NOTES AND QUERIES.

Notes.

MOLL PITCHER.-[It is so often the unpleasant duty of Historical Societies to destroy traditions which have found favor in the public mind, that we gladly print the following letter from the Rev. C. P. Wing, of Carlisle, which confirms so much that has been told of "Molly Pitcher," the heroine of Monmouth.-ED.]

CARLISLE, June 15, 1878.

DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 13th inst. reached me yesterday P. M., and I immediately set about some inquiries for the purpose of verifying the received traditions regarding the subject of your inquiry. I visited the President of the Monument Committee, and the granddaughter of Mrs. Hays, and took notice of some contemporary files of the newspapers. The amount of what I obtained, with what I had before, is the following:

The original name before marriage was Mary Ludwig (so recorded in the family Bible). She herself came probably from Germany. The first we discover of her was at Trenton, N. J., where she had quarters with Gen. Irvine. Her husband was John Hays, a barber, a sergeant in a company of artillery. He was an Irishman, or an Englishman. He was in the battle of Monmouth, and is said to have had, at least for a while, the direction of a cannon. When he was struck down she was coming on the ground with a pitcher of water for him and others. It was a very hot day, and the soldiers suffered much from heat and thirst. Her husband had been borne from the ground, and she instantly took his place by the gun, and some say served several rounds, but others say only loaded and fired once, and insisted on continuing at the post, and was induced very reluctantly to retire. It is also said that she was seen at this service by Gen. Washington, but we only know that he was informed of her conduct, and gave her a commission as sergeant by brevet. She was very active in various ways, for she was excitable, being then about 30 years of age, and confident and prompt when she saw anything to be done. She had a friend also in the battle, who was rendered insensible, and was thrown with many others into a pit for dead, and to be buried--but she went the morning after the battle and found him alive, bore him in her arms to the hospital, and took care of him until his recovery. At some time late in life she received a box of presents from this friend, with an invitation to come to him and make her home with him, where he promised to keep her in luxury. Her friend wrote that he had only just heard through the pension office of her residence. After the battle she served with her husband in the army. In all, she was in the army seven years and nine months.

Soon after the disbanding of the army, she came to reside in Carlisle, Pa., where her husband died and was buried. She remained a widow for a while, and was employed as a nurse in many families. She was very fond of children, and loved to stop them and tell them stories. But when having the charge of them, she was considered by those of whom she had charge, to be very strict and severe. She was to all persons very communicative and talkative, rather rough in manners, sometimes, when excited, even profane, but well understood to be at heart tender and kind. She never turned away any who were in trouble, and enjoined it on her children never to do so. Much against the remonstrances of her friends and kindred she married

Sergeant John McAuley, a worthless fellow, who made her subsequent life miserable by his drunkenness and personal abuse. He did nothing but live on her earnings, how many years I never heard. She, however, lived for some time after his death, and died January, 1832, at the age of eighty-nine. She was buried with military honors, several companies attended her remains to the grave, where she was buried under a deep snow, with her first husband. A military salute was fired at the interment. She seldom if ever attended any place of worship, though she always treated religion and religious people with great respect. She never received any pension except forty dollars a year, as the widow of Mr. Hays. It is said by her granddaughter, that on the last week of her life, a pension was granted to her in her own right. She had a son John, who was born at Trenton, who also had children who reside now in Carlisle. One of the daughters of this John still lives. and unveiled the monument which the citizens of Carlisle erected over "Molly Pitcher's" grave, on the fourth of July in the centennial year (1876). The name of Pitcher was given her with reference to her services by her companions in the army in 1778. This monument is a very appropriate one in the old cemetery of Carlisle, where lie so many of the heroes of the American Revolution.

It may be that some purist of the Niebuhr school may yet demolish some of the romance of this story. By searching the records of the Pension Office at Washington, perhaps something might be learned. But the substantial facts are well established, and the whole story now constitutes a part of what is dear and true to the national heart.

