circuit in a sulky with a servant, & solicit the advocatism of criminal
cases to be pleaded _gratis_ to bring himself into notice & I understand
riding the circuit is considered as indispensably necessary. I have
heard several speak of the excellence of the State of Tennesee as an
opening for professional characters. I was advised to go there by Dr.
Rodgers of New York—who thought I should soon make a fortune there
without the risk of health which is inevitable in this State & Georgia—I
am assured that the bar of that state affords but two attorneys of any
eminence. Next to Tennesee, Kentucky deserves attention. However, unless
you have a taste for wandering you will live happier at the northward
with a little, than in this part of the world with great wealth—social
pleasures are our sweetest pleasures, & it is generally acknowledged
that social intercourse in the northern states affords far more
heartfelt gratification than in any other part of the Union.
Addressed to THOMAS O. H. CROSWELL
Catskill, N. Y.
No. 16
MAY 1st, 1801
Upon receiving yours of March 27, which informed me of letters directed
to Columbia, I wanted to ride immediately there, but a swell of the
Wateree rendered that river absolutely impassable, however, I have
finally received them by a circuitous route & was not a little gratified
by reading of three letters from yourself & one from my sister Polly. My
sister Polly, with that affectionate solicitude for my welfare which
always secured for her so warm a place in my heart, begs me not to be
_discouraged_. No, my sister, give yourself no uneasiness about that. I
am now quite a stranger to “doleful fits” as you call them, in that
respect my disposition seems to have changed with the climate—I can now
be happy upon easy terms, can hope when others would despair—Beginning
the world with nothing I feel as the eldest son of the Vicar of
Wakefield did—Being at bottom of Madame Fortune’s wheel a revolution of
it may raise me higher, but can sink me no lower—consequently I have
everything to hope and nothing to fear from her capricious Ladyship.
Circular—Your letter of Litchfield news, my sister Polly, proved quite a
reviving cordial to me—You little know how much I feel the loss of the
female society of my native town. In South Carolina the Ladies are
generally reserved & distant—I have attended dining parties where the
Ladies sat primmed in awful silence, while the Gentlemen conversed
solely with each other. I have attended Balls where the sociability
seemed little better. Instead of being proverbial for loquacity, the
ladies of this state might with propriety become proverbial for
taciturnity. I have met with many who dare not open their mouths long
enough to pronounce their souls their own. The daughters of the rich are
sent to Charleston for education, there to accomplish themselves in
music, dancing, embroidery, &c. but little attention is paid to the
cultivation of the mind. And indeed the gentlemen set less value upon
mental improvement than upon showy accomplishments. Here the first
inquiry concerning a strange lady is, “What is she worth?” “How many
negroes has she?” Next “What family does she belong to?” then “Is she
handsome?” But the mind is of so little importance that it is seldom
inquired about. Here the God of Love points his arrows not with beauty &
wit, but with gold. Here the graces that adorn a lady have flat noses,
wooly hair, & are as black as the devil.
It delights me to hear that all my Litchfield friends enjoy prosperity &
happiness. If brother James concludes to settle in this country or
anywhere within my reach, my purse, whether there be anything in it or
not, shall always be as freely open to him as his own. You mention
nothing to me of Sister Nancy. Mamma’s health is I suppose by this time
restored. Sister Sally’s eyes have got well, you have a large family of
boarders—& all is fun & merriment at our old shade encircled mansion.
You seem fearful of writing to me on account of the expense—But whether
I shall be in the road of prosperity or adversity a quarter of a dollar
every week or fortnight will have little influence towards accelerating
or retarding my course. Sally Leavenworth owes me a letter—tell her for
me the next time you see her! Remember me affectionately to Fanny Smith
& thank her for that message of hers which you say you have forgotten.
Give my love to all those whom you without particularising them, say
sent love to me.
God bless you all.
T. PIERCE.
Addressed to THOMAS O. H. CROSWELL, Post-master,
Catskill,
St. of New York.
No. 17
July 24th, 1801.
Then my sister Polly on my account dreads the months of July &
August—July, has nearly expired & your brother is as healthy as ever—I
am less affected by the heat than most of those about me who have passed
their lives in the burning sun of South Carolina.—There has been some
sickness in the low country, but the hills where I live have been as
healthy ever since last September as the town of Litchfield, so
celebrated for the purity of its air. So that if you do not receive a
letter regularly every week, you are not to conclude that the fever has
caught me, or that the Alligators have eaten me up—& even if they do eat
me relief is at hand, for we have a French doctor lately settled among
us who it is said, can not only cure the sick, but bring the dead to
life & raise the devil. He says he studied at Paris, belongs to the
Royal Society at London, was _Kings_ physician at St. Domingo while
under the dominion of the French Republic, can give hearing to the deaf,
sight to the blind, & perform greater miracles than the world has
witnessed since the time of Jesus Christ. So you see we have none of us
anything to fear from death. Yet if the Doctor should venture to come at
me with his pills before life was extinct, I would compliment him with a
rifle ball.
