignified 
but  the  characterization  seems  weak ;  McNutt's  expression  fails 
to  convey  any  dominating  traits  of  character.  The  colors  used 
by  Adams  are  rich,  varying  in  contrast  of  tone,  and  his  brush 
work  is  dexterous. 

"Indianapolis  Star,  June  20,  1933,  P-  9,  c.  6;  August  13,  I933,  roto- 
gravure section,  p.  i. 


430  INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

Maurice  Clifford  Townsend 
January  ii,  1937-January  13,  1941 

The  portrait  of  Governor  M.  Clifford  Townsend  was 
painted  by  Cornelius  C.  Zwaan,  an  artist  who  had  recently 
come  to  Indianapolis.  He  had  impressed  Townsend  and  others 
with  his  ability  to  draw  with  exactness  and  Townsend  conceded 
to  the  artist's  wish  to  paint  his  portrait.  Zwaan  made  two 
paintings.  The  first  was  kept  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Townsend  and 
a  second  was  painted  for  the  official  collection  in  1938.  Accord- 
ing to  the  Indiafui  History  Bulletin  the  portrait  was  accepted 
and  hung  in  the  State  House  in  the  spring  of  1940.®^ 

The  picture  represents  the  Governor  seated  comfortably  in 
a  chair,  his  head  turned  so  that  he  looks  directly  out  of  the 
canvas.  Bookshelves  and  a  desk  in  the  left  background  give 
the  composition  an  illusion  of  space.  The  colors  are  rather 
bright,  but  not  selected  with  discrimination,  and  the  work  is 
dry  and  painstaking.  The  dominant  mood  of  the  portrait  is 
one  of  geniality;  Governor  Townsend's  pose  is  natural  as  he 
looks  toward  his  audience  with  a  calm,  amiable  expression. 

Cornelius  C.  Zwaan,  the  artist,  is  a  native  of  Holland.  He 
was  born  in  Amsterdam  in  1872,  and  attended  the  Ryks 
Academy  there.  He  made  several  trips  to  the  United  States, 
painting  portraits  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  He  lived  in 
Chicago,  Milwaukee,  and  a  number  of  other  cities,  before 
moving  to  Indianapolis  in  1935.  His  Indianapolis  sojourn 
ended  five  years  later  when  he  went  to  Detroit.  One  might 
dub  him  a  modern  itinerant  limner,  carrying  on  the  tradition 
of  pioneer  painters,  as  he  travels  from  place  to  place  obtaining 
work  in  line  with  his  vocation. 

"^Indiana  History  Bulletin,  XVII,  no.  5  (May,  1940),  pp.  219-20. 


M.   CLIFFORD  TOWNSEND 

by  Cornelius  C.  ^waan 


HENRY  F.  SCHRICKER 
by  Marie  Golh 


GOVERNORS'  PORTRAITS  431 

Henry  Frederick  Schricker 
January  13,  1941- 

The  portrait  of  Governor  Henry  F.  Schricker  was  approved 
and  accepted  for  the  collection  on  April  27,  1943.  It  is  the 
work  of  Marie  Goth,  the  first  woman  commissioned  by  a 
governor  to  paint  his  official  portrait. 

Miss  Goth  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  her  profession  in 
Indiana.  Her  popularity  as  a  portrait  painter  is  attested  by  the 
many  commissions  and  awards  which  she  has  received  for  a 
period  of  twenty  years.  Her  method  of  painting  is  direct  and 
bold,  combining  skillful  brushwork  with  a  good  knowledge  of 
color  and  design.  She  is  a  native  of  Indianapolis  and  studied 
at  Manual  Training  High  School  where  she  received  sound 
instruction  in  drawing  under  Otto  Stark.  Later  studies  took 
her  to  New  York  where  she  attended  the  Art  Students  League 
and  painted  under  some  of  the  best-known  artists  in  the  East. 
About  twenty  years  ago  she  moved  to  Brown  County,  Indiana, 
and  it  was  in  her  studio  there  that  the  sittings  for  Governor 
Schricker's  portrait  were  held. 

Miss  Goth  has  portrayed  Governor  Schricker  in  a  cordial 
mood.  He  sits  erect  in  a  Windsor  chair,  turning  slightly  to  the 
right  and  fixing  his  eyes  on  the  observer  with  an  interested, 
sympathetic  look.  A  twinkle  in  his  eye  and  the  upward  curve 
of  his  mouth  suggest  his  droll  humor.  The  Governor's  trim 
gray  suit  is  seen  against  a  deep  maroon  curtain,  and  his  necktie 
repeats  the  color  of  the  background. 

The  portrait  was  given  a  prominent  place  in  the  exhibition 
of  sixty-two  paintings  by  twenty-two  Brown  County  artists, 
held  at  the  art  gallery  in  Nashville  during  the  summer  of 
1943.  At  the  close  of  the  exhibition  it  was  delivered  to  the 
State  House  to  become  part  of  the  collection  of  portraits  of 
Indiana's  governors. 


432 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


THE  ARTISTS  AND  THEIR  SUBJECTS 


Wayman  Adams 
Winfield  T.  Durbin 
James  P.  Goodrich 
J.  Frank  Hanly 
Paul  V.  McNutt 
Thomas  R.  Marshall 
Samuel  M.  Ralston 

S.  BuRTis  Baker 
William  Hendricks 

Simon  P.  Baus 
Emmett  F.  Branch 

Harry  M,  Colcord 
James  D.  Williams 

Jacob  Cox 
Samuel  Bigger 
Henry  S.  Lane 
Noah  Noble 
James  B.  Ray 
David  Wallace 
Joseph  A.  Wright 

James  M.  Dennis 
James  A.  Mount 

James  Forbes 
Conrad  Baker 
Ratliff  Boon 
Paris  C.  Dunning 
Jonathan  Jennings 
Oliver  P.  Morton 
James  Whitcomb 

William  R.  Freeman 
Thomas  A.  Hendricks 

Marie  Goth 

Henry  F.  Schricker 


Robert  W.  Grafton 
Ed  Jackson 
Harry  G.  Leslie 
Warren  T.  McCray 
Barton  S.  Hays 

William  Henry  Harrison 
John  B.  Hill 

Abram  A.  Hammond 
Thomas  Posey 
George  W.  Morrison 

Ashbel  P.  Willard 
Theodore  C.  Steele 
Ira  J.  Chase 
Isaac  P.  Gray 
Thomas  A.  Hendricks, 
painted  in  191 6  for  In- 
diana's centennial. 
Alvin  P.  Hovey 
Jonathan  Jennings,  painted 
in    19 16    for    Indiana's 
centennial. 
Claude  Matthews 
Oliver  P.  Morton,  painted 
in    1916    for    Indiana's 
centennial. 
Albert  G.  Porter 
Cornelius  C.  Zwaan 

M.  Clifford  Townsend 
Unknown 

John  Gibson.  Note  :  This 
portrait  is  not  a  part  of 
the  State  House  collec- 
tion. 


INDEX 


(433) 


I 


INDEX 


Achmutz,  Lt.  Richard  T.,  219,  220. 
Adams,  J.  Ottis,  artist,  427. 
Adams,  John,   Owen   visits,   303-4. 
Adams,  John  Quincy,  327-28,  330; 
Owen  calls  on,  215,  217;  Mac- 
donald  calls  on,  319;  comments 
on  Owen's  model  for  commun- 
ity,  320 ;    presidential   message 
(1825),  325. 
Adams,    Mrs.    John    Quincy,    219, 

327-28. 
Adams,      Wayman,      biographical 
note,  422-23; 

portraits     of :      Winf  ield     T. 
Durbin,  422-23,  432;   James 
P.    Goodrich,    425-26,    432; 
Samuel   M.  Ralston,  424-25, 
432;    J.    Frank    Hanly,   423, 
432;   Paul   V.   McNutt,  429, 
432;    Thomas    R.    Marshall, 
424,  432. 
Addington,   Henry   Unwin,   British 
charge  d'affaires,  215,  219,  318. 
Agriculture  and  horticulture,  Eng- 
lish   Prairie    in    Illinois,    254; 
New  Harmony,  244-45,  246-47, 
248,  262,  278,  291  ;  Shakertown, 
273-74;  Watervliet,  190;  corn, 
190,   254,   255,   278,   291,   344; 
cotton,  254,  340,  345,  2,72, ;  laby- 
rinth,  245,  248;   lemons,  247; 
oranges,    247;    orchards,    245, 
263,  264,  274;  sugar,  344;  to- 
bacco, 355,  364 :  vineyards  and 
wine    culture,    245,    248,    262, 
264;  wheat,  214-15,  245.     Sec 
also   Livestock. 
Albany  (N.  Y.),  Owen  party  visits, 
186-87,  191-92. 


-,  243. 

-,  of  Boston,  314. 


Albers,  - 

Albers,  - 

Albion   (111.),  Owen's  party  visits, 
252-62    passim. 

Aldridge, ,  of  New  England, 

354. 

Alexander,  James  T.,  of   Harpers 
Ferry   (Va.),  327. 

Alexandria    (Va.),  216. 

Allegheny  River,  flood  and  ice  on, 
331. 

Allen    (Allan),   ,   of    Louis- 
ville, 237.  240. 

Alvarado, ,  Guatamalan  mer- 
chant, 305. 

Alvear,     Carlos     de,     of     Buenos 
Aires,  199-200. 

American  Fur  Company,  45n. 

Amusements     and     entertainments, 
bonfire,  242 ;   cards,  backgam- 
mon, and  chess,  159,  164,  172, 
239,  255.  305,  338,  342;  circus, 
311,    367;    dancing,    170,    172; 
in     Havana     (1826),    359-60: 
hunting.    54.    276,    334.    335; 
music,  248.  250.  259,  263,  271, 
307:    on    shipboard.    159.    161. 
164.  165-66.  167.  170.  172,  237, 
305,  307.  338,  342.  374.  375-76 : 
opera.   313:    Rappite.   at    New 
Harmony.  248,  250.  271 ;  thea- 
ter. 177-78.  313,  350. 
Anderson,  Thomas,  of  Posey  Coun- 
ty, 288. 
Andre,  Joseph,  135. 
Andre,  Mary  Wallace,  135. 
Annalcs  de   la   Propagation   de   la 

Foi.  86. 
Anquisoll,   C.   T.,  of   Philadelphia, 
312. 


(435) 


436 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Arbre  Croche  (Crooked  Tree, 
Mich.),  Catholic  mission,  54n. 

Arbuthnot,  John,  of  Princeton,  268, 
269,  279. 

Armstrong,  ,  of  Pittsburgh, 

331. 

Ashkum,  Potawatomi  chief,  bap- 
tism of  children,  137,  138;  vil- 
lage, 22. 

Aufrere,    .    of    New    York, 

309,  314,  315. 

Ayres,  John,  288. 

P>ab,  Mrs.  Catherine,  136. 

Badin,  Francis  Vincent,  mission- 
ary at  Arbre  Croche,  54n ;  vi- 
car general  at  Detroit,  45,  51n, 
56. 

Badin,  Stephen  Theodore,  96n ; 
establishes  orphans'  home  at  St. 
Marys,  15n  ;  mission  to  Pota- 
watomi, 14n-15n ;  tract  at  St. 
Marys,  14-15,  43n,  55,  58-59, 
71-72. 

Badollet,  John,  of  Vincennes,  282, 
289. 

Bailey,  Chester,  of  Philadelphia, 
203. 

Bailly,    Mme.,    ,    sec    Mme. 

Belley. 

Baker,  A.  St.  John,  British  consul, 
Washington   (D.  C),  318. 

Baker,  Conrad,  begins  collection 
of'  governors'  portraits,  388- 
412  passim;  portraits  of,  413, 
432. 

Baker,  John  B.,  portrait,  395. 

Baker,  John  L.,  aide  to  George 
Rapp,  228,  231. 

Baker,  Romelius  L.  (?),  of  New 
Harmony,  271,  272. 

Baker,  S.  Burtis,  portrait  of  Wil- 
liam Hendricks,  400,  432. 

Bakewell,  Benjamin,  of  Pittsburgh, 
Owen's  party  meets,  227,  231, 
233,  297,  298,  331. 


Bakewell,  G.  R.  (Samuel  R?),  329, 
330. 

Baldwin,    ,    of    New    York, 

180,  184. 

Baldwin,  Henry,  of  Pittsburgh, 
Owen  party  meets,  227,  231, 
331. 

Baltimore  (Md.),  Owen  party 
visits,  212-14,  317-18. 

Baptisms,  Petit's  entries  in  regis- 
ter, 135-41  ;  at  Bertrand,  43, 
48,  123,  136;  Chechaukkose's 
Village,  16;  Delphi,  132;  Go- 
shen, 65,  125,  135 ;  Harris' 
Prairie,  136;  Louison's  Vil- 
lage, 73,  126,  140n;  Pepiah's 
Village,  137 ;  Pbkagon's  Vil- 
lage, 68,  73,  122,  126,  136,  139 ; 
Rochester,  120;  St.  Marys, 
127,  135,  136,  137,  141;  South 
Bend,  48,  63,  126,  135 ;  Turkey 
Creek  Prairie,  125,  135 ;  Wane 
Kik,  127,  141;  Yellow  River 
mission,  15,  16,  35,  68,  73,  80, 
121,  123,  125,  126,  128,  137, 
138-39,  139-41. 

Baptiste,    Potawatomi,    129. 

Baraga,  Frederic,  missionary  at 
Arbre  Croche,  54n. 

Barclay,  Capt.  ,  314. 

Barclay,  George,  of  New  York, 
307,  315. 

Barclay,  Mrs.  George,  of  New 
York,  310,  314. 

Bardstown    (Ky.),  72,  97. 

Barnum  (Barnam),  David,  of  Bal- 
timore, 212. 

Barrett-Strait,  Clara,  portrait  of 
Conrad  Baker,  413. 

Barry,  Edmund,  SOn. 

Bans,  Simon,  portrait  of  Emmett 
F.  Branch,  427-28,  432. 

Bayard,  Samuel,  of  New  York, 
197,  199,  314. 

Bayard,  W.,  &  Co.,  of  New  York, 
178. 


INDEX 


437 


Bazin,  John  Steven,  bishop  of  Vin- 

cennes,  30n. 
Real,    John,    of    New    York,    314; 

joins    New    Harmony    group, 

334. 
Beckett,    ,    of    Philadelphia, 

208,   209,   211. 
Beebee,  ,  of  New  York,  223, 

224. 
Beedel,   ,   of   Knox   County, 

283. 
Belknap    (Belnappe),    M.    M.,    of 

Pittsburgh,  297. 

Bell,  ,  328,  330. 

Belley     (Bailly?),     Mme.    , 


121,  122,  123;  death,  129. 

Benack  (Benak,  Benake),  Pota- 
watomi  chief,  72n,  124,  126. 

Benack  (Benake),  Etienne,  mar- 
riage, 138. 

Bennett,  ,  captain  of  steam- 
boat   "New    York,"    307,   314. 

Benton,   ,  261. 

Berel,  Maurice,  46,  51. 

Bergier,  Nicholas  Sylvestre,  62. 

Bernhard,  Karl,  Duke  of  Saxe- 
Weimar,  in  New  Orleans,  351. 

Bertrand,    Benjamin,   48,    122. 

Bertrand,  Jean  Baptiste,  136. 

Bertrand,    Joseph,    Sr.,    48n,    50. 

Bertrand,  Mrs.  Joseph,  Sr.,  50n, 
120. 

Bertrand,  Laurent,  43n,  121,  122. 

Bertrand,  Mme.  Laurent,  43,  121, 
122. 

Bertrand,   Pierre,   136. 

Bertrand  family,  kindness  to  Petit, 
49. 

Bertrand  (Mich.),  46,  47,  48,  67, 
72,  122,  123,  126,  136. 

Beveridge,  ,  326, 

Bigger,  Samuel,  portrait,  404-5, 
432. 

Bigsby,  Dr.  John  J.  (?),  of  British 
Medical  Department  of  Can- 
ada, 207. 


Billuart,  Charles   Rene,  45n,  79. 

Binn,  Mary,  135. 

Bird,  ,  of  New  York,  180. 

Bird,  Robert  Montgomery  (?), 
of  Philadelphia,  192,  207,  208. 

Birkbeck,  Morris,  of  Edwards 
County  (111.),  252,  279-80; 
drowned,  294. 

Birkett,  Henry,  of  Albion  (111.), 
253,   254-55.   257,   272. 

Bishop,  ,  of   Leeds    (Eng.), 

374. 

Blatchly  (Blacheley,  Blatchley), 
Cornelius  C,  president  of  So- 
ciety for  Promoting  Communi- 
ties,   175,   176,   183,   314. 

Black, ,  of  Philadelphia,  203. 

Black,  see  Castillo  &  Black. 

Black  Wolf,  see  Makkahtahmoway. 

Blackburn,  Mrs.  ,  of  Leeds 

(Eng.),   161. 

Blackford,   Isaac,  282,  289. 

Blossom,  Dr.  ,  of  Meadville 

(Pa.),  299. 

Blount,  H.  F.,  of  Evansville,  395. 

Boats,  see  Travel  and  transporta- 
tion ;  names  of  boats. 

Boggs,  Lilburn  W.,  governor  of 
Missouri,  103.     , 

Bolivar,  Simon,  173. 

Bolton,   Lt.  ,  of   the   Royal 

Engineers,   196,   198. 

Bonaparte,  Charles,  315. 

Bonaparte,  Joseph  (Count  Survil- 
liers),  attitude  of  neighbors 
toward,  202 ;  attitude  toward 
English  officers,  315-16;  Owen 
visits,   302,   315-16. 

