arrangement that each passenger should, in rotation, act as caterer
for the party for each day. It fell to my lot to lead off in this
friendly service. We got along very nicely, and with a good deal of
mirthful pleasure, for a couple of weeks, enjoying our viands and wine
as comfortably as if at a regular boarding house. The captain's wife,
however, was something of a drawback to our enjoyment. She was a
vinegary looking creature, and as cross and saucy as her looks
betokened, was low-bred, ill-tempered, and succeeded in making herself
particularly disagreeable. During the pleasant weather portion of our
voyage, she managed, without cause, to raise a quarrel with every
passenger; and what added to her naturally embittered feeling, was
that we only laughed at her folly.
When we arrived in sight of Cuba, the wind arose, and blew almost a
hurricane, causing a heavy sea. We were in such danger of being cast
away on the Florida reefs that the captain summoned all hands on deck
for counsel. But, providentially, we escaped. For near two weeks no
cooking could be done, and each one was thankful to take whatever he
could obtain in one hand, and hold fast to something with the other,
such was the rolling and pitching of our frail vessel. Most of the
passengers were sea-sick; I was among the few who escaped from that
sickening nausea. One night the rain was so heavy, the lightning so
vivid, and thunder so tremendous, that the vessel trembled at every
clap; when I went to my friend Wyckoff, as well as others who were
asleep, informing them that it was a moment of no little danger and
excitement.
Captain McFadden was a most profane man. But during the hours of our
distress and danger he became very mild and humble, but it lasted no
longer than the storm. The vinegary Mrs. McFadden, too, was very
sensibly affected during this trying period; for, standing in the
companion-way, leading to the cabin, she very humbly and demurely said
that she would go below and make her peace. We all thought she could
not be too quick about it. She was a veritable Katharine, but he was
not a Petruchio.
Before we arrived at the capes of the Delaware, an American sailor,
who had made his escape from a British man-of-war at the mouth of the
Mississippi, sickened and died on board our craft. When we got into
the Delaware, the sailors took his remains on shore and gave them a
decent sepulture. At length we reached Philadelphia in safety.
GENERAL INDEX.
Prefatory note, 3
Memoir of Major S. S. Forman, 5
Forman's narrative, 5
Tunis Forman captures two Tories, 6
Major Lee's strategy, 6
British foray at Middletown Point, 6, 7
Major Burrows's loss and captivity, 7
Denise Forman's services, 7
General David Forman, 7
German town battle, 7
Capture of a British sloop, 8
A British and Tory scout, 9
Services of Major Burrows, 9
Major Burrows's narrow escape, 9, 10
Denise Forman and Philip Freneau, 10
Sufferings in British prison ships, 10, 11
Captain Freneau's after-life, 11, 12
Monmouth battle, 12
Fugitives return to New York, 12
British evacuate New York, 13-15
Lieutenant-Colonel J. N. Cumming, 14
Anthony Glean noticed, 14
Washington parting with his officers, 15
Washington and Franklin in Federal Convention, 15
Washington's second inauguration, 16
Major Forman settles at Cazenovia, N. Y., 17
His subsequent career, 17, 18
His narrative--departure for the Ohio, 19
Detention at Lancaster, 20
Meeting Charley Morgan, 22
Scant of funds for traveling, 22
Arrival at Pittsburg, 23
Flat-bottomed boats for the journey, 23
Colonel Turnbull's entertainment, 24
Departure down the river, 25
Difficulties of navigation, 25, 26
Arrival at Wheeling, 26
Flocks of wild turkeys, 26
Arrival at Marietta, 27
Limestone and Columbia, 27
Arrival at Cincinnati, 27
General Harmar's hospitality, 27, 28
Captain Kirby _vs._ Captain Kersey, 28, 29
General Jonathan Forman noticed, 29