Could you walk with me into the fields, my dear sister, you would be
surprised by the novelty & beauty of the scenes which would present
themselves & of the objects that would surround you. It would delight
you to view the vast fields of cotton & rice, of Carolina corn, & of
sweet potatoes.—Except from the description of travellers you are
totally unacquainted with the orange tree, the bay, the holly, the sweet
gum, the red bud, the live oak, the Spanish oak, the palmetto, the pride
of India, the swamp cypress, & many other trees peculiar to hot
climates. The swamp Cypress I mentioned is the Cypressus Distica
described by Bartram. His description is overwrought, yet the tree
sometime grows to an immense size & when the long moss hangs from its
umbrella-like top, exhibits a most majestic appearance.—Notwithstanding
the representation of travellers, I think the birds of this country are
not in general more tuneful, or more richly colored than those of
Conn’t. You would be delighted however with the Mocking bird. One
sometimes fixes himself on a tree near my window, & if the moon shines
bright, sings all night long his ever varying and most melodious strain.
In the early part of the season, when riding through the woods, I
discovered a plant, which seemed to resemble the picture I had seen of
the Mimosa & upon dismounting was highly delighted to see all its leaves
fold together at the touch. This is very properly an emblem of
sensibility, & when I observe one limb feeling the injury done to
another, the delicacy of the plant, its sharp thorns & its downy
blossoms I consider it as an elegant emblem of sympathy, which is the
source of many of our severest pangs, & of our sweetest pleasures, &
which gives exercise to some of the noblest virtues of the human heart.
Your account of sister Nancy’s ill health affects me more especially
since distance prevents me from joining my efforts to yours for the
reestablishment of her health. Yet I hope that long before this time,
she is perfectly restored. I sometimes see Daniel Brown, he always
desires me to remember him affectionately to my sister Nancy, in my
letters. Lide & Reese also profess a strong regard for our family. Reese
is married to a very fine woman & Lide longs to follow his example. You
mention nothing of Susan and her children. Give me an account of
everybody in Litchfield & give my love to every body.
Yours,
TIMOTHY PIERCE.
To MISS MARY PIERCE, Litchfield, Conn.
No. 18
STATESBURG, 2nd, August 1801.
DEAR MADAM:—
Painful is the task of being the messenger of misfortune to those whom
we would wish to oblige, yet, the mutual friendship heretofore existing
between your unfortunate son & myself, renders it a duty incumbent on
me, to state to you, somewhat particularly his late illness.
On the 19th ultimo, he rode with several of his friends, about 20 miles
on a party of pleasure; but during this pastime he got wet with a shower
of rain, which gave him a chilly sensation for a day or more, he then
got well of it, & returned home in apparent health, on the 23rd. In the
evening of the next day he was attacked with an ague, to which a fever
succeeded. On the following morning he prescribed an emetic for himself,
but this produced no abatement of his disorder. On the next day (Sunday
26) he sent a message to me, requesting my attention. On making my visit
I found him laboring under that complaint so incident to foreigners in
this climate, a billious fever, with affection of the nerves, I visited
him every day at his lodgings (5 miles from this) till the 29th when Mr.
William Rees (Father of the Gentlemen who studied law at Litchfield)
early in the morning had him removed to his house, in a carriage, on
account of better accommodations. From this time I was constantly by
him, until his last expiring moments, which was about 9 o’clock on
Saturday, the 1st. of August.
In the course of his illness, he frequently suffered some degree of
delirium, but during the whole of the night preceding his exit, he was
perfectly sensible, & remained so to almost his last moment. He was well
convinced of the approaching catastrophe, but death, with him, appeared
to have lost its sting; he viewed it with a calm countenance; spoke of
it with great composure, and appeared perfectly resigned to the will of
the _Great Disposer of events_. He expired without a struggle or a
groan, & I believe without pain of body, or mind.
I suppose Madam, it would afford you neither consolation, or
instruction, were I to recount to you, the remidies I made use of on
this occasion. May it suffice to assure you, that nothing in my power
was spared, which, I thought could contribute to his recovery, while Mr.
Rees & his Lady treated him with almost more than paternal care—they
showed him all that tenderness & affection which was due to his
distinguished merit.
