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Ebook has 64 lines and 14363 words, and 2 pages
Editor: Max Farrand
Transcriber's note
Minor punctuation errors have been changed without notice. Printer errors have been changed and are listed at the end. All other inconsistencies are as in the original.
Characters that could not be displayed directly in Latin-1 are transcribed as follows:
^ - superscript
YALE HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPTS
PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY FROM THE INCOME OF
THE FREDERICK JOHN KINGSBURY MEMORIAL FUND
A Journey to Ohio in 1810
As Recorded in the Journal of MARGARET VAN HORN DWIGHT
Edited with an Introduction by MAX FARRAND
New Haven YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS
First published, October, 1912 Second printing, December, 1912 Third printing, December, 1913 Fourth printing, April, 1920 Fifth printing, October, 1933
All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form , without written permission from the publishers.
INTRODUCTION
"If it be true that good wine needs no bush, 'tis true that a good play needs no epilogue;" and Rosalind might well have added that a good story needs no prologue. The present journal is complete in itself, and it is such a perfect gem, that it seems a pity to mar its beauty by giving it any but the simplest setting. There are many readers, however, with enough human interest to wish to know who Rosalind really was, and to be assured that she "married and lived happily ever after." That is the reason for this introduction.
Margaret Van Horn Dwight was born on December 29, 1790. She was the daughter of Doctor Maurice William Dwight, a brother of President Timothy Dwight of Yale, and Margaret Dwight. The death of her father in 1796, and the subsequent marriage of her mother, was probably the reason for Margaret Dwight being taken by her grandmother, Mary Edwards Dwight, a daughter of Jonathan Edwards, who trained her as her own child in her family in Northampton. The death of her grandmother, February 7, 1807, was the occasion of her going to live in New Haven in the family of her aunt, Elizabeth Dwight, who had married William Walton Woolsey, and whose son was President Theodore Woolsey.
Three years later, in 1810, Margaret Dwight left New Haven to go to her cousins in Warren, Ohio. It was doubtless there that she met Mr. Bell, whom she married, December 17, 1811, a year after her arrival. William Bell, Jr., was born in Ireland, February 11, 1781, and after 1815 he was a wholesale merchant in Pittsburgh.
The family genealogy formally records that Margaret Dwight Bell became the mother of thirteen children, that she died on October 9, 1834, and that she was "a lady of remarkable sweetness and excellence, and devotedly religious." Family tradition adds a personal touch in relating that her home was a center of hospitality and that she herself was active and very vivacious.
The journal of the rough wagon trip to Ohio in 1810 was evidently kept by Margaret Dwight in fulfilment of a promise to her cousin, Elizabeth Woolsey, to whom it was sent as soon as the journey was over. A good many years later the journal was given to a son of the author, and the original is now in the possession of a granddaughter, Miss Katharine Reynolds Wishart of Waterford, Pennsylvania. It has been well cared for and is in excellent condition, except that the first two pages are missing. This is of less importance from the fact that two independent copies had been made. The text of the journal here printed is taken from the original manuscript, and is reproduced as accurately as typographical devices permit.
MAX FARRAND.
A JOURNEY TO OHIO
Milford Friday Eve. at Capt Pond's.
Shall I commence my journal, my dear Elizabeth, with a description of the pain I felt at taking leave of all my friends, or shall I leave you to imagine?--The afternoon has been spent by me in the most painful reflections & in almost total silence by my companions- I have thought of a thousand things unsaid, a thousand kindnesses unpaid with thanks that I ought to have remembered more seasonably; and the neglect of which causes me many uneasy feelings- my neglecting to take leave of Sally, has had the same effect- I hope she did not feel hurt by it, for it proceeded from no want of gratitude for her kindness to me. I did not imagine parting with any friend could be so distressing as I found leaving your Mama. I did not know till then, how much I loved her & could I at that moment have retraced my steps! but it was too late to repent-- Deacon Wolcott & his wife are very kind, obliging, people, & Miss Wolcott is a very pleasant companion, I do not know what I should do without her. We came on to Butler's this afternoon & I came immediately down to Uncle Pond's & drank tea. Miss W. came with me & both Uncle & Aunt invited her to stay and sleep with me, which she accordingly did. Cousin Patty has been with me, to say good bye, to all my friends, & to-morrow we proceed to Stamford.