Ronnecastle,  ,  324. 

Ron  Pas    (111.),  261,  285. 

Boon,  Ratliff,  Macdonald  meets, 
328,  329,  330:  Forbes  portrait 
of,  396-97,  405.  406,  432:  por- 
trait of,  presented  to  Warrick 
County,  397n. 

Boonville    (Ind.),    396,    397. 


438 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


-,     captain     of     the 


Booth,     - 

"Mary,"   366. 
Boston      (Mass.),     Owen's     party 

visits,  303-4. 
Bourassa,   Mile.  ,   serves   as 

interpreter,   122. 
Bourassa,  Joseph,  131. 
Bourassa,  Lazare,  131,   132. 
Bourne,   George    I.,   of    Baltimore, 

292. 
Brackenridge,      Gen.     ,     of 

Louisville,  240. 
Branch,  Emniett  F.,  portrait,  427- 

28,  432. 
Bray,  Dr.   Madison  J.,  of   Evans- 

ville,  406. 

Breden,  ,  of  Louisville,  295. 

Brenchly  (Brenchley),  Richard,  of 

Albion  (111.),  275. 
Brickwedde,    Augustus    Florentius, 

of  Quincy    (111.),  102,  130. 
Bridges,    Mrs.    ,    sister    of 

Donald  Macdonald,  198,  217. 
Bridges,    chain,    327;    timber,    216, 

227,   331. 
Brissenden,  John,  of  Albion  (111.), 

274. 
Bristol    (Pa.),  202. 
British  and  Foreign   Philanthropic 

Society,  257. 
Brock,    ,    of    New    Orleans, 

353. 

Brock,  ,  of  Glasgow,  305. 

Brockehbrough       (Brockenburgh), 

Arthur  S.,  proctor.  University 

of  Virginia,  324. 
Brouillet,     Marie    Elizabeth,    bap- 
tism, 37n,   120,   133. 
Brouillet,   Michael,   133. 
Brown,     ,     of      Providence 

(R.  I.),  170,  171,  173,  178. 
Brown,    Basil,    of    Princeton,    268, 

269,  279. 
Brown,      Jesse,      of      Washington 

(D.   C),  217. 


Brown,  Dr.  Samuel,  of  Lexington 
(Ky.),    207. 

Brown,  Thomas,  of  near  Albion 
(111.),  255. 

Brownell,  Thomas  C,  of  Trinity 
College,  304. 

Brownsville   (Pa.),  225. 

Brute,  Simon,  bishop  of  Vincennes, 
15,  26,  32,  53n,  63;  church 
lands  and  taxes,  15n,  16,  25n, 
43-44,  54-55,  58-59,  71-72;  and 
government's  policy  of  Indian 
removal,  16-17,  41n,  75  ;  jour- 
ney to  France  (1836),  26-27; 
overrules  Petit's  plan  to  go  to 
Washington,  49n  ;  refuses,  then 
grants  Petit  permission  to  ac- 
company Indians  west,  83,  88- 
89,  90,  92,  128,  129;  carries 
on  mission  at  own  expense, 
85n ;  dedicates  Logansport 
church,  91,  92;  describes  con- 
firmation in  Potawatomi  en- 
campment, 92n ; 
letters  from  Petit.  35-40,  40-47, 
47-51,  63-65,  67-72,  73-79, 
81-87,  97-106,  108-10,  110-13. 

Bryant,  James  R.  M.,  Tipton's 
aide-de-camp,    98n. 

Buchanan,  James,  British  consul  at 
New  York,  181,  183-84,  198, 
314. 

Buffalo  (N.  Y.),  300. 

Buckley,  R.  H.,  portrait  of  Wil- 
liam Hendricks,  398-99. 

Bunker    Hill     (Mass.),    304. 

Burnet,  Mary  Q.,  Art  and  Artists 
of   Indiana,   cited,    403-4,   422. 

Burnett,  Abraham,  half-breed  Pot- 
awatomi, 12n.  llln,  112,  131, 
132,  139. 

Bussora,  see   Shakertown. 

Buteux,    Stanislaw,    30,   96. 

Calder,  ,  of   Scotland,  305. 

Calder,      ,      of      Charleston 


(S.   C),  367. 


INDEX 


439 


Calder,      James,      of      Charleston, 

(S.   C),  367. 
Caldwell,  Billy  ( Sauganash,  or  the 

Englishman),  50. 
Caldwell,    John,    of    Shawneetown 

(111.),  266. 
"Caledonia,"   steamboat,  350. 
Calhoun,      John      C,      Macdonald 

meets,  329;   Owen  meets,  215, 

219-20. 
Call,  Jacob,  senator  from  Indiana, 

271. 

Camac,  ,  312. 

Camac.    Turner,    of    Philadelphia, 

209,  307,  312,  316. 

Camille,  Mile.  ,  86. 

Camp     meeting,     near     Charleston 

(S.  C),  112-12,. 
Camp  Sidney   (111.),  129. 
Campeau,  Angelique   ("Liquette"), 

Potawatomi     interpreter,     l4n, 

26,  33n,  36,  39,  68,  69,  70,  IZ, 

121,  122,  133;  ordered  off  In- 
dian reserve    (1837),  25,  44n ; 

charges     against,     11 ;     leaves 

Yellow  River  Reserve  (1838), 

88;  death,  129. 
"Canada,"  packet,  304. 
Canning,  George,  362. 
Cannon,  John,  136. 
Carey,  Mrs.  Marie,  392. 
Carey,    Mathew,    of    Philadelphia, 

211,  316,  317. 
Carey   Mission    (Mich.),   13,  72n. 
CarHsle    (Ind.),    119. 
Carrell   (Carroll),  George  h.  (?), 

114. 
Carroll,  Charles,  of  Baltimore,  212. 
Carter,    James,    of    Albion    (111.), 

255,  257,  259,  272,  274. 
Cass,  Lewis,  secretary  of  war,  18, 

19. 
Casselberry.  Dr.  Isaac,  of  Evans- 

ville,   406. 
Castillo  &  Black,  of  Havana,  353, 

357. 


Catholic  Church,  in  Indiana,  grant- 
ed parts  of  reserves  by  Indians, 
16,  25n,  44,  84-85;  growth 
around  South  Bend,  57,  68 ; 
land  holdings  and  taxes,  43-44, 
54-55,  58-59,  69-70,  71-72,  125, 
133-34;  subscriptions  for,  68. 
Sec  also  Missions ;  names  of 
Catholic  missionaries. 

Catskill    (N.  Y.),  193. 

Cave,  William,  of  near  .Albion 
(111.),  255.  257. 

Chamberlain,  Mile.  ,  133. 

"Chancellor  Livingston,"  Hudson 
River  steamboat,  196. 

Chandonnay,  Benjamin  I'erdinand, 
141. 

Chandonnay,  Charles,  141. 

Chandonnay,   Luce   Pelletier,   141. 

Chapman,  Dr.  Nathaniel,  of  Phila- 
delphia, 208. 

Chardonnet,   Mile.   ,   127. 

Charleston  (S.  C. ),  Macdonald 
visits,   361-13. 

Charlottesville    (Va.),    323. 

Charron,    ,    farmer    at    St. 

Marys,  40,  40.  55,  123,  128.  133. 

Charters,  ,  of   .\'ew  ^'o^k,  307. 

Chase,    Dr.    ,    of    Nashville, 

(Tenn.),   236,   238,   241. 

Chase,  ,  Presbyterian  min- 
ister, Louisville,  240. 

Chase,  Capt.  ,  354. 

Chase,    Ira    J.,    portrait,   419,   432. 

Chauncey  (Chancey,  Chauncy), 
Charles,  Jr.,  of  Philadelphia, 
312. 

Chechaukkose  (  Chechawkosse  ), 
Potawatomi  chief,  124:  band 
grants  land  to  Catholic  Church, 
16,  84n-85n  :  signs  1836  treaty, 
23. 

Chechaukkose's  Village,  22:  bap- 
tisms, 16:  visited  by  Father 
Deseille  and  Bishop  Brute,  15- 
16. 


440 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Chicago  (111.),  26,  31,  SOn. 

Chicago  Indian  Agency,  emigra- 
tions from,  25-26. 

Chichipee  Outipe,  sec  Yellow  River 
Mission. 

Chickasaw  Indians,  chiefs  visit 
Washington,  217. 

Chippewa  Indians,  emigration 
(1837),  25-26. 

Chippewa ynaung,  Potawatomi 
treaty  concluded  at  (1836),  23. 

Choctaw  Indians,  chiefs  visit 
Washington,  217. 

Christmas,  observed  by  Petit,  45, 
48-49,    123. 

Cincinnati  (Ohio),  co-operative 
society,  292,  296 ;  description, 
236,  296 ;  Owen  addresses 
meeting  at,  296. 

Cinquome,   Mary,   135. 

Clark  (Clarke),  William  (?),  of 
Albion  (111.),  264-65,  275,  291. 

Clarke,  ,  captain  of  steam- 
boat "Indiana,"  266. 

Clarke,  Col.  ,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 208. 

Clarke,    Mme.    ,    of    South 

Bend,  48,  122,  123. 

Clarke,   Mary,  136. 

Clarke  &  Green,  Cincinnati,  296. 

Clarksburg   (Ind.),  119. 

Clermont,  Jean  Baptiste,  138. 

Clibborne,  Joshua,  of  New  York, 
182',  184,  200,  310.  314. 

Clinton,  De  Witt,  181,  193,  196, 
198,  308,  314;  described,  191; 
on  education,  194;  presides  at 
Owen  meeting,  309;  defends 
Owen,  313. 

Clinton    (Ind.),    119. 

Coaches,  sec  Travel  and  transpor- 
tation. 

Colcord,  Harry  M.,  portrait  of 
James  D.  Williams,  415-16, 
432. 


Colden,  Cadwallader,  of  New 
York,   180,   313,  314. 

Cole,  Mrs.  ,  of  New  York, 

302. 

Coleman,  William,  of  New  York, 
197. 

Collins,  ,  of  New  York,  176, 

178. 

Colquhoun,  Miss  ,  of  Mead- 

ville   (Pa.),  297. 

Columbia    (Ind.),   280. 

'"Columbia,"    steamboat,    338. 

Columbia  College,  New  York,  181- 
82. 

Commons,  John  M.,  388n. 

Communities,  see  Co-operative  com- 
munities. 

Comoza,  Potawatomi  chief,  treaty 
with  band  of   (1834),  18. 

Comparet,  Francis,  45n. 

Condy,  Jonathan  W.,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 209. 

"Congress,"  Ohio  River  steamboat, 
234,  266. 

Conn, ,  309. 

Conner,  Alexander  H.,  proprietor 
of    Indianapolis    Journal,    394. 

Cookson,  Lt.  ,  200. 

Coolidge  (Coledge),  Joseph,  of 
Boston,  324. 

Cooper,   Thomas   A.,  actor,  202. 

Co-operative  communities,  ability 
of  man  to  live  in,  questioned, 
164-65;  advantages  of,  159-60, 
161-62,  164-65,  237,  245-46,  253, 
256,  283,  291-92;  Cincinnati, 
forming  in,  292,  296;  New 
York  City  society  for  estab- 
lishing, 176;  Economy  (Pa.), 
227-31,  297,  332-33;  English 
settlement  in  Edwards  County 
(111.),  252-62  passim;  Jeffer- 
son's attitude  toward,  176,  183; 
Lafayette's  interest  in,  302; 
Nashoba,  340-41 ;  New  Leba- 
non, 191 ;  Orbiston  Community, 


INDEX 


441 


156n;  Philadelphia,  forming  in, 
308 ;  in  Portage  County 
(Ohio),  333;  Shaker,  in  Knox 
County,  259,  273-74,  290; 
Watervliet  (N.  Y.),  186,  187, 
188-91;  Yellow  Springs 
(Ohio),  335.  See  also  New 
Harmony  ;  Robert  Owen  ;  Rap- 
pites. 

Coquillard,  Alexis,  40n,  57,  62,  64, 
131;  sketch,  45n ;  kindness  to 
Petit,  49 ;  pays  taxes  for 
church,  54-55,  59 ;  subscription 
to  church,  68 ;  illness  in  family, 
128. 

Coquillard,  Mrs.  Benjamin,  122. 

Coquillard,  Frances,  wife  of  Alexis, 
40,  46,  49. 

Corydon  (Ind.),  capitol  building, 
391,  397. 

Council  Bluffs,  Indian  subagency, 
26,  50n. 

"Courier,"  Ohio  River  steamboat, 
234,  297. 

Covington   (Ind.),  119. 

Cox,  Jacob,  393,  394 ;  biographical 
notes,  401-2; 

portraits  of :  Samuel  Bigger, 
404-5,  432;  Henry  S.  Lane, 
410-11,  432;  Noah  Noble, 
402-3,  432;  James  B.  Ray, 
401,  403,  432;  David  Wal- 
lace, 403-4,  432;  Joseph  A. 
Wright,  408,  432. 

Craft,    ,    of    Naples     (111.), 

129. 

Cravens,  John  R.,  of  Madison,  398. 

Crawford,  T.  Hartley,  commis- 
sioner of  Indian  Affairs,  108n. 

Crawford,   William,    180. 

Crawford,  William  H.,  Owen  calls 
on,  215. 

Cresson,  John  C.  (?),  of  Philadel- 
phia, 207,  208,  209. 

Crockwell,   ,   of    Evansville, 

276. 


Crolius,  Clarkson,  member  of  the 
New  York  House  of  Represen- 
tatives, 191,  192. 

Crowell,    ,    captain    of    the 

"William,"  354. 

Crowther,  David,  of  New  York, 
184. 

Cuba,    Macdonald   visits,   355-67. 

CuUen, ,  of  Mcadville  (Pa.), 

299. 

Cumberland   (Pa.),  223. 

Cunningham, ,  captain  of  the 

"Pennsylvania,"    233. 

Currency,  scarcity  of  Indiana 
notes,  55;  lack  of  silver  in 
Cuba,  363 ;  paper,  329. 

Curtin,  Dr.  ,  of  Washington 

(D.  C.),330. 

Customs  and  duties,  Charleston 
(S.  C),  367;  Havana.  357; 
New  York,  175,  308,  309. 


Daniels, 
Danville 


(111.), 


of  Princeton,  279. 
95n,   98.    129. 
— ,  of   Pittsburgh, 


Darlington,  — 
226. 

D'Arusmont,  William  Phi(|ucpal, 
(Fieball,  Phiqueball),  of  Phil- 
adelphia, 312,  334. 

Davis,  ,  299. 

Davis,  ,  373. 

Davis,  ,  of   Pittsburgh,  226. 

Day,  John  (?),  of  New  York,  161, 
171,  173,  178,  180,  198.  See  also 
Ogden  &  Day's  Counting 
House. 

Dearborn  (Dearborne),  Henry, 
219. 

DcBruIcr.  Dr.  James  P.,  of  Evans- 
ville.   406. 

Dcjcan.  ,  Catholic  mission- 
ary.  54n. 

Dc  la  Mailandierc,  Cclestin  R.  L. 
G.,  vicar-general  of  Vinccnnes, 
44.  46,  47,  51,  63.  79.  86; 
sketch,  29n ;  letters  from  Petit. 


442 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


53-58,  58-63:  poor  health,  110; 
seeks  missionaries  in  Europe, 
11  In. 

Delaware  River,  Trenton  to  Phil- 
adelphia, 201-2. 

Delisle,   Alexis,  marriage,    141. 

Delphi    (Ind.),  119. 

Denis'  ferry,  on  the  Wabash,  276. 

Denison, ,  of  Baltimore,  318. 

Denison  (Dennison),  W.  J.,  mem- 
ber of  Parliament,  visits 
America,    239,    240,    242. 

Dennis,  James,  portrait  of  James  A. 
Mount,  420-22,  432. 

Deseille,  Mile.  ■ -,  39,  123. 

Deseille,  Louis,  missionary  priest, 
15n,  36,  43,  54,  56,  69,  74,  83; 
visits  Chechaukkose's  and  Me- 
nominee's villages  with  Brute, 
15-16;  accused  of  impeding 
Indian  removal,  19-20,  23,  24- 
25,  85n  :  denies  accusations,  21- 
22;  relations  with  Pepper,  19- 
23 ;  recommendations  for  civi- 
lization of  Indians,  22;  expell- 
ed from  Yellow  River  reserve, 
24-25,  44n,  77:  death  and  set- 
tlement of  affairs,  25,  31,  34, 
39,  40,  41,  93.  96n,  120,  133; 
masses  for,  40-41,  55,  122; 
Petit   visits  tomb  of,   120. 

De  Smet,  Peter,  50n. 

Detroit    (Mich.),    50n. 

Develiri,   James,   136. 

De  Wint.  John  Peter,  of  Xewburgh 
(N.  Y.).  183.  186;  visited  by 
Owen  and  party,  193,  194-96. 

De  Wint,  Mrs.  John  Peter,  194. 

De  Witt    (Mo.),   104n. 

Dick,  ,  280. 

Dickey.  ,  317. 

Dillon,  John  B.,  392. 

Divers,  ,  of  near  Richmond 

(Va.),    171. 

Donelson  (Donaldson),  Andrew 
Jackson,   224. 


Doran   family,  of   Vincennes    (?), 

47. 
"Dorset,"   Atlantic  steamboat,   160. 
Dougherty,    Catharine,    136. 
Douglas,     Miss    ,    of     New 

York,  313,  314. 
Douglass,  John  T.,  conducts  Pota- 

watomi  chiefs  to  Washington, 

60n. 
Downey,       William,       of       Posey 

County,  288. 
Downing,   ,   of    New    York, 

307. 
Drake,  Alexander,  234. 
Drake,  Samuel,  Sr.,  233-34,  235. 

Drane,  ,  327. 