The day after his decease, he was interred in the churchyard of this
place, where a well adapted discourse, on the melancholy occasion was
delivered by the Rev. W. Roberts, to a large & respectable concourse of
people, who had assembled to solemnize his funeral obsequies.
He (verbally) appointed Mr. Rees the younger, (he who studied under Mr.
Reeves) & myself, to be his executors; we have not yet inquired into his
affairs so far as to be able to give you any satisfactory account of
them, but shall lose no time in doing it. In the mean time we would be
glad to hear from you, any commands of yours shall be strictly attended
to. He has a manuscript book which is principally or wholly, his own
composition; this he wished me to send to you; please to let me know by
what conveyance.
I am, Madam
With respect,
Your humb, Servant,
HORACE REED.
MRS. PIERCE.
Addressed Mrs. (Widow) Pierce,
Litchfield, Connecticut.
No. 19
SOUTH CAROLINA, STATESBURG.
August 5th, 1801.
DEAR MADAM:
I forward the letter directed to your sister, and written the day
previous to my friend’s having taken sick. It is with heart felt anguish
that the melancholy relation devolves upon me, by his particular
request, to announce to you and his friends, that the hand of Providence
has forever deprived them of the possibility of receiving another letter
from one so near and dear to them. At my father’s house on the 1st,
instant, about 9 o’clock in the morning after an illness of nine days
Doc’r. Pierce, the friend of religion and Man “sought that borne from
which no traveller returns” perfectly calm and resigned. He observed a
few moments previously to the melancholy event That he feared not the
change, that he knew was about to take place on his own account, but he
felt poignantly for the grief and distress it would occasion an
affectionate Mother, Sisters & Brothers. I think proper to mention that
every assistance within the reach of our power, and that of Dr. Reid who
attended him during part of his illness was rendered. The Doctor has
forwarded a particular detail of the circumstances attending his
illness. It will I trust be some small consolation to his friends to
know that all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance here, most
sincerely sympathize & condole with them in their distress. I will
endeavor to procure a transcript of the Funeral Sermon preached on the
occasion & forward it to Litchfield to you. He requested of Dr. Reid and
myself to take charge of his worldly affairs, & observed it was
unnecessary to make a Will. We have agreeably to his request taken an
Inventory of the Effects belonging to him, & will when appraised send on
a copy of it for your satisfaction. A manuscript book of his own
composition he desired might be forwarded to his relatives in
Litchfield. I wish you could devise a mode of conveyance. I hope soon
that you will be pleased to communicate whatever you in your own
discretion may think proper.
With a good hope & a good wish that you & the dear relatives of _him_
whose memory is so dear to us all, may with Christian fortitude bear the
reality that is fraught with such cruel darts. I am dear Madam, With
every sentiment of esteem,
Y’r Most Ob’t Serv’t,
WILL’M REES.
MISS SARAH PIERCE,
Litchfield, Conn.
A FUNERAL SERMON PREACHED ON THE DEATH OF DR. TIMOTHY PIERCE BY REV. W.
ROBERTS.
“All is vanity.” SOLOMON.
“All the glory of man is as the flower of grass.” PETER.
“To die is gain—Godliness is profitable unto all things.” PAUL.
Friends and Fellow-mortals, twenty four hours ago, I entertained not the
most distant expectations of addressing you on the solemn and awful
subject of death. Little did I expect to behold this church saddened
with the sable coffin. Little did I expect to experience the undesirable
office and necessity of preaching a funeral sermon on this occasion and
this sacred day. When the melancholy tidings of this unexpected event
were communicated to me last evening I was chilled with astonishment &
surprise! My heart was reluctant to believe the unwelcome report. But
alas! it is lamentably and sadly true, the amiable, the agreeable, the
accomplished, the admired Dr. Pierce is dead, is gone to the mansions of
silence! It is a solemn and distressing fact, that a few weeks ago, he
bloomed with health, was nerved with strength and vigor, but is a pale
inhabitant of the grave, a breathless body of clay! He, whose
countenance a few weeks ago was brightened with youth and animated with
life and cheerfulness, is now a motionless, a lifeless subject of death.
Very lately a healthy inhabitant of this world, now an inhabitant of
eternity! Very lately capable of every social enjoyment and domestic
pleasure among his friends, now forever snatched and torn away from
their arms! Very lately, every sense, feeling and affection exulted and
triumphed in existence; but now the unanimated body is deprived of these
powers. Where is that voice, whose accents were lately so agreeable,
improving and useful? It is speechless, it is dumb in death. Where are
those eyes, which lately so luminously expressed suavity of disposition,
the spirit of Virtue, and indications of knowledge and piety? Their life
is extinguished in the shades of death.... Where are those bright
prospects and pleasing scenes of usefulness which his philanthropic, and
science-illuminated mind contemplated and hoped to experience? They are
abortive, they are blasted in the bud, they have had only an embryo
existence. Those talents, virtues, graces, gifts, manners and
disposition, with which Heaven, nature, art & education had so liberally
and bountifully enriched and embellished his mind and person have been
suddenly, too suddenly destroyed with his last breath.