Yours very truly,
Č. P. WING.

BATHSHEBA BOWERS.-The authoress of "An Alarm Sounded To prepare the Inhabitants of the World To meet the Lord in the way of his judgement. By Bath. Bowers [1709]. Sm. 4to. pp. 23."

This very rare book (probably unique) is thus mentioned by Sabin, in his admirable Dictionary of Books Relating to America. He says, "Dated at the end Philadelphia but probably printed by Bradford, at New York." The list of Bradford's books in the Historical Magazine, vol. iii. p. 176 (N. Y., 1859), says "dated at the end, Philadelphia, July 17, 1709." The only copy I have known of was that sold at Menzie's sale in New York, in 1875, which brought $16.00. As the writer was a singular character in the early days of Philadelphia, and is said to have written other books, a few facts in her history are worthy of being preserved, especially as none of them have ever appeared in print. All that is known of her life (except what may be in her printed history not known to exist) is described very graphically by her niece, Mrs. Ann Bolton, of Philadelphia, the daughter of her sister Elizabeth, who married Wenlock Curtis of this city. Prof. James Curtis Booth, a descendant who possesses the original MS. diary, has very kindly allowed me to take these extracts. This diary is in the form of letters addressed to her physician, Dr. Anderson, of Maryland, the first of which was written in 1739. It begins as follows:

"For some reason perhaps Dr. not unknown to you I step out of the common Road and first Mention my family on my Mother's side.

My Grand father Benanuel Bowers was Born in England of honnest Parents, but his father being a Man of a Stern temper, and a rigid Oliverian Obliged my Grandfather (who out of a Pious zeal turned to the religion of the Quakers) to flee for succor into New England.

My Grandmother's name was Elizabeth Dunster. She was Born in Lancashire in Old England, but her Parents dying when she was Young her Unkle Dunster, who was himself at that time President of the College in

New England, sent for her thither and discharged his Duty to her not only in that of a kind Unkle but a good Christian and tender ffather. By all reports he was a man of Great Wisdom, exemplary Piety, and peculiar sweetness of temper.

My Grandfather not long after his coming to New England purchased a farm near Boston, and then married my Grandmother, tho' they had but a small beginning yet God So blest them that they increased in substance, were both Devout Quakers and ffamous for their Christian Charity and Liberality to people of all perswasions on religion who to Escape the Stormy Wind and tempest that raged horribly in England flockt thither."

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The writer also speaking of her grandparents mentions "the outrage and violence of ffiery zealots of the Presbyterian Party who then had the ruling power in their own hands, however they slept with their Lives tho' not without Cruel whippings and imprisonment and the loss of part of their worldly substance."

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Benanuel Bowers and his wife had twelve children, some of whom died in infancy, but most of them grew to be men and women. Hearing a great character of the City of Philadelphia, with my grandmother's consent he sent four of his eldest daughters hither whilst the youngest remained with themselves. The eldest was married to Timothy Hanson and settled upon a plantation near Frankford." The youngest married George Lownes, in Springfield, Chester County. "The other remained single all the days of her Life, of whom I shall speak more hereafter." This was Bathsheba Bowers, the writer of the above-mentioned work, of whom Mrs. Bolton says "she was crossed in love when she was about eighteen." "She seemed to have little regard for riches, but her thirst for knowledge being boundless after she had finished her house and Garden, and they were as beautiful as her hands cou'd make them, or heart could wish, she retired herself in them free from Society as if she had lived in a Cave under Ground or on the top of a high mountain, but as nothing ever satisfied her so about half a mile distant under Society Hill She built a Small house close by the best Spring of Water perhaps as was in our City. This house she furnished with books a Table a Cup in woh he or any that visited her (but they were few, and seldom drank of that Spring). What name she gave her new house I know not but some People gave it the name of Bathsheba's Bower (for you must know her Name was Bathsheba Bowers) but some a little ill Natured called it Bathsheba's folly. As for the place it has ever since bore the name of Bathsheba's Spring or Well-for like Absalom I suppose she was willing to have something to bear up her Name, and being too Strict a virtuoso cou'd not expect fame and favour here by any methods than such of her own raising and spreading. Those motives I suppose led her about the same time to write the History of her Life (in weh she freely declared her failings) with her own hand which was no sooner finished than Printed and distributed about the world Gratis. Though I little regarded her Book at that time yet I have since often wished for one, but if a thousand Pounds would purchase one of them it could scarce be found, for I believe one of them has not been seen in America these twenty years past-however I know not but my short account may serve for as much as is necessary concerning her, as well as hers that was longer. She was a Quaker by profession but so Wild in her Notions it was hard to find out of what religion she really was of. She read her Bible much but I think sometimes to no better purpose than to afford matter for dispute in weh she was always positive. She wrote many Letters to Thomas Story who as tis said was a Learned Man and was then our head Preacher. Some of her Letters he answered, but I suppose growing weary of arguing he soon left off."