Ducharme,    Magdeleine,    marriage, 

141. 
Duck's    head     (Chichipe    Outipe), 

see  Yellow  River  mission. 
Dufief,  ,  teacher  of  French, 

New  York,  179. 
Du  Merle,  Charles,  29n,  30,  87. 
Du  Modage,   Pauline,  86. 
Dunglison     (Dunglisson),     Robcy, 

of  University  of  Virginia,  324. 
Dunkers,   43,   47,    122,   123,   325. 
Dunn,  Jacob  P.,  394-95,  401,  421. 
Dunning,    Paris    C,    portrait,    395, 

406-7,  432. 
Dupalais,   Victor,   334. 
Dupalais,  Virginia,  333,  334. 
Durbin,  Winfield  T.,  portrait,  422- 

23,  432. 
Dwight,   ,    of    near    Spring- 
field   (Mass.),  303. 
Dwight,  Theodore,  of  New  York, 

178. 

Earl  of   Skye,   152. 

Easter,  observed  by   Petit,  65,  67, 

72,  80,   125,  126. 
Eckensberger,    Frederick,    Rappite, 

263. 
Economy      (Pa.),     Owen's     party 

visits,  227-31,  297,  332-33. 


INDEX 


443 


Eddy  (Eddey),  Thomas,  of  New 
York,  178,  198. 

Eel   River,  IZ,   140n. 

Edmonston,  ,  of   Charleston 

(S.  C),  367. 

Education,  denied  to  negroes,  363 ; 
De  Witt  Clinton's  attitude  on, 
194;  Friends  establishments  in 
New  York  City,  176,  302,  309; 
Mr.  Hall's  school  near  New 
York  City,  183;  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson's views  on,  323 ;  Mac- 
donald  on,  283 ;  New  Harmony 
schools,  312 ;  Owen's  attitude 
on,  159,  160,  169-70;  in  Shaker 
establishment  at  Watervliet, 
190;  Warrington  on,  261. 

Edwards,  Ogden,  New  York  City 
judge,  178,   182. 

"Eliza,"  Ohio  River  steamboat, 
296. 

Elkin, ,  New  Orleans,  345. 

Elet,  L.  A.,  of  St.  Louis  Univer- 
sity,  114-16. 

Elliot,    ,    of     Pennsylvania, 

203. 

Elliot,  Jonathan,  editor  of  Wash- 
ington (D.  C.)  GazcHe,  321, 
329. 

Elliot,  William,  of  U.  S.  Patent 
Office,  318,  320,  321,  328,  329, 
330. 

Ellis,    ■ ■,    of    Vincennes    (?), 

47. 

Elston,  Isaac  C,  of  Vincennes, 
281,  282.  289. 

Elwin,  Miss  ,  211. 

Emigration,  western  (1824),  223; 
(1826),  341,  343.  See  also 
Potawatomi  Indians,  removal 
from  Indiana,  1838  emigration. 

English  settlement,  Edwards  Coun- 
ty (111.),  Owen's  party  visits, 
252-62    passim. 

Ensmith,  .  New  York  at- 
torney general,   302. 


Entertainments,  sec  Amusements 
and  entertainments. 

Erie   (Pa.),  300. 

Erie  Canal,  186,  191,  192-93,  300, 
301,  308. 

Evans,  Robert  M.,  of  Princeton, 
279 ;  visits  Owen  at  New  Har- 
mony, 268-71  ;  admiration  for 
Indians,  269-70 ;  on  h'rcnch  so- 
ciety in  Vincennes,  272-73 ;  on 
survey  lines  and  public  land 
system   in    Indiana,   270-71. 

Evansville   (Ind.),  242-43. 

Evansville  Gazette,  268. 

Everett,  Alexander  H.,  211,  219. 

Ewing,  John,  senator  from  Indi- 
ana, 43n. 

"Fabius,"   steamboat,  357. 

Factories,  sec  Industries  and  manu- 
factories. 

Faerbar,  ,  305. 

'"Favorite,"  Ohio  River  steamboat, 
238,  240. 

Fayon,  ,  29. 

"Feliciana,"    steamboat,    350. 

Fences,    rail,    187-88. 

Ferguson,   ,   of    New    York, 

178. 

Ferguson  (Fergusson),  John  (?), 
of  New  York,  161. 

Featherstonhaugh  (Fetherstone- 
haugh),  George   W..  302. 

Fickler,   ,   211. 

Fires,  bonfire,  242:  prairie,  251- 
52.  256:  in  library  at  the  Capi- 
tol, 330. 

Fisher,  Mrs.  ,  in  Xew  York, 

30iS :  bounrl  for  Xew  Harmony, 
334. 

I'ishcr.   Clara,   actress,   235. 

Fisher,  Redwood,  of  Philadelphia, 
209.  211. 

Fishkill   (N.  Y.),  186. 

Fitch,  Mrs.  ,  of  New  Har- 

monv,  267. 


444 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Flagg     (Flag),    Azariah    Cutting, 
member  of  New  York  House 
of  Representatives,  192. 
Floods,  on  Allegheny  River,  331  ; 
Ohio,  241 ;  Mississippi  Valley, 
338,  341-42. 
Flower,    George,    son   of    Richard, 
294;    at    New    Harmony,    248, 
262,  265,  289 ;  interest  in  eman- 
cipation, 341 ;  on  hunt,  254-55  ; 
selection    of    site    of    English 
settlement  in  Illinois,  252. 
Flower,  Richard, 

journey    to    America    (1824)  : 
Liverpool  to  New  York,  159- 
74    passim;    in    New    York, 
176,    177;    in     Philadelphia, 
203,     204,     206,    208,     211; 
in     Washington,     215,     216, 
218;  at  Economy  (Pa.),  227; 
in  Louisville,  238 ;  at  Albion 
(111.),  252-56; 
observations  on  :   baptism,  170  ; 
English  radicals,  172;  Holy 
Alliance,   165 ;   man's  ability 
to  live  in  communities,  164- 
65 ;    responsibility    of    man, 
257-58. 
Folly,  John,  135. 
Folly,   Maria,   135. 
Folly,  Mary  Binn,  135. 
Food,   game  dinner,   178;   at   New 
Orleans,    351  ;    on    shipboard, 
161,  378;  plentiful  in  America, 
224;  varieties  and  serving  of 
in  New  York,  175-76 ;  venison, 
195;  at  Watervliet,  189. 

Forbes,    ,     captain     of     the 

"Fabius,"   357. 
Forbes,    James,   biographical    note, 
395-96 ; 

portraits  of :  Conrad  Baker, 
413,  432;  John  B.  Baker, 
395;  Ratliff  Boon,  396-97, 
405,  406;  Paris  C.  Dunning, 
406-7,    432;    Jonathan    Jen- 


nings, 395,  405,  406,  432; 
Oliver  Perry  Morton,  411- 
12,  432;  James  Whitcomb, 
405-6,    432. 

Force  (Forse),  Peter,  editor  of 
National  Journal,  321. 

Forsyth,    ,    innkeeper    near 

Niagara  Falls,  301. 

Forsyth,  William,  artist,  427. 

Fort    Leavenworth    (Kan.),    50n. 

Fort  Wayne   (Ind.),  12n,  62. 

Fortin,  ,  negro  manufac- 
turer, of  Philadelphia,  209-10. 

Forward,  Walter,  of  Pittsburgh, 
227. 

Francois,  Claude,  priest  at  Logans- 
port,  32,  57,  60,  86,  120,  122; 
sketch  of,  27n ;  helps  settle 
Father  Deseille's  affairs,  40, 
41,  133;  visits  Petit's  mission, 
61  ;  dedication  of  church,  91, 
92 ;  letter  from  Petit  on  pro- 
gress of  Potawatomi  emigra- 
tion, 95-96  ;  illness,  97 ;  visited 
by  Petit,  127. 

Frankfort   (Ky.),  235. 

Frederick    (Md.),    113n,  220-21. 

Fredonia    (N.    Y.),    300. 

Freeman,  William  R.,  sketch  of, 
414;  portrait  of  Thomas  A. 
Hendricks,  414,  432. 

Frenchtown    (Md.),  211. 

Fretageot  (Fretage),  Marie  D., 
207,  316,  323,  334. 

Friends,  see  Society  of  Friends. 

Fulton,  see  Livingston  &  Fulton. 

Furst,  ,  305. 

Gales,  Joseph,  Jr.,  editor  of  Na- 
tional Intelligencer,  321. 

Gamble, ,  288. 

Game,  abundance  of,  in  America, 
276 ;  around  New  Harmony, 
244,  262,  276;  dinner,  178;  in 
Illinois,  254. 

Garcia,  Manuel,  musician,  152,  307, 
308,  314. 


INDEX 


445 


Garcia,   Mme.   Manuel,   314. 
Garcia,  Maria,   152,  307. 
Gardner,    ,    of    Washington 

(D.  C),  328,  329. 
Gardner,   Marianna,   135. 
Garnett,      G.,      of      Charlottesville 

(Va.),  324. 
Gaston,  ,  of  Xew  Harmony, 

290,  291. 
Gause   (Gauce),  ,  308,  312. 


General  Assembly  of  Indiana,  per 
diem  (1825),  271  ;  provides  for 
collection  of  governors'  por- 
traits, 388-89,  423. 

"General  Jackson,"  steamboat,  340, 
345. 

"General  Pike,"  Ohio  River  steam- 
boat, 296. 

Gensler,  H.  J.,  aids  in  procuring 
portrait  of  William  Hendricks, 
399. 

"George  Washington,"  steamboat, 
350. 

Germans,  settlement  of  Catholic, 
at  South  Bend,  57. 

Gibson,  George,  commissary  gen- 
eral  of   subsistence,  20,  21-22. 

Gibson.  James,  of  Meadville  (Pa.), 
299. 

Gibson.  John,  portrait,  387,  392-93, 
432. 

Gibson,  Louis  E.,  404. 

Gilpin,     ,     of     Philadelphia, 

204. 

Girard,  Stephen,  of  Philadelphia, 
202. 

Golovin,  the  Alisses  ,  211. 

Goodlett  (Goodlet),  James  R.  E., 
Indiana  circuit   judge,  268. 

Goodrich.  James  P.,  portrait,  425- 
26,  432. 

Gordon,    Captain,    ,    son    of 

Sir  \Mlloughby  Gordon,  208. 

Gore,  Col.  .  304. 

Goshen    (Ind.),  Petit  at,  125,  135. 

Gosselin,   Andre,   139. 


Goth,  Marie,  portrait  of  Henry  F. 

Schricker,  431,  432. 
Governors  of  Indiana,  collection  of 

portraits  of,  387-432. 
Grafton,    Robert    W.,   biographical 

note,  426-27; 

portraits  of :    Ed  Jackson,  428, 

432 :  Harry  G.  Leslie,  428-29, 

432 ;    Warren    T.    McCray, 

426-27,    432. 

Granville,  Jonathan,  Haitian  agent 

in  Philadelphia,  210. 
Gray,  Mrs.  ,  wife  of  British 

consul    at    Xorfolk,    311. 
Gray,    Isaac    P.,    portrait,    417-18, 

432. 
Green,    ,    Owen's    agent    in 

Cincinnati,    335. 
Green,  see  Clarke  &  Green. 

Grey,  ,  of  Philadelphia,  312. 

Grimshaw,    John,    of    Xew    York, 

184. 
Griscom  (Griscomb),  Miss  , 

daughter     of     John     Griscom, 

176,  181. 
Griscom      (Griscomb),     John,     of 

Xew      ^'ork.      Owen's      party 

meets.  176.  178,  180,  182,  184, 

198,  302,  309. 
Griswold,    George     (?),    of    Xew 

York,  184. 

Grut,    ,    179.    182. 

Guilen,   Catharine   Dougherty,   136. 

Guilen,  John,   136. 

Guilen,  Margaret,  136. 

Guth.    ,    of    Quincy     (111.), 

130. 
G\v\nn.  \\'iliiam,  of  Daltiinorc,  212. 

Hacpole,   John,   of    Boonville,   397. 
Had  field,    George,    architect,    328. 

330. 
Hagerstown    (Md.),   397. 
Haggarty,  ,  of  Philadelphia, 

204. 


446 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Haines  (Haynes),  Reuben,  of 
Germantown  (Pa.),  311,  312, 
313. 

Haleman,   ,    moves   to    New 

Harmony,   290,   291. 

Hall,  ,  of   New  York,    182, 


183. 


-,  of  Scotland,  305. 


Hall,  - 

Hall,  John  H.,  of   Harpers  Ferry 

(Va.),  326. 
Hall,    Samuel,   of    Princeton,    268, 

279. 
Hall,     William     (?),     of     Albion 

(111.),  275. 

Hamilton,  ,  Zld. 

Hamilton,  Miss  ,  313. 

Hamilton,  the  Misses,  of  Charles- 
ton  (S.  C),  211. 
Hamilton,   ,   of    New   York, 

307,  314. 
Hammond,  ,  of  New  York, 

192. 
Hammond,     Abram     A.,     portrait, 

410,   432. 
Hancock    (Pa.),   222. 
Hanly,  J.  Frank,  portrait,  423,  432. 
Harding,   Chester,  artist,  266. 
Harmonists,  see  Rappites. 
Harmony,  see  New  Harmony. 
Harper,  Robert  Goodloe,  of  Balti- 
more, 212,  214. 
Harpers  Ferry    (Va.),  326. 
Harris,  Carey  A.,  commissioner  of 

Indian  affairs,  24,  25,  85n. 
Harris,  Eliza,  135. 
Harris,  Dr.  William,  of  New  York, 

180. 
Harris'    Prairie    (Ind.),    Petit    at, 

136. 
Harrison,  John  Cleves  Symmes,  of 

Vincennes,  282. 
Harrison,     William     Henry,     285, 

286,   392 ;    interview   with   Te- 

cumseh,     270 ;      Owen     party 

meets,  329 ; 

portraits:     by    Hays,    390-91, 


432;  by  Steele,  391,  432; 
by  other  artists,  390n. 

Hart,  ,  owner  of  steamboat 

"Pennsylvania,"  233. 

Hartford    (Conn.),   303. 

Harvey,  Jacob,  of  New  York, 
Owen's  party  meets,  176,  182, 
184,  198,  302,  310. 

Havana  (Cuba),  Macdonald  visits, 
355-66. 

Hawk,  lands  on  the  "Mary  Cather- 
ine,"  375,    Zld-n,   378. 

Hay,  Ann,  Jonathan  Jennings  gives 
miniature  to,  396. 

Hay,  John  D.,  of  Vincennes,  281, 
282,  283,  289. 

Hayle,  ,  of  Lancashire,  307. 

Haymer, ,  of  New  York,  313. 

Hays,  Barton  S.,  sketch  of,  390; 
portrait  of  William  Henry 
Harrison,  390-91,  432. 

Health,  Cuba,  362 ;  Louisville,  239 ; 
New  Orleans,  349 ;  around 
New  Harmony,  231,  232,  244, 
260,  312;  sufferings  from  ague 
and  fever,  173,  236,  287,  340, 
iTl.  See  also  Potawatomi  In- 
dians, 1838  emigration,  sick- 
ness and  suffering,  deaths. 

Hendricks,  Grover,  son  of  William 
Hendricks,  398. 

Hendricks,  Jamison,  398. 

Hendricks,  Mrs.  John  A.,  illness 
and  death,  67n,  72n,  126. 

Hendricks,  Thomas  A.,  387 ;  with- 
draws William  Hendricks  por- 
trait from  State  Plouse  collec- 
tion. 398-99 ;  Freeman  portrait 
of,  414,  432 :  Steele  portrait  of, 
391,  414-15,  432. 

Hendricks,  William,  portraits  of, 
398-99,  400,  432 ;  Owen's  party 
meets,  328,  329,  330. 

Herron,  Dr.  Francis,  of  Pitts- 
burgh, 298. 


INDEX 


447 


Hervey  (Harvey),  Col.  Sir  Felton 
B.,  212. 

Heyward,  ,  of  South  Caro- 
lina, 307. 

Hibbard    (Ind.),  33n. 

"Hibernia,"   steamboat,   350. 

Hicks,  Elias.  of  Long  Island,  308, 
309. 

Higgins,  ,  305. 

Hill, ,  of  Hoboken,  193,  309. 

Hill,  John  B.,  biographical  note, 
393-94:  portraits,  of  Abram  A. 
Hammond.  410,  432;  of 
Thomas   Posey,  393-94,  432. 

Hill,  John  F.,  393. 

Hoecken,  Christian,  missionary 
priest,  111,  131:  sketch  of, 
105n ;  Kickapoo  mission,  50n. 
110:  meets  Potawatomi  emi- 
grating party,  105,  130:  carries 
on  after  Petit's  departure,  107, 
116:  treats  Petit  for  fever,  109. 

Hogan,  -^ ,  Louisville  mer- 
chant, 238. 

Holidays,  Christmas,  45,  48-49,  123  ; 
Easter,  65,  67,  72,  80,  125-26; 
Fourth  of  July,  302;  New 
Year's,  52. 

Holland,  Ellen,  marriage,  133. 

Horan,  ,  63n,  125. 

Hornbrook,  Saunders,  of  Vander- 
burgh   County,    275. 

Home,    ,     of     Philadelphia, 

302,  303. 

Hosack,  Miss  ,  181. 


Hosack,  Dr.  David,  of  New  York, 
Owen's  party  meets.  178,  179- 
80,  181,  198,  310,  314. 