What flattering expectations and sanguine hopes must his Relations and
Friends have entertained, that his days would not have been so few, that
his life would have been long and eminently useful and happy—And had
they not the best grounds and reasons to indulge such hopes and
expectations from his character, conduct, qualifications and
disposition?...
Yet he lives, he lives, we reasonably and charitably hope in the land of
rest and peace and immortal bliss. The sacred light of hope and faith
beamed in his closing eyes. With Christian fortitude and heroism he
seemed to meet the King of Terror.
APPENDIX C.
POPULATION OF CONNECTICUT TOWNS.
CENSUS, 1820.
New Haven 6.967
Hartford 6.003
Middletown 5.382
LITCHFIELD 4.639
Groton 4.451
Stamford 4.440
Lyme 4.321
Fairfield 4.135
Wethersfield 3.931
Saybrook 3.926
Guilford 3.845
Danbury 3.606
New Milford 3.537
Greenwich 3.533
Norwich 3.528
New London 3.238
Stonington 3.043
East Windsor 3.081
Norwalk 2.933
Windsor 2.868
Newtown 2.834
Glastonbury 2.766
Farmington 2.748
Colchester 2.697
Granby 2.696
Milford 2.674
Mansfield 2.570
East Haddam 2.557
Killingly 2.542
Thompson 2.467
Windham 2.416
Salisbury 2.331
Wallingford 2.325
Cheshire 2.283
Stafford 2.230
Haddam 2.205
Canaan 2.203
Derby 2.051
Hebron 2.002
Simsbury 1.966
Plymouth 1.882
Tolland 1.610
Torrington 1.586
Pomfret 1.505
New Hartford 1.507
Winchester 1.466
Meriden 1.249
Colebrook 1.243
Brooklyn 1.200
Vernon 827
New Fairfield 772
APPENDIX D.
LIST OF PUPILS MENTIONED IN THE JOURNAL OF MARY ANN BACON. 1802.
Miss Rogers
„ Strong
„ Scovil
„ Elmore
„ Leavitt
„ Pease
„ Brainard
„ Charity Gracy
„ Lampson
„ Livingston
„ Rhoda Wadsworth
„ Fanny Kerby
„ Lord
„ Chapin
„ Charlotte Tomlinson
„ Trowbridge
„ Hays
„ Cornelia Adams
„ Pettebone
„ Laury Bacon
„ Skinner
„ Williams
„ Hale
„ Burget
„ Smith
„ Taylor
„ Eliza Scovil
„ Garden Fart
„ Tammage
„ Umphres
STUDIES SPOKEN OF IN MARY BACON’S DIARY.
Geography
Dictionary
Spelling
Composition
Reading
Sewing
Embroidery
Map Study
Drawing
Painting
Music
History
THE NAMES OF THE YOUNG LADYS IN LITCHFIELD SCHOOL JUNE THE 10^{TH}
THURSDAY. 1802.
Betsey Leavitt
Catharine Levingstone Dover
}
Anny Levingstone „
}
Taine Martingbrough Derby
-
Sally Maunda New York
Sally Catling Litchfield
}
Hannah Catling „
}
Miss Orton
Harriot Pettibone
Polly Cauldwell Hartford
Rachel Skinner Williamstown
Eliza Schovil
Polly Strong
Charlott Sanden Litchfield
(Sheldon) }
Polly Sheldon „
}
Miss Stores
Miss Stoten
Two Miss Smiths Glosing
Berry
Fanny Strong Woodbury
Lucy Shelding (Sheldon) Litchfield
Unic Tomlinson Huntington
Betsy Tomlinson Huntington
Maria Tammage[97] Litchfield
Sally Trobridge
Susan Tatlor Litchfield
Sally Williams
Two Wilmading New York
Mary Lord Litchfield
Cornelia Davis Adams
Maria Davis Adams Litchfield
Jarusha Branard Haddam
Miss Burgett
Miss Burk Gorgia
Miss Bissel Savanna
Maria Butler Litchfield
Mary Ann Brown Roxbury
Cliresy
Cleresy Chapin
Betsy Chapin
Miss Case
Sofia Case
Charlott Cockrin —— West Indies
Mary Cockrin ——
Graice Cockrin ——
Julia Day —— Scatskill
Nancy Day ——
Mary Demming —— Litchfield
Clerissy Demming ——
Anny Fred Simons Gorgia
Eliza Garden Fart Gorgia
Mary Glenn Savanna
Charity Grasy Derby
Sophira Hayl Scatskill
Melissa Hays
Nancy Hail
Catharine Hunter Savanna
Miss Hall
Julia Elmore Cannon
1811.