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"Tho' my Aunt as I told you before was very religious yet very whimsical and thus were her Books suited to her humour-Tryon was one of her favorites in wch was represented the hideousness of our Cannibal Natures in eating flesh fish or anything that had life in it." She tasted nothing [of this kind] for twenty years before she died." *

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"But I must now proceed with the account of her Books. She had several wrote by a female haud filled with dreams and visions and a thousand Romantic Notions of her seeing Various sorts of Beasts and Bulls in the Heavens." * "She had a belief she could never die. She removed to South Carolina where the Indians Early one morning surprised the place-killed and took Prisoners several in the house adjoining to her. Yet she moved not out of her Bed, but when two Men offered their assistance to carry her away, she said Providence would protect her, and indeed so it proved at that time, for those two men no doubt by the Direction of providence took her in her Bed for she could not rise, conveyed her into their Boat and carried her away in Safety tho' the Indians pursued and shot after them."

Mrs. Bolton describes Bathsheba Bowers to have been of "middle stature," "beautiful when young" but singularly stern and morose. She lived with her until thirteen years of age, and suffered much from her cruel treatment. It is said she sold her house in Philadelphia and removed twelve miles distant into the country, and after some years removed into South Carolina, where she died in 1718, in her 46th year.

Watson in his Annals of Philadelphia has given an illustration of the house of "Bathsheba's Bower," which was of singular construction, and was standing at the junction of Little Dock and Second Streets, with the traditions derived from aged persons concerning it. Whitefield preached from the balcony:

Paige in his History of Cambridge confirms in part the family sketch above given. Benanuel Bowers was a resolute and much persecuted Quaker of that place, who owned twenty acres in Charlestown. He suffered fines repeatedly and imprisonment for various offences, such as absenting himself from meeting, and giving a cup of milk to a poor Quakeress who had been whipped and imprisoned two days and nights without food or water. His wife Elizabeth, and his daughters Barbara and Elizabeth, shared his faith and his sufferings. Like his daughter Bathsheba, he indulged himself with his pen, and some doggerel autograph lines of his are yet preserved in the files of Middlesex County Court, addressed to Thomas Danforth the magistrate, in 1677. Henry Dunster, first President of Harvard College, was a remarkable man, as his Life by the Rev. Jeremiah Chapin shows. Both Chapin and Paige have noticed the confusion in the pedigree of the Dunsters which this extract partially clears up. Dunster in his will in 1658 leaves to his "cousin Bowers and her children, five shillings apeece." Taking the word "cousin" in a modern sense has occasioned this trouble. It was very common in the 17th century to apply the term "cousin" to both niece and nephew as well as other relations further removed in kinship.

Camden, New Jersey.

WILLIAM JOHN POTTS.