Hotels  and  taverns,  abundance  of 
heat  and  food  in  American 
(1824),  223:  informality  of, 
226 ;  service  and  accommoda- 
tions, 238,  346;  at  Albany 
(N.  Y.),  186;  Albion  (111.), 
253;  Baltimore  (Md.),  212. 
317;     Boston     (Mass.),     303; 


Charleston  (S.  C),  367; 
Clarksburg  (Md.),  220;  Cum- 
berland (Pa.),  223,  331;  Fred- 
erick (Md. ),220:  Hagerstown 
(Md.),  221;  Harpers  Ferry 
(Va.),  ZTJ;  Havana  (Cuba), 
357;  Louisville  (Ky.),  237, 
238;  New  Harmony,  246;  New 
Orleans  (La.),  345.  346;  New 
York  (.\.  Y.),  174,  308;  Phil- 
adelphia (Pa.),  203,  302,  311: 
Pittsburgh  (Pa.),  226;  be- 
tween Pittsburgh  and  Econ- 
omy (Pa.),  228;  Princeton, 
279;  Shawneetown  (111.),  266; 
Springfield,  243 :  Trenton 
CN.  J.),  201;  Vincennes,  280- 
81,  290;  Washington  (D.  C), 
215,  318,  III. 

Houston,  George  (?),  of  New 
York,   179.   182,   197,  315. 

Hovey.  Alvin  P.,  portrait,  418, 
432. 

Howard,  Mrs.  ,  357. 

Howell,  ,  299. 

"Hudson,"    steamboat,    192. 

Hudson  River,  description  of.  New 
York   to    Albany,    185-86. 

Huidecooper  (Hurdycooper).  , 

of  Meadville    (Pa.),  298,  299. 

Hulme.  ,  308.  309,  314,  316. 

Hume, ,  of  Philadelphia,  208. 

Hunter,  ,   .American   Indian, 

177,  184,  222-23,  242,  276; 
meets  Owen's  party,  203  :  plans 
journey  to  New  Harmony  via 
New  Orleans,  203-4:  in  Phil- 
adelphia, 204,  206.  208,  211; 
Washington  (D.  C),  215.  217. 
218:  visits  Economy  (Pa.), 
227;  at  Louisville  and  Ship- 
pingport,  237,  240. 

Hunter,  John,  of  Hunter's  Island. 
New  York,  181,  183,  200,  308. 


448 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Hunting,  on  English  and  French 
prairies  in  Illinois,  254 ;  around 
New  Harmony,  276 ;  along  the 
Ohio,  334,  335. 

Hurst,  Major  Henry,  of  Vin- 
cennes,  289. 

Hutchinson,    George,   314. 

Hutton,    ,     of     Washington 

(D.  C),  328. 

Independence     (Mo.),    130. 
"Indiana,"    Ohio    River   steamboat, 

266. 
Indiana,     population     (1800-1830), 

17n. 
Indiana     Historical     Bureau,    pro- 
cures   portraits    of    governors, 
389,   400. 
Indiana  State  Library,  custodian  of 
collection    of    governors'    por- 
traits,   389,    398-99,    423. 
Indians,   delegations   of,   in   Wash- 
ington,   60,    217-18,    368;    ef- 
fects of  drinking  and  gambling 
on,  64;  efforts  toward  civiliza- 
tion  of,   22,   85n,   88n,    106-8, 
177,   183-84,   198,  217-18,  259; 
emigration :    act   to   encourage 
(1830),  17;  government  pol- 
icy on,   16-17,  17-18,  19,  20, 
21-22,  38,  60-61,  77-78,  81  n- 
82n,  87-88,  89.  93;   McCoy's 
efforts   toward,    13;    parties 
'  (1832).    18;    (1837),    25-26, 
50n;  (1838),  87  f f. :  sec  aho 
Potawatomi     Indians,     emi- 
gration ; 
Robert   M.   Evans  on,  269-70; 
Macdonald  on  future  of,  369 ; 
Miami      and      Kickapoo      war 
against  the  Osage,  255  ;  mounds 
at  Cincinnati,  236 ;  mounds  at 
Marietta,  297 ;  Owen's  interest 
in,       217-18;       Seminole,       in 
Charleston  circus,  367-68.    Sre 
also  Missions ;  names  of  tribes. 


Indian  villages,  in  New  York, 
301  ;  sec  also  Chechaukkose's 
Village,  Pokagon's  Village, 
Wane  Kik,  and  under  Chiefs 
Ashkum,  Benack,  Louison,  and 
Pepiah. 

Industries  and  manufactories,  at 
Albion  (111.),  254;  at  New 
Harmony  (Rappite),  247,  248- 
49,  272,  273,  275;  at  Water- 
vliet  (N.  Y.),  188-89,  190; 
brick  kiln,  Washington  (D. 
C),  329;  corn  mills,  248-49, 
254,  272 ;  cotton  and  woolen 
mills,  187,  194,  195,  214,  247; 
cotton  picker,  254 ;  dye,  247, 
272 ;  exhibition  of  American, 
199;  glass,  at  Pittsburgh,  298; 
gristmill,  249;  rifles,  326; 
sail  manufactory,  Philadelphia, 
209-10:  sawmill.  327;  silk, 
at  Shakertown,  273 ;  spinning 
and  weaving  mill,  Springfield 
(Mass.),  303;  tanneries,  189- 
90,  248. 

Ingersoll,  Charles,  of  New  York, 
316. 

Inman,    Henry,   390n. 

Irish,  proposed  settlement  at  South 
Bend,  68 ;  Owen's  plans  for 
laboring  classes,  166. 

Irving  (Irvine),  John  T.  (?),  of 
New  York,   177,   178. 

Isle   of    Skye,    153,    154. 

Jackson,  Andrew,  description  of, 
224 ;  Owen's  party  meets,  224, 
352,  353;  dissatisfaction  with 
Indian  treaties,  18,  19. 

Jackson,  Ed,  portrait,  428,  432. 

Jacob,  J.  J    (  ?),  of  Louisville,  239. 

Jaquess  (Jaques).  Jonathan  (?),  of 
Posey    County,    276. 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  on  co-operative 
communities,  176,  183;  visited 
by   Macdonald,  323-24. 

Jeffersonvilk    (Ind.),  239. 


INDEX 


Jeffrey  (Jeffries),  Lord  Francis, 
editor,  Edinburgh  Rcviezv,  197. 

Jenckes,  John  C,  317. 

Jeneie  or  Sinigo,  Potawatomi,  26n. 

Jenkins, ,     captain     of     the 

"Phoenix,"   314. 

Jennings,  Jonathan,  387;  miniature 
of,  396;  Forbes  portrait  of, 
394-96,  405,  406,  432;  Steele 
portrait,  391,  396,  432;  Mac- 
donald  meets,  328,  329,  330. 

Jennings,  Robert  L.,  of  New  Har- 
mony, 292,  293,  294. 

Jesuits,  see  Society  of  Jesus. 

Johnson,  William  M.  (?),  of  New 
York,  308,  311. 

Johnson  (Johnston),  J.  B.,  black- 
smith,  Albion    (111.).   253-54. 

Jolly,  Mrs. ,  254,  257. 

Jones,  Mrs.  Peter,  of  Vincennes, 
281,  282. 


Kean, 


284. 


Kean,   Edmund,   actor,  313,  2)72). 

Kellogg,  ,  of   Cincinnati,  at 

New  Harmony,  292. 

Kelly,  Emmy  Underwood,  135. 

Kelly,  James,  135. 

Kelly,   Thomas,   135. 

Kemmis,  ,   180-81,   196,  276, 

302. 

Kenny,   Edmond,   135. 

Kent,  ,  professor  at  Colum- 
bia  College,   182. 

"Kent,"  Hudson  River  steamboat, 
192. 

Kickapoo,  Catholic  mission  for, 
50n,  105n,  110;  war  against 
Little  Osage  tribe,  255. 

King,  Charles,  of  New  York,  177, 
178,   314. 

King,  Rufus,  of  New  York,  177. 

Kiper,  Roscoe,  on  portrait  of  Rat- 
liff   Boon,  397n. 

Kirnen,   Anne,   141. 

Krumbhaar,  ,  305. 


449 
of  Philadelphia,  207, 

of    Danville    (Ky.), 


of   I'hiladdpliia,  211. 

,   of    Louisville, 

— ,  315. 


Kuhn,  — 

209. 
Kurd,  — 

223. 
Kuykendall,    Dr.    Jacob,    of     \in- 

ccnnes,  282. 
Kyle,  

La    Broche,   

239. 

La  Coss,  Mme. 

Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  173;  visit 
in  the  West  (1825),  289,  299; 
Owen's  party  meets  in  New 
York,  302 ;  plans  co-operative 
community  in  Florida,  302 ; 
subscription  for  emancipation 
of  slaves,  340-41  :  visits  Balti- 
more   (1824),  212,  213. 

Lafayette    (Ind.),   119. 

Laird,  John,  of  Georgetown  (D. 
C),  328. 

Lambdin,  James  R.,  390n. 

Lane.  Henry  S.,  portrait,  410-11, 
432. 

La  Porte  Herald,  attacks  Menomi- 
nee's stand  against  removal,  82. 

Lassellais,  ,  131. 

Lasselle,   Antoine,   138. 

Lasselle,   Hyacinthc,   120,   138. 

Laurence,    ,    of    Cincinnati, 

interest  in  New  Harmony,  292, 
293. 

Lavater,  ,  305. 

Law,  John,  of  X'incennes,  47,  85n. 

Law,  Thomas,  of  Washington 
( D.  C),  Owen's  party  meets, 
318-19,  320,  321,  328.  329. 

Lawsuits,  destruction  of  church 
property,  70;  efforts  of  Pota- 
watomi to  hold  reserves  by 
bringing,  66n,  75-76,  81  ;  over 
sale  of  Petit's  horse,  55. 

Leesburg  ( Turkey  Creek  Prairie, 
Ind.),  baptisms  at,  135;  Petit 
at,  62,  63-64,  65-66,  125. 


450 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Leesburg   (Va.),  327. 

Lennard,  ,  partner  of  Peter 

A.    Schcnck.    195-96. 

Lent,  60. 

Lcs  Auualcs  dc  la  Propagation  dc 
la  I'oi,  108. 

Leslie,  Harry  G.,  portrait,  428-29, 
432. 

Lesueur,   Charles   A..  209,  334. 

Lewis.    -,    of    Albion    (111.), 

253,  254,  255,  257,  259,  277. 

Lewis,  Warner  W.,  of  New  Har- 
mony, 312. 

Lexington  (Ky.),  location  and  so- 
ciety,  170,  235. 

Lilly  Eli,  purchases  portrait  of 
John   Gibson,   392. 

Lindsley  (Lindsay),  Dr.  Philip,  of 
Nashville    (Tenn.),   236,   238. 

Liston,  Sir  Robert,  British  minis- 
ter to  United  States,  325. 

Little  (Liddle),  Robert,  Unitarian 
minister,  Washington  (D.  C), 
319,  329,  330. 

Livestock,  cattle,  212-13,  248,  276; 
deer,  248 ;  hogs,  190,  224,  354- 
55;  horses,  190,  254-55,  276; 
sheep,   262,   277. 

Livingston,  Peter  R.,  member.  New 
York  House  of  Representa- 
tives, 192. 

Livingston  (Leviston)  &  Eulton, 
steamboat    company,    184,    192. 

Lloyd,  James,  Owen's  party  meets, 
200. 

Lloyd,    Mrs.   James,   200. 

Lockport    (N.    Y.),    30L 

Logansport  (Ind.),  23,  26,  30n,  31, 
32,  119,  120;  dedication  of 
Catholic  Church,  91,  92;  In- 
dians gathered  for  removal  at 
(1833),  18,  (1838),  91-92,  128. 

Logansport  Telegraph,  denies  cruel- 
ty to  emigrating  Indians,  91n ; 
praises  Pctit's  work  among 
Indians,  90n. 


Long,  Major  Stephen  H.,  207. 
Longstreth    (Longstreath),  


of  Philadelphia,  208,  211,  312, 
316. 

Loogootee    (Ind.),   30n. 

Loras,  Pierre  Jean  Mathias,  bishop 
of  Dubuque,  112,  113,  116. 

Louisiana,  legislation  on  slaves  and 
free  blacks,  348. 

Louison,  Potawatomi  chief,  mar- 
riage of  son,  137;  village,  Petit 
performs  baptisms  at,  7?>,  126, 
140n. 

Louisville  (Ky.),  society,  235; 
Owen's  party  visits,  237-41, 
295-96. 

Lowry,  ,  of  New  York,  307. 

Lucas,  Jonathan,  of  South  Caro- 
lina, 374. 

Ludlow,  Thomas  W.  (?),  of  New 
York,  177,  178,  180,  181,  197, 
200,  308,  314. 

Lynch,  ,  of  New  York,  307. 

McClelland  (McLeland),  Samuel 
(?),    of    Shakertown,   274. 

Maclure,  William,  of  New  Har- 
mony, 312,  313,  m,  334.  336. 

McCoy,  Isaac,  Baptist  Indian  mis- 
sionary,  12,   13,  72. 

McCray,  Warren  T.,  portrait,  426- 
27,   432. 

Macdonald,  Alan,  of   Skye,   155. 

Macdonald,  Donald,  biographical 
notes  and  legends,  152,  153-55, 
155-56;  description  of  diaries, 
156-57;  lines  to  the  hawk  that 
landed  on  the  "Mary  Cather- 
ine," 2)77 ;  sons  visit  New  Har- 
mony, 155;  service  at  Cadiz, 
156,   361; 

journey  to  America  (1824-25)  : 
Liverpool  to  New  York,  159- 
74;  in  New  York.  174-84, 
196-201  ;  New  York  to  Al- 
bany, 184-86 ;  at  Albany,  186, 


INDEX 


191-92;  at  Watervliet,  187- 
89:  Albany  to  New  York, 
192-96:  visits  Mr.  De  Wint, 
193,  194-96;  visits  Mr. 
Schenck's  manufactory,  195; 
New  York  to  Philadelphia, 
200-3:  at  Philadelphia,  203- 
11;  Philadelphia  to  Balti- 
more, 211-12;  at  Baltimore, 
212-14;  suffers  cold,  214; 
Baltimore  to  Washington, 
214-15;  at  Washington,  215- 
20;  meets  Indian  chiefs,  217- 
18;  Washington  to  Pitts- 
burgh, 220-26 ;  walks  through 
Pennsylvania  mountains,  222- 
23 ;  meets  General  Jackson, 
?24;  at  Pittsburgh,  226,  231- 
13;  visits  Economy  (Pa.), 
J27-31  ;  visits  log  cabin  be- 
low Wheeling,  235  ;  at  Louis- 
ville, 237-41 ;  Louisville  to 
New  Harmony,  240-46 ;  bon- 
fire party,  242 ;  at  New  Har- 
mony, 246-94  passim;  at  Al- 
bion (111.),  250-62,  274-75; 
on  hunt,  254-55 ;  expedition 
from  New  Harmony  to 
Mount  Vernon,  265-68  ;  helps 
write  notice  relative  to  ad- 
mission into  society,  268 ; 
helps  write  statement  for 
New  York  paper.  277 :  visits 
Princeton,  278-80 ;  visits 
William  Mcintosh,  285-86; 
visits  Shaker  village  and 
Vincennes,  289-90 ;  writes 
Articles  of  Association,  291 ; 
visits  Evansville,  293 ;  New 
Harmony  to  Louisville,  294- 
95 ;  at  Cincinnati,  296 ;  at 
Marietta,  297 ;  Wheeling, 
Washington  (Pa.),  Pitts- 
burgh, and  Economy,  297 ; 
Pittsburgh  to  Meadville,  298 ; 
at  Meadville,  298-99;  Mead- 


451 

ville  to  Buffalo,  299-300 ;  at 
Buffalo  and  Niagara,  300-1  ; 
Niagara  to  New  York,  301- 
2;  in  New  York,  302,  304; 
New  York  to  Boston,  302-3  ; 
at  Boston,  303-4 ;  visits  John 
Adams,  303-4 ;  Xew  \'ork  to 
Liverpool,  304-6; 
journey  to  America  (1825-26)  : 
Liverpool  to  Xew  York,  307 ; 
in  Xew  York,  308-11,  313- 
15;  suffers  cold,  312;  Xew 
York  to  Philadelphia,  311. 
315-16;  helps  write  adver- 
tisement for  mechanics  for 
New  Harmony,  312;  visits 
Joseph  Bonaparte,  315-16; 
at  Philadelphia,  316-17;  Phil- 
adelphia to  Baltimore,  317  ;  at 
Baltimore,  317-18;  Baltimore 
to  Washington,  318 ;  at  Wash- 
ington, 318-22,  327-3Q ;  meets 
John  Quincy  .Adams,  319; 
Washington  to  Charlottes- 
ville (Va.),  322-23;  visits 
Thomas  Jefferson,  323-24; 
visits  University  of  Vir- 
ginia, 324 ;  Charlottesville, 
Natural  Bridge,  Winchester, 
Harpers  Ferry,  Washington, 
324-27;  attends  Columbian 
Institute,  329 ;  Wa.'^hington 
(D.  C),  to  Pittsburgh,  331; 
at  Pittsburgh,  331  ;  Pitts- 
burgh to  Economy.  332 ;  at 
Economy,  332-33 ;  joins 
party  bound  for  Xew  Har- 
mony, 333-34;  Pittsburgh  to 
New  Harmony,  335-37 :  at 
Cincinnati,  335-36 ;  at  Xew 
Harmony,  337:  Mount  Ver- 
non to  New  Orleans,  338-45  : 
at  Xew  Orleans,  345-54 ; 
New  Orleans  to  Havana, 
353-55:  at  Havana,  355-66; 
Havana  to  Charleston,  366- 


452 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


67;  at  Charleston,  Z67-72>\ 
attends  camp  meeting,  372- 
72) ;  Charleston  to  Liverpool, 
2,7:^-79 ; 
observations  on :  American 
women,  291-92;  communal 
living,  237,  245-46,  253,  283, 
291  ;  credulity  of  human  na- 
ture, 168-69 ;  crimes,  causes 
and  punishments,  317-18 ; 
Cuba,  future  status  of,  366; 
French  society  at  Vincennes, 
272-72) ;  Indiana,  government 
and  land  system,  268,  270- 
71  ;  need  for  industrial  fore- 
man at  New  Harmony,  312 ; 
policy  of  New  Harmony 
Gaccttc,  321  ;  Rappites,  230, 
249,  293;  slavery,  241,  350; 
smuggling,  165 ;  survival  of 
Old  World  customs  in  New, 
166,  173,  361,  364;  variations 
between  English  and  Ameri- 
can church  services,  180 ; 
westward  emigration,  341. 