General Harmar's defeat, 30
Indian rendezvous at Scioto, 30
Gallipolis settlement, 30, 31
Anecdote of Captain Osmun, 31
Arrival at Louisville, 32
Fort Jefferson; Fort Steuben, 32
Ensign Luce and North Bend, 32, 33
Lacassangue and his station, 33, 34
Early dancing parties at Louisville, 35, 36
Generals Wilkinson and St. Clair, 35
Dr. John F. Carmichael, 36
Ezekiel Forman starts for Natchez, 36
Effort to lure ashore and destroy Forman's party, 37
Louisville incidents; Ashby and family; Mr. Smith; moccasins at
balls, 38, 39
An egg-nog frolic, 39, 40
The Sabbath kept by S. S. Forman, 40
A billiard-table at Louisville, 40, 41
A fleet of tobacco boats, 41
Mr. Buckner purchases Mr. Forman's goods, 42
Mr. Forman's mishap, 42
Departure from Louisville, 42, 43
Incident at Fort Massac, 43
Planters and sawyers, 44
Mouth of the Ohio, 44, 45
An Indian alarm, 45
Indian visit; dinner, 46
Visit Indian village, 46, 47
Arrival at _L'Anse a la Graisse_, 47
Lieutenant Foucher's hospitality, 48-50
Lieutenant Foucher noticed, 47, 48-50
Colonel Pope's tour cited, 50
Colonel P. B. Bruin noticed, 51, 52
A cub bear, 52
Arrival at Natchez, 52
Walnut Hills settlement project, 52, 53
Dr. O'Fallon; General Clark; Colonel Holder, 52, 53
Natchez and surroundings, 53
Sir Wm. Dunbar noticed, 54
S. S. Forman's land grant, 55, 58, 59
Fine society at Natchez, 56
Mons. and Madam Mansanteo, 56
Major Stephen Minor noticed, 56, 57
Colonel Anthony Hutchins noticed, 56
Sickly at Natchez in 1790, 56, 57
A round of visits, 57, 58
Bad treatment of servants, 59
Colonel Osmun noticed, 59, 60
Departure for New Orleans, 60
A genial priest, 60, 61
Voyage and incidents to Philadelphia, 61-63
ROBERT CLARKE & CO., CINCINNATI, O.
HAVE JUST PUBLISHED
Major Forman's Narrative.
Narrative of a Journey down the Ohio and Mississippi in 1789-90. By
Major Samuel S. Forman, of New Jersey. With a Memoir and Illustrative
Notes. By Lyman C. Draper, LL.D. of Wisconsin.
12mo. Paper, 50 cents; cloth, 75 cents.
General David Forman of New Jersey in 1789, entered into a negotiation
with the Spanish minister Don Diego de Gardoque, for his brother
Ezekiel Forman of Philadelphia, to emigrate with his family, and about
sixty colored people, men, women and children, and settle in the
Natchez country, then under Spanish authority. Major Samuel S. Forman
accompanied this emigrating party, and in this narrative gives a
minute account of their trip, the places they passed through and at
which they stopped, prominent people they met, with many curious
particulars.
This book has not been stereotyped, and the edition is a limited one.
_Sent by mail, prepaid, on receipt of the price._
ROBERT CLARKE & CO., _Publishers_,
Cincinnati, O.
Transcriber's Note
Archaic spelling is preserved as printed.
Inconsistency in the use of apostrophes in date ranges is preserved as
printed.
Minor punctuation errors have been repaired.
There were some instances of a single inconsistent spelling of a
proper noun where it appears more than once. These, along with
apparent typographic errors, have been repaired as follows:
Page 19--Foreman amended to Forman--General David Forman, ...
Page 37--beech amended to beach--... ran on the beach,
imploring ...
Page 37--Osmnn amended to Osmun--But for the circumstance of
Captain Osmun ...
Page 51--à amended to a--... from _L'Anse a la Graisse_ to
_Bayou Pierre_, ...
Page 57--afflcted amended to afflicted--Uncle Forman was
severely afflicted ...
Page 58--Pittsburgh amended to Pittsburg--... which had
traveled with me from Pittsburg ...
Page 60--ta amended to at--... of the country to exchange
work at times; ...
Page 63--Wickoff amended to Wyckoff--... when I went to my
friend Wyckoff, ...
Page 66--mocassins amended to moccasins--... Mr. Smith;
moccasins at balls, ...
Page 67--Madame Mansant amended to Madam Mansanteo--Mons. and
Madam Mansanteo, 56