List of Subscribers,[98] in 1st Vol. “Universal History.” 1st.
Edition—New Haven.
Printed by Joseph Barber.
1811.
Mrs. Susan Tracy, Litchfield.
Mrs. Mary Pierpont, „
Caroline Tracy, „
Lucy Sheldon, „
Jane E. R. Shedden, New York.
Caroline W. Gold, Pittsfield.
Eliza A. Johnston, Savannah.
Bellamy C. Robertson, „
Ann Robertson, „
Ann M. Ripley, Sag Harbor.
Eliza C. Partridge, „
Maria C. Prall, New York.
Frances Maria Webb, „
Mary Cheetham, „
Charlotte M. Rose, „
Julia Blackwell, Blackwell’s-island.
Eliza Shaw, New York.
Maria S. Stoutenburgh, „
M. A. Hewet, „
Julian S. M’Lachlan,[99] „
Cornelia B. Van Kleeck, Poughkeepsie.
Mary P. Loyd, Hartford.
Eliza Davies, Poughkeepsie.
Jane Ann Maison,[100] „
Matilda H. Davenport, Stamford.
Harriet W. Tallmadge,[101] Litchfield.
Sarah G. Fanning, Pittsfield.
Caroline Hubbell, „
Parthenia L. Dickenson, „
Helen F. Mumford, Cayuga.
Mary H. Griswold, Herkimer.
Elizabeth H. Jones, Hartford.
Laura Porter, Catskill.
Eliza S. Benton, „
Sarah Van Gaasbeek, Kingston.
Hilah Bevier, Rochester.
Hepsey Partridge, Hatfield.
Mary Hastings, „
Tamer Flagler, Beekman.
Content S. Flagler, Half-moon.
Laura Keyes, Batavia.
Emily Lindsley, Lindsleytown.
Sarah Van Wyck, Fishskill.
Ann Van Wyck, „
Phoebe Rapaljee, „
Ann Anthony, „
Hester Van Voorhis, „
Mary Birdsall, Peekskill.
Hannah Dewsenbury, „
Hannah Bradley, Lanesbourough.
Eliza Ann S. De. Peyster,[102] New York.
Cornelia A. Coit, „
Nancy Hotchkiss, New-Durham.
Mary Post, „
Ann Tuthill, Newport.
Ann Seely, Chester.
Harriot Loomis, Torrington.
Ann B. Starkweather, Williamstown.
Hannah S. Starkweather „
Mary Bulkley „
Susan Leavitt Bethlem.
Wealthy A. Backus,[103] „
Mary Deming, Litchfield
Charlotte Landon, „
Ann P. Brace „
Sarah Post „
Eliza Cleaver „
Mary Peck, „
Fanny Lord, „
Mary Ann G. Wolcott, „
Hannah H. Wolcott, „
Catharine Beecher, „
Sarah M’Curdy, Norwich.
Ann Comstock, New Milford.
Sophia Todd, „
Aletta Mersereau, New York.
Almira Geract’d, „
Sally A. Wardell, „
Jane Wardell, „
Sarah M. Lyman, Berk.
Mary L. Lyman, Goshen.
Clarinda Thompson, „
Amelia P. Haydorn, Saybrook.
Sarah Hitchcock, Amenia.
Athalia Atwater, Northfield.
Abigail Good, Norwich.
Abigail Blakeslee, Columbus.
Harriet Usher, Chatham.
Mary Gleason, Farmington.
Maria Cowles, „
Betsey Osburn, Jersey.
Mary Galpin, Litchfield.
Mersa Robbins, Colchester.
Esther Marsh, New Hartford
Dorothea W. Borland, Camden.
Theodosia Deveaux, „
Harriet Bedford, Montgomery
Clarissa H. Starr, Cooperstown.
Eliza Wilson, Clermont.
Susan N. Warner, New York.
Maria Gates, East Haddam.
Caroline Buel, Goshen.
Harriot Kirby, Litchfield.
Sarah Center, Pittsfield.
Theodosia Deveaux, New York.
Marcia Averill, Cooperstown.
Julia Crosby, Amenia.
NAMES OF THE YOUNG LADIES BELONGING TO MISS PIERCE’S SCHOOL IN THE
SUMMER OF 1814.