McDonald,  John,  of  Pittsburgh, 
227. 

MacEllen,  Denys,   136. 

MacEllen,  John,  136. 

MacEllen,    Mary    MacPit,    136. 

McEwin,  the  Misses,  of  New  Yoi-k, 
313. 

McFarlane,   ,   314. 

MacGraham,   Anne,   136. 

Mcintosh,  John,  384. 

Mcintosh,  William,  289;  desires 
to  join  Owen's  society,  271, 
274 ;  visited  by  Macdonald, 
283,  284,  285-86. 

McLeod,  Col.  ,  184. 

MacNally,  Anne  MacGraham,  136. 

MacNally,   Henry.   136. 

MacNally,  Thomas,   136. 

McNamee  (MacName),  Dr.  Elias. 
of  Vincennes,  282,  283,  289, 
294,  295. 


M^cneven  (McNiven,  etc.).  Dr. 
William  James,  of  New  York, 
182,  199,  232,  314. 

McNutt,  Paul  v.,  portrait,  429, 
432. 

MacPit,  Mary,  136. 

McVickar  (Mc Vicar),  Dr.  John, 
of  Columbia  College,  Owen's 
party  meets,  181,  182,  184,  199, 
314. 

"Magnet,"  Ohio  River  steamboat, 
267. 

Madison    (Ind.),  30n. 

Maguire,  ,  278. 

Maher, — ,  of  Baltimore,  212. 

Maidlow  (Medlow),  James  (?), 
of    Vanderburgh    County,   275. 

Mail,  postage,  240;  postmasters, 
income  and  security  for,  289  ; 
service :  Baltimore  to  New 
Orleans,  325-26 ;  Princeton, 
New  Harmony,  and  Shaw- 
neetown,  266,  269,  271,  277; 
trans-Atlantic  packet,  181  ; 
Vincennes,  283. 

Makkahtahmoway  or  Black  Wolf, 
Potawatomi  chief,  reserve  for 
band  of,  1832  treaty,  19;  asks 
funds  for  education,  22 ;  signs 
plea  for  priest,  26n ;  placed 
under  guard,  88n,  89n ;  releas- 
ed, 99 ;  distress  of  mother,  97- 
98. 

Malibran,    Count,    152. 

Mallard,     ,     passenger     on 

board    the    "New   York,"    161, 
173;   in   New  York,  198. 

Manners,  George,  British  consul 
at  Boston,  183,  184,  197. 

Manning,  Richard  Irving,  of  South 
Carolina,  370. 

Manufactories,  sec  Industries  and 
manufactories. 

Manumission  Society,  New  York, 
177. 


INDEX 


453 


Maranthile  ( Marantette?),  Caro- 
line Zeline,  136. 

Maranthile,  Fanny  Monton,  136. 

Maranthile,  Patrick,  136. 

Marcoo,  Mrs.  ■ — ,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 317. 

Marietta  (Ohio),  Owen  addresses 
meeting  at,  297. 

Marloe,  Mrs.  ,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 210. 

Marsh,  ,  of  New  York,  181. 

— ,   288. 


Marshall,    - 

Marshall,  Benjamin,  of  New  York, 
182,  183,  184. 

Marshall,  John,  chief  justice,  sim- 
plicity,  171-72. 

Marshall,  Jonas,  184. 

Marshall,  Thomas  R.,  portrait,  423- 
24,  432. 

Marshall,  William,  Indian  agent, 
conducts    treaties,    18-19. 

"Mary,"  brig,  366. 

"Mary  Catherine,''  trans-Atlantic 
steamboat,  373,  378. 

Mason,  ,   196. 

Massey, ,  of  Vincennes,  281, 

282. 

Mathew,  ,  276. 

Matthews,  Claude,  portrait,  420, 
432. 

Matthews,  Mrs.  Claude,  of  Clin- 
ton, 405. 

Maule,  Lady  Ramsey,  wife  of  Don- 
ald Macdonald,  156. 

Maxwell,  George,  captain  of  the 
"New  York,"  159,  167,  173, 
175,  208. 

Mayer,  Barbara  Redis,  136. 

Mayer,  Mrs.  Catherine  Bab,  136. 

Mayer,  Jacob,   136. 

Mayer,  John,  136. 

Mayer,   Magdalen,   136. 

Mayer,  Sophia,  136. 

Maysville   (Ky.),  235. 

Mazella,  Andrew,  50n. 


Meadville  (Pa.),  Owen's  party 
visits,  298-99. 

Mease,  James,  211. 

xMfchgami  (Mashgamy),  Potawa- 
tomi,  125,  132,  133. 

Meecham,  Archibald,  of  Shaker- 
town,  274. 

Meek, ,  of  Philadelphia,  312. 

Meeks,  Dr. ,  of  Philadelphia, 

312. 

Meksabi,   Potawatomi,   134. 

Memphis    (Tenn.),  340. 

Menominee,  Potawatomi  chief, 
sketch  of,  12n ;  invites  McCoy 
to  visit  tribe,  12;  baptism,  15; 
band  grants  land  to  Catholic 
church,  16 ;  reserve  for  band, 
1832  treaty,  19,  23;  asks  funds 
for  education,  22 ;  opposes  1836 
treaty,  23,  38,  41-42;  signs 
plea  for  priest,  26n ;  interview 
with  the  President,  60n ;  ad- 
vised to  carry  claim  to  court, 
66n;  speech  at  council,  81n- 
82n ;  attacked  by  La  Porte 
Herald,  82 ;  apologizes  for 
speech,  87 ;  forced  removal, 
88n,  89n,   90,  99. 

Menominee's  \'illage,  15,  22.  See 
also  Potawatomi  Indians ; 
Yellow  River  band;  Yellow 
River    mission. 

Mercer   (Pa.),  298. 

Meredith,    ,    of     Baltimore, 

212. 

Meredith,  William,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 200,  209.  210,  317. 

Metay,  Leandre,  136. 

Metay.   Marianne   Mouton,   136. 

Metay,  Solomon  Timothee,  136. 

Metcalf,  ,  367. 

Methodists,  65,   125,  256. 

Metzger,  Elias,  135. 

Metzger,    Elias    Harris,    135. 

Metzger,    Ferdinand,    136. 

Metzger,  Joseph,  135. 


454 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


"Mexico,"    Ohio    River    steamboat, 

236. 
Miami    Indians,    mission    at    Fort 
Wayne,  12;  war  against  Little 
Osage  tribe,  255. 
Michels, ,  of  Edwards  Coun- 
ty   (111.),  259. 
Michilimackinac    (Mich.),    54n. 

Miesto, ,  of  New  York,  314. 

Miles,  Richard  P.,  bishop  of  Nash- 
ville, 97n. 

Millar   (Miller),  Dr.  ,  Rap- 

pite,  250,  277,  289. 
Miller,     George,     of     Shakertown, 

290. 
Milligan,    Joseph,    of    Georgetown 

(D.   C),  328. 
Mills,    sec    Industries    and    manu- 
factories. 
Miot  de  Melito,  Comte,  315. 
Missions,    Indian,    Carey,    13,    72n ; 
government    aid    for,   22,    85n, 
88n,     106-8;     Kickapoo,     50n, 
105n,  110;  in  New  York,  301; 
Ottawa,  at  Arbre  Croche,  54n  ; 
St.  Joseph,   11-12,   13-14;   sup- 
ported by  Society  of  the  Prop- 
agation of  the  Faith,  86n  ;  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  50n-51n,  72, 
83.     Sec  also   Potawatomi   In- 
dians, missions ;  Yellow  River 
mission. 
Mississippi  River,  alteration  of  its 
course,    342;    descriptions    of, 
340,  341-43,  344-45,  347,  354; 
floods,     341-42;     levees,     344, 
346.     350;     steamboat     traffic 
(1826),  340. 
Mitchell,    Colin,    of    Havana,    353, 

357. 
Mitchell,  Dr.   Samuel  L.,  of   New 

York,  179,  181,  314,  357,  364. 
Moffatt,    Capt.   ,   of   Wash- 
ington  (D.  C),  320. 
Molegan,   Edward,   135. 
Molegan,  Mary  Riley,  135. 


Molegan,  Patrick,  135. 

Molegan,    Philip,    135. 

Molegan,   Theresa,   135. 

Mona   (Madeline),  wife  of  Joseph 
Bertrand,    50n,    120. 

Money,   sec   Currency. 

Monroe,  James,  Owen  visits,  215, 
217. 

Monroe  Doctrine,  Owen's  party 
discusses,  167. 

Montgomery,  Isaac,  of  Gibson 
County,  287. 

Monticello,  home  of  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson, 323,  324. 

Monsseau,  Potawatomi  Indian,  124. 

Moore,  ,  72. 

Moore,  Gen. ,  of  New  York, 

180,   181. 

Moore,  Isaac  S.,  of  Boonville,  396- 
97. 

Moore  family,  of  Vincennes,  47. 

Moores,   Merrill,  400. 

Moravians,  colony  at  Salem  (Va.), 
171. 

Morgan,  Amaziah,  assistant  in  Pot- 
awatomi emigration,  78,  82, 
129. 

Morlin  (Morling),  David,  132, 
134,  138. 

Morlin,   Joseph,   132,   134. 

Mormons,  "war"  in  Missouri,  103n- 

104n,  109,  130. 
Morrice,   ,   of    South    Caro- 
lina, 305. 

Morris,    ,    of    Carmi    (111.), 

276. 
Morrison,   George   W.,   portrait   of 
Ashbel  P.  Willard,  409-10,  432. 
Morrison,   Joseph    (?),   of    Mead- 

ville  (Pa.),  299. 
Morro  Castle,  fortification  in  Ha- 
vana  harbor,   355-56. 
Morse,   Edward  Lind,  400. 
Morse,     Samuel     F.    B.,    pictorial 
study  of  House  of  Representa- 
tives, 399. 


INDEX 


455 


Morse,  Sidney  E.,  editor,  New 
York  Obsci-%>er,  178, 

Morton,  Dr.  Samuel  George  (?), 
of    Philadelphia,  208. 

Morton,  Oliver  P.,  Forbes  por- 
trait, 395,  411-12,  432;  Steele 
portrait,  387,  391,  412,  432. 

Mota,  Potawatomi  chief,  treaty  of 
band   of    (1834),    18. 

Mount,  James  A.,  portrait,  420-22, 
432. 

Mount   Carmel    (111.),   286. 

Alt.  St.  Mary's  College,  Emmets- 
burg    (Md.),  27,  57n,   119. 

Mount  Vernon,  home  of  George 
Washington,  322. 

Mount  Vernon    (Ind.),  243,  295. 

Mousse,   Alexander,  96n,   134. 

Mouton,  Mme.  ,  74,  127. 

Mouton,   Fanny,   136. 

Mouton,    Marianne,    136. 

Muck  Rose  (Muckose,  Muckosse), 
Potawatomi  chief,  138 ;  treaty 
of  band  of,  with  United  States 
(1834),  18;  death,  129. 

Mueller,  Louis,  priest  at  Fort 
Wayne,  28.  41,  45,  97,  133: 
leaves  old  horse  for  Petit,  40n, 
43,  49,  55,  120;  illness,  51; 
complaints  against,  62;  vexed 
at  Petit.  86. 

Muggridge,  Mrs. ,  of  Charles- 
ton (S.  C).  374. 

Miiller,  Dr.  ,  of  Pittsburgh 

and    Economy    (  ? ) ,   Z2)?i. 

Mullett  (Mullet),  James,  member 
of  New  York  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives,   192. 

Murat,  Achille,  302. 

Murat,  Lucien,  302,  315. 

Murphy,  ,  120. 

Murphy,  Thomas,  of  Baltimore, 
212. 

Murray,  John,  Jr.,  of  New  York, 
313. 


Nadeaux,    Catherine    Alexandrine 

136. 
Nadeaux,  Marie  Rousseau,  136. 
Xadeaux,   Pierre,   136. 
Naples    (111.),   102,  129. 

Xash,  ,  25. 

Xashoba  communitv   (Tcnn.),  340- 

41. 
Natchez    (Miss.),  343. 
National   Road,  221,  326. 
Natural    Bridge    (Va.),   325. 
Navarre,  Angel ique  Kichoueckouay, 

135. 
Navarre,  Marianne,   135. 
Navarre,   Pierre,   127,   131,   135. 
Navarre,  Theresa,  135. 
Nazareth    (Ky. ),   57n. 
Neef,  Joseph,  336. 
Neely,  John    I.,  of   Princeton,  268, 
279. 

Neff,  ,  of  Savannah,  208. 

Negroes,    attitude    toward.    United 
States   (1824-26),  209-10,  285, 
341,  363;   camp  meeting,  372- 
73 ;    education    withheld    from, 
2i()2> ;  marriage  with  whites  pro- 
liibited,    Louisiana.    348,    363 ; 
free :     invited    to    Santo    Do- 
mingo.    210;      involved      in 
Charleston     uprising,     370 ; 
school  for.  Manumission  So- 
ciety,   New   York,   177; 
slaves  :   239,  346,  358  ;  Charles- 
ton uprising,  370 ;  Cuba,  sta- 
tus,   362-63,    364-65:    effect 
of  religion  on,  Z12-12> ;  eman- 
cipation, efforts  toward,  340- 
41,    362-63:    introduction    to 
Louisiana      forbidden,     348 : 
Louisville,  239;  Macdonald's 
attitude  on,  241  :  salesrooms, 
New  Orleans,  350. 

Nevill.    ,    of    near    Fishkill 

Creek    (N.   Y.),   194. 
New  Brunswick  (N.  J.).  200,  201. 
New   Castle    (Del.),   211. 


456 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


New  Harmony  (Ind.),  climate  and 
health,  229,  231,  22,2,  244,  260, 
274,  308,  312;  description  of 
situation,  244-46,  262-63;  mail 
service,  244,  266,  269,  277,  288- 
89 ;  roads  to,  277 ;  footprint 
rock.  247 ; 

Kappite       society :  157-58 ; 

amusements,    248,   250,   271; 
buildings  and  dwellings,  246, 
247 ;    church    services,    249- 
50 ;    departure    and    reasons 
for,  229,  231,  293;   descrip- 
tion  of    members,   248,   249, 
264 ;   industries  and  agricul- 
ture,  247,   248-49,   272,   273, 
275,   291 ;   observes   anniver- 
sary of  its  union,  288;  shops, 
248 ;     vineyards     and     laby- 
rinth, 245,  248; 
Owen    society:     151,    158;    in- 
dividuals express  interest  in 
joining,  258-59,  264,  269,  271, 
274,    275,    276,    277-78.    288, 
290,  291,  292,  293,  302,  309, 
313,    316;    Owen    purchases 
site  for,  258,  262,  263,  264, 
265 ;     organization     of     and 
regulations     for,     291,     292, 
293,   294,   296,   337-38;   per- 
sons    joining,     290,     292-94, 
?i2)2i-2iA ;   reports  and  rumors 
on.  308,  312.  326,  328-29,  338 : 
school,  312  ;  separatist  move- 
ments, 22)7 ;  Owen  requested 
to  become  sole  manager  of, 
338. 
New    Harmony    Gazette,    printing 
equipment  purchased  for,  296 ; 
Macdonald   opposes   policy   of, 
321  ;    reprinted   in    New   York, 
313. 
New    Lanark    (Scotland),    169-70, 
296. 

New  Lebanon  (N.  Y.),  Shaker 
establishment,    191. 


New  Orleans  (La.),  Macdonald 
visits,  345-54;  market  for 
western  states,  248,  281-82, 
286,  339,  347. 

New  Year's  Day,  52. 

"New  York,"  trans-Atlantic  steam- 
boat,  307,   379. 

New  York  (N.  Y.),  Owen's  party 
visits,  174-84,  302,  304,  308-11, 
313-15. 

Newburgh  (N.  Y.),  186,  193. 

Newport    (Ind.),    119. 

Niagara   Falls,   301. 

Nicolet,  ,  112. 

Nielson,  ,  of  Louisville   (?), 

239. 

Niskayuna    (N.  Y.),  186. 

Noah,  Mordecai  M..  of  New  York, 
314. 

Noble.  James,  Owen's  party  meets, 
328.  329,  330. 

Noble,  Noah,  portrait,  389.  402-3, 
432. 

Noiakouleau,  Potawatomi,  132,  134. 

Norris,  ,   63,    125. 

Notav/akah,  Potawatomi  chief,  re- 
serve for  band  of,  1832  treaty, 
19,  23 :  forced  removal,  88n, 
89n,  99. 