Sat. night, D. Nash's Inn. Middlesex-
FOOTNOTES:
Sunday eve--
October 22- Monday- Cook's inn--County West Chester--
Tuesday Noon- Ferry House near State Prison-
Hobuck, Wednesday Morn-Buskirck's Inn--
Springfield-New Jersey- Pierson's Inn-Wed^y-PM 4 oclock-
Friday morn- Chester N J.
Mansfield-N J-Sat-morn October 27-
Pennsylvania- Saturday eve- 2 miles from Bethlehem- Hanover- Oct 27^
Before I write you anything I will tell you where & how we are- We are at a dutch tavern almost crazy- In one corner of the room are a set of dutchmen talking singin & laughing in dutch so loud, that my brain is almost turn'd- they one moment catch up a fiddle & I expect soon to be pulled up to dance- I am so afraid of them I dare hardly stay in the house one night; much less over the sabbath- I cannot write so good night--
Sunday Morn-
I have hesitated a long time whether I ought to write or not, & have at length concluded I may as well write as anything else, for I cannot read or listen to Deacon W who is reading- for I am almost distracted. We have determin'd to spend the Sabbath among these wicked wretches- It would not be against my conscience to ride to day rather than stay here, for we can do no good & get none- & how much harm they may do us I know not- but they look as if they had sufficient inclination to do us evil--
Sunday eve- Sundown-
Monday morn-October 29-
It rains & we shall have a dismal day I am afraid-M^r W's harness last night was very much injur'd by being chew'd to pieces by a cow- I have broken my parasol handle a little, but it will not much injure it-I have a bad cold to day- which I know not how I have taken- I more than ever wish to reach Warren--
Pennsylvania- Monday-eve- A Dutchman's inn- I dont know where. Palks County-or some thing like it--
Wednesday Oct^ber 31^st Highdleburg-Penn-
Wednesday Eve- Miller's town- Penn- Oct-31^
We have come 24 miles to day, & just begin to shorten the distance between Pittsburgh & us, & to increase it between Phildelphy & us- It has for a long time been 250 miles to Pitts^g & 60 to Phil^- but is now 218 to one & more than 80 to the other-- It began snowing this morning which rendered our ride more unpleasant than before- M^r W has continued just as he was in the morning- scarcely a word has been spoken by any of us- I never felt more low spirited & discouraged in my life- We have pass'd through 2 little towns to day- Moyerstown & the other I don't know the name of- We also pass'd thro Lebanon which appear'd to be a town of considerable size & pleasant- we did not stop at all in it- The other towns were merely one short dirty street- this town is one street only, but a tolerably pretty one- There are a number of good houses in it- We have once more got among people of our own nation & language- & they appear very clever--
Harrisburg- P- Thursday- Eve-November-1^ 1810-
It has been snowing fast all the afternoon & we found it very difficult travelling & were oblig'd to put up just in the edge of the town- It was M^r W's intention to cross the Susquehannah which is the other side the town- we shall not pass thro' it- We cross'd the Sweet Arrow, a little river about 8 miles from the Susquehannah-- we cross'd it in our waggon-M^r Jeremiah Rees is our landlord- his wife is sick with a fever arising from the Hives at first- He has a sister who seems to take the direction of the female part of the business- She is a strange creature-
Sunday eve- East pensboro' township- P-
Tues- morn- The old man I believe feels a little asham'd of his treatment of us & was going to make some apology, but concluded by saying with a forced laugh, that if we ever came there again, he would treat us just so- He may if has oppor^--
Tuesday night- Nov-6^-
Wed- morn- Last night Susan & I went to bed early, as we slept ill the night before- we expected to get good beds & were never so disappointed- We were put in an old garret that had holes in the roof big enough to crawl through- Our bed was on the floor, harder it appear'd to me, than boards could be- & dirty as possible- a dirty feather bed our only covering- After lying an hour or two, we complain'd to M^ Wolcott who applied to the landlady for a bedstead, but could only obtain leave for us to sleep on one bed with another over us- I slept wretchedly & feel very little like climbing a mountain--M^r & M^ W could not sleep at all & got up at about eleven oclock-- She had good beds in the house or I would not have complained so much--
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