CORRECTIONS IN "THE DESCENDANTS OF JÖRAN KYN."-In the preceding volume of the MAGAZINE, page 327, line 10, on the word "Printzhof" add this foot-note: "The dilapidated remains of what was said to be the chimney of this mansion,'" says Dr. George Smith in his excellent "History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania," "were standing within the recollection of the author, and up to this time one of the small foreign-made bricks, of a pale yellow colour, of which it was partly constructed, may be occasionally picked up in the vicinity. Its site was a short distance above the present

Tinicum hotel, and on the opposite side of the road." Benjamin Ferris, in his "History of the Original Settlements on the Delaware," says: "This Hall stood more than 160 years, and was at last burnt down by accident, since the commencement of the present century." Page 328, line 7 from the foot, add as follows: Acrelius is mistaken in giving as the date of Printz's return home "the year 1652;" in company with his wife and children, Henrik Huyghen, and some of the colonists, the Governor left the Delaware in the beginning of November, 1653, and, crossing the ocean in a Dutch vessel, reached Rochelle by the 1st of December, and Holland by the new year, and arrived in Sweden in April, 1654. (See the admirable "Akademisk Afhandling," entitled" Kolonien Nya Sveriges Historia," by Carl K. S. Sprinchorn, Stockholm, 1878.) Page 331, line 12, for the dash substitute the words: meeting of. Page 448, at the close of the first foot-note, for" 1746" read 1744, and add as follows: The tombstone of Peter Baynton, the younger-still to be seen in St. Mary's Churchyard, Burlington, N. J.displays a coat of arms (an engraving of which appears in "The Heraldic Journal," vol. iii. p. 119) resembling that of the Bayntuns, of Wiltshire, England, described in Burke's "Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies," under Bayntun-Rolt, as sable, a bend lozengy argent." Pages 447, 449, and 450, for "Foreman" read Forman. So Mr. George Forman himself wrote his name in a fair English hand. Page 449, line 7 from the foot, after "County" add: of which he was elected Sheriff for 1689. Page 450, line 13, form. Jasper Yeates," read m., 1st, Alexander Creker; 2dly, Jasper Yeates. Page 454, line 10, between the words "Proprietor" and "Matthias Keen" insert as follows: Mr. Keen was a Member of this Assembly of the Province, being one of eight Representatives of Philadelphia County from October, 1713, until his death the following year. Page 456, last line, add as follows: This person died February 24, 1784, aged 75 years, and his widow Mary Keen, July 12, 1791, at the same age. They are buried in St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Churchyard, Philadelphia. Beside them lie Matthias Valentine Keen, doubtless their son, who died October 20, 1806, aged 59 years, and his widow Elizabeth (Hood) Keen, whom he married (Register of Swedish Lutheran Chucrh on Raccoon Creek, New Jersey) February 1, 1777, who died May 10, 1830, aged 80 years. The latter had several children, who died young, and a daughter, Rebecca, who survived her father. G. B. K.

66

REV. WILLIAM SMITH, D.D.-The first volume of the Life and Correspondence of the Rev. William Smith, D.D., by his great-grandson, has been published by S. A. George & Co., 15 North 7th St., Philadelphia.

It would be impossible to condense the thoughts which are suggested in reading the 595 royal octavo pages of this volume into the limits of an ordinary Book Notice, and as it is not our custom to review publications, we will not make the attempt. We cannot, however, forbear calling the attention of our readers to a book in which they will find so much Pennsylvania History, and asking for it a support that will insure its completion.

Dr. Smith exercised a leading influence in almost every question which agitated the minds of Pennsylvanians during the quarter of a century preceding the Revolution. In our ecclesiastical, political, and literary history, it will be seen that his ready pen and cultivated mind must have been constantly employed. The history of the Episcopal Church in Pennsylvania, and the story of his life, are so closely connected, that the one would be incomplete without the other. In political controversy he was constantly pitted against Franklin, whose powers he taxed to the utmost. But it is for his literary efforts and for his untiring zeal to promote the means of educa

VOL. III.-8