O'Bierne  (O'Byrne),  Patrick,  27n. 

Ogden,  David  B.,  New  York,  180, 
182,   197,  200. 

Ogden,  Mrs.  David  B.,  197-98. 

Ogden,  Abram,   197,  198,  200. 

Ogden,  Abram,  200,  219. 

Ogden  &  Day's  Counting  House, 
181,  196. 

Oheiran,    John,   marriage,    133. 

'"Ohio,"  Ohio  River  steamboat,  297. 

Ohio  &  Mississippi  Navigator,  235. 

Ohio  River,  descriptions  of,  234, 
243,  336,  338-39;  difficulties  of 
navigation,  234,  236,  238-39, 
242;  floods  and  ice,  241,  331, 
233,  338. 


INDEX 


Oliver,   Robert,  of   Baltimore,  212. 
"Oliver  Ellsworth,"  Hudson  River 

steamboat,    304. 
Orange,    Daniel,    of    near    Albion 
^      (111.),  254. 
Orange,  William,  of  Albion  (111.), 

253,   254-55,   288. 
Orbiston  Community,  Lanarkshire, 

156n. 
Ormsby,    Stephen,   of   near   Louis- 
ville,  239. 
Osage     Indians,     Miami-Kickapoo 

war   against,  255. 
Osage  River,  destination  of  Pota- 
watomi     emigration,     50n,    95, 
105. 

Osborne,  ,  305,  311. 

Otis,    Bass,    portrait    of     William 

Henry   Harrison.   390n. 
Ottawa  Indians,  emigration  (1837), 

25-26 ;  missions  to,  54,  72n. 
Owen,    Mrs.    David    Dale,    stories 

of  New  Harmony,  151-52. 
Owen,  Robert,  151,  Z2,7,  345,  346; 
journey  to  America,  1824-25 : 
Liverpool  to  New  York,  159- 
74:  in  New  York,  174-84; 
New  York  to  Albany,  184- 
86;  at  Albany,  186,  191-92; 
Visits  Watervliet,  187-89 ; 
Albany  to  New  York,  192- 
96 ;  visits  Mr.  De  Wint,  193, 
194-96;  visits  Mr.  Schenck's 
manufactory,  195 ;  in  New 
York,  196-201  :  New  York 
to  Philadelphia,  200-3;  at 
Philadelphia,  203-11;  Phila- 
delphia to  Baltimore,  211- 
12;  at  Baltimore,  212-14; 
Baltimore  to  Washington, 
214-15:  at  Washington.  215- 
20:  meets  Indian  chiefs,  217- 
18:  Washington  to  Pitts- 
burgh. 220-26:  meets  An- 
drew Jackson,  224 :  at  Econ- 
omy (Pa.),  227-31;  at  Pitts- 


457 

burgh,    226.    231-33:    Pitts- 
burgh to  Louisville,  233-37; 
at  Louisville,  237-41  ;  Louis- 
ville to  Xew  Harmony,  240- 
46 :    inspects    town,    246-49, 
250;  at  Albion,  255-61;  pur- 
chases   New   Harmony,   258, 
262,  263,  264,  265 :  leaves  for 
Washington,  265 :  returns  to 
New    Harmony    and    begins 
organization  of  society.  292- 
94 ;    expresses    intention    of 
becoming    American    citizen, 
294;     at     Vincennes,     294; 
leaves   New  Harmony,  294 : 
to  Cincinnati.  294-96 ;  at  Cin- 
cinnati,  296:    publication   of 
discourses   and    purchase    of 
printing   materials    for   New 
Harmony,  296 ;  at  Marietta, 
297;   Wheeling.  Washington 
(Pa.),  Pittsburgh,  and  Econ- 
omy,    297 :     Pittsburgh     to 
Meadville,  298-99 ;  Meadville 
to  Buffalo,  299-300 ;  at  Buf- 
falo and  Niagara.  300-1 ;  Ni- 
agara to  New  York,  301-2: 
at    Philadelplu'a,    302;    visits 
Joseph  Bonaparte,  302;  New 
York   to    P.oston,    302-3:    at 
Boston.    303-4 ;    visits    John 
Adams,  303-4 ;  in  New  York, 
304;    New    York    to    Liver- 
pool, 304-6; 
journey  to   America.   1825-26: 
Liverpool  to  New  ^'ork.  307 ; 
in   New   ^'ork,   308-10.   313- 
15:  characterized  as  mad  vi- 
sionary.   313:    in     Philadel- 
phia.   312:     in     Wilmington 
(Del.),    312:    visits    Joseph 
Bonaparte.    315-16:    expedi- 
tion   to    Point    Breeze,    316; 
to  New  Harmony.  331.  334. 
335,    336;    activities    toward 
organization,  ?i?>~  \   requested 


458 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


to  act  as  sole  manager  of 
New  Harmony  Society,  338 ; 

model  of  community,  309,  310, 
313,  319;  exhibited:  New 
York,  314 ;  Philadelphia, 
316;  at  the  White  House, 
320,  329,  330; 

observations  on :  advantages 
of  New  Harmony  for  a 
community,  260 ;  the  Bible 
and  man,  169,  316 ;  bidding 
Rappites  farewell,  293 ;  civi- 
lization of  the  Indians,  217- 
18;  communal  living,  159- 
60,  257;  on  education,  159, 
160,  169-70,  261;  free  will, 
161-62,  162-63,  163-64:  Holy 
Alliance,  165  ;  human  nature, 
168,  210,  230,  257-58,  316; 
method  of  operating  a  co- 
operative community,  260-61  ; 
plans  for  Irish  laboring 
classes,    166 ; 

plans  for  community  explain- 
ed and  discussed :  on  ship- 
board (1824),  159-60;  at 
New  York  City  Hospital, 
178;  at  Dr.  Hosack's  soiree, 
180 ;  with  Carlos  de  Alvear, 
190-200;  at  Mr.  De  Wint's, 
195 ;  at  Franklin  Institute, 
Philadelphia,  208-9,  210-11; 
with  George  Rapp  at  Econ- 
omy, 229 :  with  Drs.  Linds- 
ley  and  Chase,  238 ;  at  Louis- 
ville, 240:  at  Albion,  253, 
256-57,  259,  260-61:  with 
party  from  Princeton,  268- 
70; 

public  meetings  addressed  by  : 
at  Albion,  256-57,  260;  Cin- 
cinnati, 296  ;  Louisville,  296  ; 
Marietta,  297;  Mount  Ver- 
non,  295;    New   York,    313- 


14,  316 :  Pittsburgh,  288,  332. 
Sec  also  New  Harmony,  Owen 
society. 

Owen,  Robert  Dale,  journey  to 
America  (1825),  307,  308,  334, 
335,  337 ;  Threading  My  Way, 
152,  158. 

Owen,  William,  153,  242,  284,  294 ; 
journey  to  America  (1824), 
Liverpool  to  New  York,  161- 
74  passim;  in  New  York,  176, 
180,  198;  Philadelphia,  203, 
207,  210;  Baltimore,  212; 
Washington,  215,  217,  219; 
Economy  (Pa.),  227;  Louis- 
ville, 239,  340;  Albion  (111.), 
250-62:  New  Harmony,  259, 
264,  267-68.  291;  Mount  Ver- 
non,  265-68. 

Owens,    ,    of    Bloomington, 

277,  278,  279. 

Pace,  Robert,  captain  of  the  "Mary 

Catherine,"  373,  375,  377. 

Page,  ,   153,  310-11. 

Page,  Lt.  ,  210. 

Page,    Benjamin,   of    Philadelphia, 

175. 
Paget,  Marguerite.   135. 
Paget,  Michel,  135. 
Palmyra    (111.),  284,  285. 
"Paragon,"     steamboat,    338,    340, 

345. 
Paret   (Parret),  Anthony,  46,  51. 
Paris,  ,  of  Staunton   (Va.), 

322. 
Paris    (Mo.),  130. 
Pashishi,  Kickapoo  chief,  110. 
Patent  Office,  United  States,  318. 
Paterson, ,    of    New    York, 

314. 
Patoka  River,  in   Indiana,  280. 
Paxton     (Pachston),     ,     of 

Philadelphia,    204,    209. 
Peale,  Charles  Willson,  393. 


INDEX 


459 


Peale,  Rembrandt,  miniature  of 
Thomas  Posey,  393 ;  museum, 
309-10.  314;  portrait  of  Wil- 
liam Henry  Harrison,  390n. 

Peepenawah,  Potawatomi  chief, 
reserve  for  band,  1832  treaty, 
19,  23 ;  signs  plea  for  priest, 
26n ;  forced  removal,  88n,  89n. 

Pelletier,  ,    127. 

Pelletier,  Luce,  141. 

Penn,  Miss ,  of  Philadelphia, 

307,  312,  316. 

Pennsylvania,  state  of,  description 
of  countryside  (1824),  221-22, 
223-24,    225-26. 

"Pennsylvania,"  Ohio  River  steam- 
boat, 233. 

Pepiah's   Village,   baptism   at,    137. 

Pepper,  Abel  C,  superintendent  of 
Indian  removal  from  Indiana, 
18,  19-20.  22-23,  24-25,  11,  81, 
87-88,  89:  letter  from  Petit, 
87-88. 

Perrysville    (III.),  98. 

Peterson,    ,    of     Charleston 

(S.  C),  161. 

Peterson,    ,    of    New    York, 

178. 

Petit,   Benjamin   Alarie,  youth  and 
education,    26 :    becomes    mis- 
sionary, 26-27,  28,  32;  health, 
27,  48.  51,  57,  61-62,  68,  11,  82, 
88n.  101-2,  108-10,  110-11,  114, 
115,  128,  129,  130,  131;  ordina- 
tion   into    priesthood,    30,    Z2 ; 
journey     from     Vincennes     to 
South  Bend,  31n,  119-20;  mis- 
sionary zeal,  31.  Zl-iZ,  33-34, 
35,   45,   51-52,   56,   61,   62,   64. 
66,  67,  70-71,  72,  IZ,  74,  80,  83, 
85-86,  88n.  92,  94,  109-10; 
baptisms,      communions,      and 
marriages :      Yellow     River, 
35,  68   IZ,  80,  121,  123,  125, 
126,    128,    137,    138,    139-41  ; 
Bertrand,   43,   48,    123,    136; 


South  Bend,  48,  63,  126,  135; 
Goshen,  65,  125,  135;  Poka- 
gon's    Village,    68,    IZ,    122, 

126,  136,  139:  Louison's  Vil- 
lage on  Eel  River,  13,  126, 
140n;  performed  on  emigra- 
tion, 99,  100;  Rochester, 
120;   Turkey  Creek  Prairie, 

125,  135:    St.    Marys   Lake, 

127,  135,  136,  137,  141  :  Wane 
Kik,  127.  141:  Delphi,  133; 
Harris'  Prairie,  136;  Pepi- 
ah's Village,  137;  entries  in 
register,   135-41  ; 

missionary  labors  and  prob- 
lems :  stations  attended  by, 
32n.  45n,  68  :  at  \'cllow  River 
Mission.  33-34,  35-37,  51-52, 
67,  68,  80,  121,  123.  124,  125, 

126,  127,  128;  attendance  of 
sick  and  dying.  35-37,  48,  61, 
13,  96,  100,  120,  121.  126,  127, 

128,  129,  133;  funerals,  35, 
63-64.  65-66,  67,  100-1,  125; 
Indian  marriages,  35-36,  31- 
38,  53-54.  59-60,  63,  69,  74- 
75 ;  financial  matters  and 
accounts.  3S.  41,  44,  45,  46, 
51,  55,  57,  70.  119-34;  fore- 
sees and  laments  destruction 
of  Yellow  River  mission,  41, 
47.52,60-61,65.66-67.70-71. 
78-79,  80.  83-84.  85-86.  90, 
93 :  masses  for  Fathers  De- 
scillc  and  Shaoffer.  39.  40- 
41,  55.  122:  Protestants.  39. 
43,  47.  63.  64.  65.  67.  102-3. 
121.  122.  123.  125.  126.  127; 
difficulties  over  horse.  40. 
43.  45  49.  55.  79.  85.  124, 
131  :  nil  church  property,  pre- 
emption, and  ta.xes.  43-44. 
54-55.  58-59.  69-70.  71-72. 
84-85.  87n.  128.  133-34.  141  : 
observes  Christmas.  45.  48- 
49.   123:   seeks  authorization 


460 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


for  labors  in  Detroit  diocese, 
45,  51,  56:  at  Bertrand,  48, 
49,  67,  120,  122,  123,  124, 
126 ;  at  Pokagon's  Village, 
48,  68,  72,  122,  126,  136,  139; 
interest  in  mission  for  Pbta- 
watomi  in  the  West,  50,  67, 
80,  83-85,  89,  90,  93,  94,  105 ; 
New  Year's  greeting  from 
Indians,  52,  123 :  recounts 
healing  of  Sinagorra,  55-56; 
clothing,  57,  121.  124,  126, 
127,  130,  132;  on  Lent,  60: 
observes  Easter,  65,  67,  72, 
80,  125,  126:  progress  in 
Potawatomi  language,  61, 
70-71,  72>,  74,  80,  125,  126; 
at  Leesburg  (Turkey  Creek 
Prairie),  62,  63-65.  72,  125; 
laments  drinking  and  gam- 
bling by  savages,  64 ;  at 
Goshen,  65,  125 ;  description 
of  Yellow  River  home,  65 ; 
at  the  Tippecanoe  (Ben- 
ack's),  67,  72,  126;  lawsuit 
against  man  for  cutting 
wood  on  church's  property, 
70 :  asks  that  mission  con- 
tinue after  Indian  removal, 
70-71  :  at  Louison's  Village, 
73-74,  126:  recommends 
young  Indian  to  be  educated 
at  Vincennes,  79 :  reports 
site  of  Yellow  River  mis- 
sion pre-empted.  84-85,  87n, 
88,  141  :  praised  for  labors, 
85n,  90n,  92n ;  last  services 
at  Yellow  River,  90,  128; 
accompanies  Brute  to  Lo- 
gansport,  91  :  reports  cruel 
treatment  to  emigrating  In- 
dians, 91-92:  on  confirma- 
tion at  Logansport  encamp- 
ment, 92-93,  97 :  preparation 
of  services.  120,  121,  122, 
123,  125,  126; 


relations  to  Potawatomi  re- 
moval :  declares  1836  treaty 
unjust,  38,  41-42;  efforts  to 
aid  Indians  win  justice,  38- 
39,  41-42,  43,  70,  124;  Brute 
overrules  plan  to  go  to 
Washington,  49,  124  :  warned 
against  interfering  in  gov- 
ernment's policy,  41n ;  de- 
sires to  accompany  emigra- 
tion, 67,  80,  82-83,  85-86, 
88-89,  128:  advises  Brute 
about  dealing  in  Indian  af- 
fairs, 75,  84,  85 :  meets 
Polke,  76-78:  attitude  of 
government  agents  toward, 
76-78,  82,  128 :  charged  with 
interfering  in  government 
plans,  82,  85n,  124,  128; 
urged  to  use  influence  in  ef- 
fecting removal,  88-89 ;  re- 
ports cruel  treatment  to  emi- 
grating party,  91-92; 
on  Potawatomi  emigration : 
joins,  92,  93,  97-98,  129; 
ordered  by  Brute  to  return 
to  Vincennes  by  March,  94, 
111,  131  ;  appointed  inter- 
preter, 96,  129.  131 ;  labors 
on  march,  96,  100,  101  ;  con- 
siderations received,  99,  101- 
2,  129-30 :  secures  release  of 
chiefs,  99:  visited  by  two 
Frenchmen,  103,  130 :  meets 
Father  Hoecken,  105 :  suf- 
ferings endured,  109-10 ;  ex- 
penses paid  by  government, 
129; 
journe}'  from  Osage  River  to 
St.  Louis,  111  :  death  and  fun- 
eral, 114-16:  Elet's  tribute  to. 
114:  body  returned  to  St. 
Marys,  116;  journal  and  ac- 
counts, 119-32; 

letters  to :    Bishop   Brute,   29- 
30,  35-40,  40-47,  47-51,   63- 


INDEX 


461 


65,   67-72,   73-79,   81-87,   97- 
106,    108-10,   110-13;    De   la 
Hailandiere,     53-58,     58-63 ; 
Father   Frangois,  95-96;   his 
family,    33-34,    51-52,   65-67, 
ll-lZ,  80,  90-93  ;  Pepper,  87 ; 
Mme.  Chauvin  Petit,  30-33; 
Polke,  90-93;  Bishop  Rosati, 
93-95;     Tipton,    88-89,     93, 
108-10. 
Philadelphia    (Pa.),  communal   so- 
cieties forming  in,  308  ;  Owen's 
party     visits,     203-11,     311-13, 
316-17. 
"Philadelphia."  steamboat,  201,  350. 
"Philanthropist,"   keelboat,  334. 

Philippe,  ,  354. 

Phillips, ,  of  Gibson  County, 

279,  281,  282. 
Phillips,  Ebenezer,  schoolmaster  at 

Springfield,   275. 
"Phoenix,"    steamboat,   314. 
Pickering,      William,      of      Albion 
(III.),   253,   254,   257-58,   277, 
288. 
Pickering,  Mrs.  William,  259,  274. 
"Pioneer,"    Ohio    River   steamboat, 

295. 
Pittsburgh     (Pa.),     Owen's    party 

visits,  226,  231-33,  297,  331. 
"Ploughboy,"  Wabash  River  steam- 
boat,  289. 
Plunket,  John,  12. 
Plymouth     (Ind.),    33n,    88n ;    In- 
dians assemble  for  emigration 
at,  76n. 

Pohlentz,  ,  314. 

Pokagon,  Leopold,  Potawatomi 
chief,  48,  68,  12.  96,  127 ;  bap- 
tism, 14;  begs  Father  Richard 
for  priest,  14;  sketch,  14n. 
Pokagon's  Village,  48,  123,  128; 
baptisms  and  communions,  68, 
12,.  122.  126,  136.  139;  visited 
by  Father  Deseille,  16,  25. 


Polke,    William,    conductor,    Pota- 
watomi emigration  (1838),  76- 
77,  90,  lOOn,  102,  104,  129,  131. 
Pontiac   Conspiracy,   11. 
Porter,  Albert  G.,  portrait,  416-17, 

432. 
Porter,  John  R.,  judge,  289. 
Posey,  Thomas,  392  ;  portrait,  393- 

94,   432. 
Posey   County    (Ind.),   location   of 
county  seat,  243-44. 

Post.    Miss    ,    of    Gcrman- 

lown    (Pa.),  313. 
Postal  service,  see  Mail. 
Poste,   Henry,  Jr.,  of   New  York, 

310,  314. 
Potawatomi    Indians,    number    and 
location  of  (1800),  11,  (1937), 
116n;     temperament,     11:     in 
French    and    Indian    war.    1 1  ; 
missionary  and  education  funds 
for.  22n,  85n,  88n.  106-8; 
missions:     Carey.    13:    St.   Jo- 
seph, 11-12.  14;  in  the  West, 
107,  109,  110,   131;  see  also 
Baptisms ;      Yellow      River 
mission ;  missionaries,  I'ran- 
cis  Vincent  Badin,  Theodore 
Steven     Badin,     Louis     De- 
seille, Benjamin  Marie  Pctif, 
Christian      Hoeckcn,      Isaac 
McCoy,  Frederic  Reze ; 
removal    from    Indiana :     gov- 
ernment      efforts       toward 
(1832),  17;  (1833-34), 18-19; 
(1836).   23-25;    (1837).   25- 
26.  50:  (1838).  76.  78.  81-82. 
87-88,  89  f  f. :  treaty  cessions 
(1818-22).  17.  19:  (1834).  18- 
19:    (1836),   23:   emigrating 
parties,   (1833).  18:    (1837). 
25-26:  (1838).  89  ff..  97-106; 
protests  against  1836  treaty, 
23-24.    38.    41-43.    60n.    66n. 
75-76.     81  ;     delegations     to 
Washington        to        protest 


462 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


against,  38.  41-43,  60n,  65,  66, 
70,  75,  81,  124; 
1838  emigration :    preparations 
for,    76,    81-82,    87-88;    use 
of   force,  81n-82,  83-84,  88n, 
90-91.  99.  128;  Tipton  organ- 
izes,   88n-89n ;    account    of, 
89n,    90-92,    95-106,    129-31; 
sickness  and   suffering,  91n, 
92n,  95n.  98-99,  100.  101.  104- 
5;  deaths,  92.  95.  96.  98-99. 
100-1,  105n,  (total)  106,  129, 
131  ;      encounters      Mormon 
"war,"       103n-4n ;       reaches 
Osage    River,    105-6;    num- 
ber of  emigrants,  106; 
sec   also   Yellow    River   band ; 
Chiefs  Ashkum.  Benack.  Che- 
chaukkose.    Louison.    Menomi- 
nee, Pepiah,  and  Pokagon,  and 
Chechaukkose's    Village.    Me- 
nominee's  Village,   and    Poka- 
gon's  Village. 
Potomac  River,  327. 
Pre-emption,  clash  between  Indians 
and  whites  over.  87n-88n ;  law 
(1838).    84n-85n;    of    mission 
site  on  Yellow  River,  44,  84-85. 
87n,    128,    141. 
Presidential    election    (1824).   224- 

25.  230.  238. 
Price,  Eli  K.,  of  Philadelphia,  208, 

209.  312,  316. 
Price,  Dr.  Philip  M..  of  New  York, 

308,  310,  312,  334. 
Prices, 

admissions :     Baltimore    cattle 
show,    212-13;    Philadelphia 
museum,   312; 
books,  212,  235;  clothing.  121, 
124.   126,   127; 

fares :  hackney  coaches,  184, 
213,  215,  240,  271;  stage 
coaches,  119,  120,  317,  318, 
322.  325.  326.  327,  330.  331. 
332;     steamboat,     184,     204, 


212.  214,  220,  221,  280,  318. 
322,  332; 
flatboats,  fees  for  carrying 
produce,  282;  flour,  134;  food 
and  lodging.  119,  120,  121, 
177,  204,  205,  211,  215,  311, 
318,  327,  332,  346,  364 ;  horses, 
55,  124.  271,  288;  land.  214, 
271  ;  meat  at  Philadelphia  mar- 
ket (1824),  205;  pictures,  198; 
postage,  124,  125.  127,  240; 
rents,  land.  187;  slaves,  350; 
white  pine  shingles,  196 ;  wood, 
235.  339 ;  miscellaneous.  120, 
121,  124,   125,  127,   131. 

Prince,  .  of  New  York,  307. 

Princeton  (Ind.),  party  from,  vis- 
its New  Harmony.  268-71  ; 
Alacdonald    visits,    278-80. 

Protestants,  Petit's  relations  with, 
39.  47,  63,  64,  65,  67,  102-3, 
121. 

Principe   (Cuba),  361. 

Proux.    Alexandre,    135. 

Proux,  Gabriel,  135. 

Proux,  Marguerite  Paget,  135. 

Public  land,  system  of  sales  of,  in 
Indiana,  270-71. 

Pugsley.  Dr.  Charles,  of  Albion 
(111.),  253,  274,  275. 

Pushmataha  (  Pushamattaha )  , 
Choctaw  chief,  visits  Wash- 
ington, 217. 

Pyatfs  Point   (111.),  95n. 

Quakers,  sec  Society  of  Friends. 

Quin.  ,  328-29. 

Quincy,   Josiah,  of   Boston,   Owen 

visits,  303. 
Quincy    (111.),  95,   102,  130. 

Ralston,  Samuel,  orders  portraits 
of  "epochal"  governors,  391, 
396,  414-15;  portrait  of,  424- 
25,  432. 

Ray,  James  B.,  portrait,  401-2,  403, 
432. 


IXDEX 


463 


Randolph,  Mrs.  Thomas  Mann 
(Martha    Jefferson),    324. 

Rankin,  ,  288. 

Rankins,  ,  276. 

Rapp,  Frederick,  248,  257,  258,  259, 
262,  267,  288,  332,  333 ;  descrip- 
tion of,  246 ;  conducts  Rappite 
church  service,  249-50 ;  nego- 
tiates sale  of  New  Harmony  to 
Owen,  250,  263,  265 ;  com- 
missioned by  Owen  to  rent  out- 
lying farmlands  near  Kew 
Harmony,  288,  289 ;  presents 
Macdonald  with  ground  plan 
of  New  Harmony,  288;  trip 
to  Vincennes  and  Shaker  vil- 
lage, 289-90. 

Rapp,   Mrs.   Frederick,  268. 

Rapp,  George.  203,  227-32,  332. 

Rapp,  Gertrude,  niece  of  Frederick, 
250,  257-59,  268,  277. 

Rappites,  at  Economy  (Pa.),  229, 
230,  333  ;  attitude  toward  presi- 
dential election,  230 ;  brief  ac- 
count of  society,  232,  263-64 ; 
wealth  and  prosperity,  232. 
See  also  New  Harmony,  Rap- 
pite society. 

Rathbone,  Brothers  &  Co.,  316. 

Rawlings  (Rowlings),  Moses  M. 
(?),  Shawneetown  (III.),  266, 
268. 

Ray,  ,  of  Virginia,  171. 

Ray,  Richard,  of  New  York,  313. 

Ray,   James   Brown,  portrait,   401. 

Raymond,  Daniel,  of  Baltimore, 
212. 

Rebour,  ,  119. 

Red  River,  345. 

Redis,   Barbara,    136. 

Reid,  Dr. ,  of  Shawneetown, 

267. 

Reimer,   Andrew,   136. 

Reimer,   Frederic,  136. 

Reimer,  Marianne  Zendlcy  (Zind- 
ley),  136. 


Renncs  (France),  26,  29. 
Renwick,  Dr.  James,  of  New  York, 

314. 
Reynolds,  James  B.,  of  Tennessee, 

216,  217. 
Reynolds,      John,      of      Meadville 

(Pa.),  299. 
Reze,   Frederic,  bishop  of   Detroit, 

13-14,   45n. 
Richard, ,  of  Xew  Harmony, 

276. 
Richard,  Gabriel,  14. 
Richardson,  ■ ,  of   Pittsburgh, 

331. 

Richardson, ,  of  Utica,  309. 

Richmond  (Mo.),  104n,  130. 

Ricketts.  Capt.  ,  312. 

Ridgway,  Jacob    (?),  of   Philadel- 
phia, 209. 
Riley,  Mary,   135. 
Rives,  John  C,  397n. 

Roach,  Miss  ,  313. 

Robb,    David,    of    Gibson    County, 

280. 
Roberdeau    (Robiddo),   Isaac,  320. 
Robertson,   Gilbert,   British   consul 

at  Philadelphia,  211,  312. 
Robinson,    ,    of     Baltimore, 

212. 
Robinson,  Major ,  of  Evans- 

ville,  406. 
Rochelle   (N.  Y.),  301. 
Roe,  Daniel  (?).  of  Cincinnati,  290. 

Rogers,   ,   294. 

Rogers,  ,  of    New   Orleans, 

346,  349. 
Rogers,  ,  of   Quincy    (111.), 

130. 
Rogers,  .  tavcrnkeeper,  \'in- 

cennes,  290. 
Rogers,     James,     captain     of     the 

"Canada,"  305,  308. 
Rogers.  Lloyd,  of  Baltimore,  307, 

314. 
Ronalds.    Miss    ,    sister    of 

Hugh,  250.  254,  257.  289,  293, 


464 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


294 ;    passenger   on   board    the 

"New    York,"    161-74   passim; 

travels  with  Owen  party,  203, 

204-6,  211,  215,  216,  218,  227. 
Ronalds,      Hugh,      son-in-law      of 

Richard  Flower,  248,  250,  253, 

254,  255,  262 ;  discussions  with 

Owen,  256,  257-58. 
Ronalds,  Mrs.  Hugh,  274. 
Rosati,  Joseph,  bishop  of  St.  Louis, 

112,  113,  116;  letter  from  Petit, 

93-95. 
Ross,  Miss ,  of  Albion  (111.), 

257. 
Ross,  James,  of  Pittsburgh,  227. 
Rousseau,  Marie,  136. 
Rousseau,    Mathilda,   baptism,   125, 

135. 
Rousseau,  Sophia,  141. 
Roy,  ,  of  Virginia,  159,  161, 

173. 
Ruggles,  William,  of   Washington 

(D.  C),  219. 
Rush,  Dr.  James,  of  Philadelphia, 

Owen's  party  meets,  204,  209, 

312,  313,  316. 
Rush,  Mrs.  James.  180. 
Rush,     Richard,     Macdonald    calls 

on,  318. 
Russel,  ,  305. 

Sabine,  ,  of   Louisville,  295. 

Sabine,  Capt.  ,  180. 

Saenderl  (Sanderl), ,  Catho- 
lic missionary,  54n. 
Sagike,     Angelique,     Menominee's 

wife,  12n. 
St.    Cyr,   John    M.    I.,   of    Quincy 

(111.),  130. 
St.   Joseph   Mission,    11,   13-14. 
St.  Louis  (Mo.),  Petit  at,  110-13; 

boundaries  of  diocese  of,  94n. 
St.   Marys    (Ind.),  25,  74;   Father 

Badin's  land  on,  14,  15n,  58n ; 

Petit     performs     baptisms     at, 

135,  136,  137,  141. 


St.   Marys    (Kan.),   116. 

St.  Palais,  James  M.  de,  30n. 

St.  Sulpice,  Catholic  seminary,  26. 

Salem  (Va.),  Moravian  establish- 
ment, 171. 

Sampson,   ,    of    New    York, 

177. 

Sands,  Lewis  H.,  assistant  super- 
intendent, Potawatomi  emigra- 
tion, conducts  1837  emigration, 
50n ;  letter  to  Pepper  relative 
to  Deseille,  24;  orders  Mile. 
Campeau  to  leave  Indian  re- 
serve, 25,  44n. 

Sandusky   Point    (111.),    lOOn,    129. 

Sauganash,  or  Billy  Caldwell,  50. 

San-go-aw,  Potawatomi  Indian, 
81n. 

Saxe- Weimar,  Duke  of,  in  New 
Orleans,  351. 

Say,  Thomas,  of  Philadelphia,  206, 
209,  311,  313;  accompanies 
Owen,  302 ;  bound  for  New 
Harmony,  334. 

Schell,   ,    of    Quincy    (111.), 

130. 

Schenck  (Schank), ,  brother 

of  Peter  A.,  196-97,  199. 

Schenck  (Schank).  Peter  A.,  fac- 
tory owner,  194,  195,  196,  200. 

Schmidt  (Smid),  ,  passen- 
ger on  the  "New  York,"  307. 

Schnee,  John,  of  Springfield,  243, 
244,  267,  268,  275;  interest  in 
Owen  community,  264 ;  con- 
sidered for  postmastership  at 
New  Harmony,  288-89 ;  moves 
to  New  Harmony,  290,  291, 
294. 

Schrader, ,  of  Quincy  (111.), 

130. 

Schricker,  Henry  F.,  portrait,  431, 
432. 

Scott,  Moses  H.,  conducts  1837 
emigration,  50n. 


INDEX 


465 


Scott,    Samuel    T.,    of    Vincennes, 

282. 
Scribner,    Benjamin    F.,    of    New 

Albany,  409. 
Sea  serpent,  167. 

Seaton,  Miss  ,  211. 

Seminole    Indian,   367-68. 

Server,  John,  of   Springfield,  288. 

Shaeffer      (Schaeffer),     Bernard, 

priest    at    Chicago,    death    and 

masses  for,  39,  55,  121,  122. 
Shakers,   communities  in   America, 

190;    Knox    County   establish- 
ment,   259,    273-74,    289,    290; 

numbers  of,  in  United  States, 

273 ;  Watervliet  establishment, 

186-90. 
Shakertown    (Bussora,    Ind.),   259, 

273-74;  Macdonald  visits,  289- 

90. 

Shanks, ,  of  New  York,  308. 

Shaw    (Shawe),    Michel    Edward, 

46,  51. 
Shawneetown    (111.),  252,  266. 
Shawneetown   Gazette,  267,  277. 
Shelcross,    ,    captain   of    the 

"Favorite,"    240. 
Shepperd,    ,     of     Baltimore, 

213. 

Simons,   • ,   285. 

Sistaire    (Cistair),    Lucy,    in    New 

York,    308,    315;    bound     for 

New  Harmony,  334. 
Sidoris'    Grove    (111.),   95n. 
Sinagorra      (William      Sinagau?), 

Potawatomi    Indian,   55-56. 
Sinagowak,      Potawatomi      Indian, 

129. 
Sissiak,    Potawatomi    Indian,    134. 

Skene,  ,  181,  267. 

Sketchley,  Mrs.  William,  of   New 

York,  314,  315. 
Skye,   Isle  of,   153,   154. 
Skinner,  John  S.,  editor  of  Amcri- 

ca)i    Farmer.    318. 
Slaughter,  ,  324. 


Slaves  and  .slavery,  sec  Negroes. 
Slicer,  ,  Pennsylvania  farm- 
er, 223. 

Smith,  ,  374. 

Smith,  Mrs.  ,  295. 

Smith,  ,  of   Cincinnati,  296. 


-,  of  Mount  Car- 


Smith,  Dr.  - 

mel    (111.),  286. 

Smith, ,  of  Philadelphia,  312. 

Smith, .  Owen's  servant,  310, 

316.  333,  334,  336. 

Smith,  Major  Daniel.  218. 

Smith,  Mrs.  Samuel  IIarri.son  (?), 
of    Washington    ( D.   C).   328. 

Smith,  Washington,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 209. 

Smith,  Dr.  William,  of  New  Har- 
mony, 278,  288,  294. 

Smith  field    (Pa.),   224. 

Snedeker,  Caroline  Dale,  introduc- 
tion to  Macdonald  diaries, 
151-58. 

Society  of  Friends,  educational 
establishments  in  New  York, 
176-77,  309:  interest  in  co- 
operative communities,  175, 
176,  308,  309:  meeting  in  Phil- 
adelphia, 207. 

Society  of  Jesus,  111-12:  missions 
to  Potawatomi,  see  Potawa- 
tomi   Indians,   missions. 

Society  of  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith,  86n. 

Somerville.     • ,     steward     of 

Baltimore   cattle   show,   213. 

.'^onth  Bend  (Ind.).  Petit  visits. 
48,  fil,  67,  69,  72.  126.  135. 

Spackman,  Samuel,  of  Philadel- 
phia, Owen's  party  meets,  207, 
208,  312,  313,  316.  317,  328. 
330. 

Speakman,   ,   of    Pittsburgh. 

227,  232. 

Spring.  Dr.  .Archibald,  of  .Albion 
(111.),   253,   254-55,   257. 


466 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Springfield     (Tnd.),     243-44,     275, 
295. 

Springfield    (Mass.),  303. 

Stackman,  ,  of  Philadelphia, 

211. 

Stagecoaches,  scr  Travel  and  trans- 
portation. 

Stahl,   ,   of   Vincennes    (?), 

47. 

Stallion.  .  288. 

Stanbery,   Ed.,  316. 

Stanley,  ,  242. 

Stansbury,  ,  of   New  York, 

310. 

Stansfeldt,  ,  305. 

Stark,  Otto,  art  students,  427,  431. 

Staunton    (Va.),  325. 

Steamboats,  see  Travel  and  trans- 
portation ;  names  of  boats. 

Steele.    ,    of    Albion    (111.), 

274. 

Steele,    Theodore    C,    biographical 
note,  416-17; 
portraits    of :     Ira    J.    Chase, 

419,  432:  Isaac  P.  Gray, 
417-18,  432;  William  Henry 
Harrison,  391  ;  Thomas  A. 
Hendricks,  391,  414-15, 
432:  Alvin  P.  Hovey,  418, 
432;  Jonathan  Jennings,  391, 
396,  432;   Claude  Matthews, 

420,  432;  Oliver  P.  Morton, 
391,  412,  432;  Albert  G. 
Porter,  416,  417,  432. 

Stephenson,      Major     .      of 

Harpers    Ferry    (Va.),   327. 

Steubenville    (Ohio),  334. 

Stevens,  John,  of  New  York,  309. 

Stewart,  ,  of  Louisville,  295. 

Stewart,  ,  of  Mount  Carmel 

(111.),   286. 

Stewart, ,  of  Pittsburgh,  331. 

Stewart,    ,    hotel    proprietor, 

Pittsburgh,  226. 


Stewart,  Rev.  Charles  James  (?), 
passenger  on  the  "New  York," 
160-74  passim. 

Stewart,  William  E.  (?),  of 
Springfield,  244,  246,  275. 

Stoughton,  Dr.  ,  of  Wash- 
ington   (D.   C),  219,  329. 

Strachem,  Rev.  John,  of  Canada, 
passenger  on  board  the  "New 
York,"  159-74  passim. 

Stuart,  Alexander,  of  Edwards 
County    (111.),  272. 

Sugar  Creek   (Kan.),  116. 

Sullivan,  Col.  ,  196. 

Sully,  Thomas,  390n. 

Sutton,  James  (?),  visits  Economy 
(Pa.),  227,  231,  232,  233,  331, 
332. 

Swift.  Dr.  Elisha  P.,  of  Pitts- 
burgh, 298. 

Sword,  Mrs.  ,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 312. 

Sykes',  New  York  restaurant,  178. 

Symmes,  John  Cleves,  of  Cincin- 
nati, 336. 


Talbot. 


of     Washington 


(D.  C),  328. 
Tanner.  Henry  S.,  of  Philadelphia, 

312. 
Tappan,    Charles,    of    New    York, 

317. 
Taverns,   sec   Hotels   and   taverns. 
Taxes,   owed   on   church   lands    at 

St.  Marys,  54-55.  58-59,  69-70, 

71-72,   125,   133-34. 
Tayloe,  Benjamin  Ogle,  of  Wash- 

"  ington  (D.  C).  215,  219. 
Taylor,  Rachel,  136. 
Tecumseh,       Shawnee,       interview 

with  Harrison,  270. 
Tcrre  Haute   (Ind.),  30n,  119. 
Test,     John,     Congressman     from 

Indiana,  328,  330. 
Theaters,  New  Orleans,  350;  New 

York.  177-78.  313. 


INDEX 


467 


Thom,   Isaak,  of   Louisville,  295. 

Thomas,  ,  of  Harpers  Ferry 

(Va.),  327. 

Thomas,  Philip,  of  New  York, 
Owen's  party  meets,  180,  181, 
197,  308,  314  ;  Macdonald  meets 
in  New  Orleans,  346. 

Thomas,  Mrs.  Philip,  180,  197.  308. 

Thomas,    Seymour,   artist,  422. 

Thompson,  Jeremiah,  of  New 
York,  Owen's  party  meets, 
180,  182,  184,  197,  314,  333. 

Thompson,  Pishey,  Washington 
(D.   C),  322. 

Thompson,   Samuel,   184. 

Thompson,  William,  Distribution 
of  Wealth,  165,  211. 

Thorn,  ,  of   Louisville    (?), 

239. 

Thornton,  Mrs.  ,  of  Wash- 
ington (D.  C),  330. 

Thornton,  William,  of  Washing- 
ton (D.  C),  318,  328. 

Thorp,  ,  321. 

Thurston,  ,  327. 

Tibbets,    ,    of    Schenectady, 

307. 

Ticknor  (Tichnor),  George,  of 
Boston,  219. 

Tiernan,  Luke  (?),  of  Baltimore, 
212,    213. 

Timber,  153,  194,  234-35,  242,  244, 
339. 

Tipton,  John,  98:  sketch  of,  22n ; 
role  in  Potawatomi  removal, 
22-23,  24,  66n,  87n-88n,  88n- 
89n,  91n,  120n,  128,  129: 
recommends  funds  for  Pota- 
watomi mission,  88n,  106-7, 
108n:  relations  with  Petit,  88n- 
89n,  90,  92n,  93,  99. 

Todd, ,  of  Lanark,  Scotland, 


180. 


Todd, 


-,  moves  from  Spring- 


field  to    New    Harmony,   290, 
291. 


Topenebee,  Potawatomi  chief,  50n. 
Townsend,    M.    Clifford,    portrait, 

430,  432. 
Transportation,     sec     Travel     and 

transportation. 
Travel   and  transportation, 

accidents :      stagecoach,     332 : 

steamboat,  375 : 

brigs :    Havana  to  Charleston, 

366-67 ;     New     Orleans     to 

Havana,  353,  354 ; 
canal   boats.  301-2: 
coaches  :    description   of,    187  : 

Louisville,  240 ;   New  York, 

184,   200,   215;   Washington, 

220; 
difficulties  and  inconveniences 
of,  40,  43,  48,  49,  57,  60.  61-62, 
111,  119,  122,  131,  184-85,  192, 
193,  241,  285,  286-87,  293,  297, 
299,  324,  331,  332,  337.  354-55; 
ferries :      Ohio     River     horse, 

236;    on    the    Wabash,    248, 

277,  278,  283,  289 ;  on  White 

River,  280; 
flat  boats,  267,  339;  keelboats. 
265,  267,  331,  334,  335,  339; 
National  Road,  221,  326;  of 
produce  to  New  Orleans,  248, 
281-82,  286,  339;  stagecoaches, 
201.  211,  214.  220.  221.  222, 
223.  225,  226,  240.  280,  298,  300, 
300-2,  311,  317,  318,  322,  325. 
326,  327,  332 ; 
steamboats:    river,  184-85,  192. 

193,    196,    201.    211-12.    233, 

234-35,  236.  238.  240-41.  242, 

266,  267,  289,  293,  295.  296. 

297.  304,  311.  317.  322,  338. 

340.  345.  350:  Atlantic.  160. 

161.  304-5,  307.  309.  314.  357, 

373,  378,  379 ; 
volante,   in    Havana.  359.    Sec 
also   Prices,   fares. 
Treaties,  with  Potawatomi.  17.  18. 
19,     23;     opposition     to     1830 


468 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


treaty,  23-24,  38,  41-43,  60n, 
66n,  75-76,  81. 

Trenton    (N.  J.),  201. 

Trist    (Triste),  Nicholas  P.,  324. 

Trouts,  ■,  of  Vincennes   (?), 

47. 

Trueman,   ,   of    New    York, 

308. 

Trumbull,  John,  judge,  303. 

Trumbull  ( Turnbull ) ,  John,  painter, 
329-30. 

Turkey  Creek  Prairie  (Leesburg, 
Ind.),  baptisms  at,  135;  Petit 
preaches  funeral  at,  62,  63-64, 
65-66,    125;   treaty   at,   23. 

Turner,  ,  233. 

Turner,    Miss    ,    bound    for 

New  Harmony,  334. 

Turner,  Mrs.  ,  119. 

Turner,  Mrs.  ,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 317. 

Tyler,  ,  295. 

Underwood,  Emmy,  135. 

Uniontown    (Pa.),  225. 

United  States  Congress,  appropria- 
tions, for  Potawatomi  mis- 
sions, 22,  85n,  88n,  106-8;  for 
compensation  for  Potawatomi 
cabins  burned  at  Yellow  River, 
108:   per  diem,  271. 

United  States  House  of  Represen- 
tatives, Morse's  pictorial  study 
of,  399. 

University  of  Notre  Dame,  found- 
ed, 15n. 

Upjohn,  ,  of  Cincinnati,  293, 

302. 

Upjohn,  Miss  ,  of  Cincin- 
nati, 310. 

Vabret,  John  A.,  46,  51,  110,  111. 
Vallee's  ferry,  on  the  Wabash,  283. 
Van  Buren,  Martin,  relations  with 

removal    of    the    Potawatomi, 

24,  60n.  81. 
Vanderhurst,  ,  305. 


Van  Quickenborne,  Charles,  mis- 
sionary to  the  Kickapoo,  50n, 
105n. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Stephen,  of  Al- 
bany, 187,  191,  192,  316. 

Vaughan,  ,  of   Philadelphia, 

204,  206,  207,  209,  312. 

Vaughan,  Sir  Charles,  British  min- 
ister, Washington  (D.  C), 
318. 

"Velocipede,"  Ohio  River  steam- 
boat, 295. 

Verhaegen,  Peter,  50n. 

Verreydt,    Felix,    50n. 

Villeneuve,    F.    M.,   86. 

Vincennes  (Ind.),  clergy,  15n,  27n, 
28n,  29n,  30n,  39n,  46n ;  dio- 
cese of,  schools,  25,  57;  soci- 
ety, 271,  212-12,.  281;  visited 
by  Macdonald,  280-83,  289-90. 

Virginia,  state  of,  society,  171. 

Virginia,  University  of,  323,  324, 
325. 

Wabash  River,  below  New  Har- 
mony, description  of,  265-66; 
ferries,  248,  277,  278,  283,  289. 

Waddington,    ,     family,     of 

New  York,  197. 

Wainwright,  Jonathan  M.,  of  New 
York,   180. 

Walker,     Mrs.     ,     of     New 

York,  307. 

Walker,   Joseph,    184. 

Wallace,  David,  governor  of  Indi- 
ana, and  Potawatomi  emigra- 
tion, 66n,  88n,  92n ;  portrait, 
403-4,   432. 

Wallace,  Mrs.  George,  daughter 
of  John  Gibson,  393n. 

Wallace,  James,  136, 

Wallace,  John  B.,  of  Meadville 
(Pa.),  298,  299. 

Wallace,  Lew,  403-4. 

Wallace,   Mary,   135. 

Wallace,  Rachel  Taylor,  136. 

Wallace,  Robert,  136. 


INDEX 


469 


Wallenstein,  Jules  de,  secretary  to 
Russian  legation  at  Washing- 
ton  (D.  C),  219. 

Walsh,  Robert,  of  Philadelphia, 
editor,  211. 

Walter,  ,  of  Louisville,  295. 

Waltham   (Mass.),  304. 

Wanborongh  (Wanbro),  home  of 
Morris  Birkbeck,  252,  259,  260. 

Wane  Kik  (Wanekick),  Indian 
village,  127,  141. 

War  of  1812,  pp.  185.  211.  214,  318. 
351-53,  371. 

Warder,    ,    of    Philadelphia, 

208. 

Warner,  Mrs.  ,  308. 


Westerfeldt, 


305. 


Warren,  Dr.  ,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 206. 

Warrington  (Warangton),  Oswald, 
of   Albion    (111.),  255,  261. 

Washington    (Pa.),  226. 

Washington  (D.  C),  Owen's  party 
visits.  170-71,  215-20,  318-22, 
327-30 :  visited  by  delegation 
of  Indians,  38.  49,  60n,  65,  66, 
70,  81,  124,  217. 

Waterman,  Thomas  W.,  member 
of  New  York  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives,  192. 

Watervliet  ( Water fliet,  N.  Y.), 
186-91,  273. 

Watkins,  Dr.  Tobias  (?),  of 
Washington  (D.  C),  215,  216, 
219. 

Watson.  .  of  Cincinnati,  292. 

Watson,    ,    Owen's    servant, 

304. 

Wattles,  James,  of  Albion  (111.), 
261,  274. 

Webster,  Miss  ,  330. 

Webster,  Daniel,  365. 

Wede,  Anne  Kirnen,  141. 

Wede,  John,   141. 

Wede,  Michel,  141. 

Weishekmar,  Potawatomi  Indian, 
26n. 


West  Point   (N.  Y.),  185.  196. 

Wharton,  Robert,  of  Philadelphia, 
316. 

V\  hcaton,  Henry,  member  of  New 
York  House  of  Representa- 
tives, 191.  192. 

Wheeling    (W.  Va.).  297. 

W'hitcomb,  James,  portrait,  395, 
405-6,   432. 

W  hite.  Hugh  Lawson.  senator 
from  Tennessee,  320. 

\Vhite   River,  in   Indiana,  280. 

Whitwell,  Stedman,  journey,  Liver- 
pool to  New  York,  307 :  at 
New  York,  309;  at  Philadel- 
phia, 312;  New  York  to  Balti- 
more, 317-18;  at  Washington 
(D.  C),  320,  330;  at  Economy, 
332 ;   stagecoach  accident,  332. 

Wilburn,  Jesse,  of  Mount  Vernon, 
295. 

^^'ilkes,  Charles,  of  New  York, 
181,  197,  302,  304,  310,  314. 

\\'ilkins,     ,     son-in-law     of 

Peter  A.  Schenck,  199.  200. 

Willard.  Albert  P..  portrait.  409- 
10.  432. 

■•William,"  brig.  353.  354. 

"William  Burns,"  trans-.\tlantic 
steamboat,  309. 

"William  Penn."  Wabash  River 
steamboat,  289,  293. 

Williams.    .    of    Cincinnati, 

295,  296. 

Williams,  Amos,  owner  of  Savage 
Factory,  214. 

Williams,  James  D.,  portrait,  415- 
16,  432. 

Willett  (Willots),  Col.  Marinus. 
of  New  York,  183. 

Wilmans  (Wilman),  Frederick 
(?),  295.  297. 

Wilmington    (Del.).   312. 

Wilson,  ,  233. 


470 


INDIANA  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


Wilson,    ,    of    Philadelphia, 

208. 

Wilson,  Miss  ,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 211. 

Wingate,  Gen. ,  of  Washing- 
ton  (D.  C),  216,  218-19. 

Wingate,  Mrs.  ,  sister-in- 
law  of  General   Wingate,  219. 

Wirt  (Wurt),  William,  United 
States  attorney  general,  215, 
217. 

Wolsey,  ,   passenger  on   the 

"New  York,"  159,  161,  172;  in 
New  York,  178. 

Wood,    ,    of    Albion    (111.), 

253. 

Wood,  John,  of  near  Albion  (111.), 
256,    258. 

Woodbridge,  William,  of  Michigan 
Territory,  303. 

Woodbridge  (Woodridge),  Wil- 
liam Channing,  of  Hartford 
(Conn.),  179. 

Woodstock    (Va.),  325. 

Wortley,  ,  242. 

Wright,  Camilla,  sister  of  Frances, 
289,  293,  294,  302,  304. 

Wright,  Frances,  visit  in  the  West 
(1824-25),  289,  293,  294;  Mac- 
donald  meets  at  New  York, 
302,  304 :  interest  in  Nashoba 
community,  340-41,  363. 

Wright.'  Joseph  A.,  portrait,  408, 
432. 

Wurster,  John,  125,  135. 

Wurster,  Marianna,  baptism,  125, 
135. 

Wurster,    Marianna    Gardner,    135. 

Yates,  Joseph  C,  of  New  York, 
191. 


Yellow  River  band,  Potawatomi 
Indians,  visited  by  Isaac  Mc- 
Coy, 12-13 ;  treaties  with, 
(1832),  19;  (1834),  18-19,  23; 
(1836),  23,  24,  38,  41-43,  60n, 
65,  66.  70,  75,  81,  124;  appro- 
priations for  education,  22, 
107-8 ;  removal  from  Indiana, 
see  Potawatomi  Indians,  re- 
moval from  Indiana,  1838 
emigration.  See  also  Yellow 
River  mission. 

Yellow  River  mission  (Chichipe 
Outipe),  devotion  of  Indians, 
12,  13,  34,  35-36,  51-52,  55-56, 
80.  100,  105,  110;  baptisms, 
communions,  and  marriages, 
15,  16,  35,  51-52,  73,  80,  121, 
123,  125,  126,  128,  137,  138-39, 
139-41  ;  under  Deseille,  15,  16, 
19-24,  24-25,  44n ;  land  for 
and  chapel,  16,  25n,  44,  84-85, 
128,  141  ;  Petit  visits,  26,  33-34, 
35-37,  51-52,  67,  121,  123,  124, 
125,  126,  127,  128;  order  of 
service,  33-34 ;  threatened  de- 
struction of,  38-39,  41,  52.  60- 
61,  65,  66;  continuation  of  af- 
ter emigration,  considered.  70- 
71  ;  closing  of.  84-85,  128,  141  ; 
last  service  at,  90 ;  Petit's  la- 
bors at  praised,  90n,  92n. 

^'ellow  Springs  community  (Ohio), 
335. 

Young,  ,  98. 

Young,  Richard  Montgomery,  130. 

Zendley  (Zindley),  Arbogaste,  135- 

36. 
Zendley   (Zindley),  Marianne,  136. 
Zendley,   Rosa,   135. 
Zendley,    Rosa    Pindar,   135. 
Zwaan,  Cornelius  C,  430.  432. 


11