Chapter IV: Part 4

It is undoubtedly true that to no one man are the people who have enjoyed and to-day enjoy the benefits of the Ordinance, so much indebted as to Dr. Manasseh Cutler. It was he who directed the battle in its favor; it was he who secured the appointment of his friends, Carrington and Lee, on the committee; who urged the necessity of the adoption of the Ordinance before the land purchase could be made; who insisted, as representative of the company which was most immediately concerned in the nature of the laws that should form the government of the Territory, upon the anti-slavery clause, and, to win the southern members to its support, favored the addition of the proviso for the rendition of fugitive slaves; and without doubt it was he who urged the insertion of what relates to religion, morality and education. At this time anti-slavery sentiment in Virginia was popular with the leading men of that State, and with the protection to the property rights in the slave which the proviso afforded, the Virginia members of the committee were readily won to the support of the anti-slavery clause. What, therefore, Dr. Cutler accomplished in behalf of the Ordinance was of the greatest importance. He obtained the appointment of a new committee favorable to such a measure as he was solicitous to have adopted; urged the insertion of many of the grand principles it contained; won such friendly interest for it from opposing elements as to insure for it certain victory, and was instrumental in securing its passage.

Judge Ephraim Cutler, in 1849, received a letter from his brother, Temple Cutler, in which he says: “Hon. Daniel Webster is now convinced that the man who suggested some of its articles was our father,” and in the same year Judge Cutler wrote as follows:

I visited my father at Washington during the last session he attended
Congress (1804).... We were in conversation relative to the political
concerns of Ohio, the ruling parties, and the effects of the
constitution (of Ohio) in the promotion of the general interest; when
he observed that he was informed that I had prepared that portion of
the Ohio constitution which contained the ‘part of the ordinance of
July, 1787, which prohibited slavery. He wished to know if it was a
fact. On my assuring that it was, he observed that he thought it a
singular coincidence, as he himself had prepared that part of the
ordinance while he was in New York negotiating the purchase of the
lands for the Ohio Company. I had not seen the journal he kept while
he was in New York at that time....[13]

Arthur St. Clair’s connection with the Ordinance must have been, from the nature of the position he occupied as well as from the character of the man, of very considerable importance. There is good reason for believing him to be the author of the clause relating to the treatment of the Indians. No other member of the House had a better acquaintance with the Indian character, or better appreciated what was by right due to the red man, and it is therefore more than likely that the preparation of this clause was entrusted to him, though there exists no positive proof of the fact.

General St. Clair’s history as Governor of the Northwest Territory will be reserved for future publication in this Magazine.

WILLIAM W. WILLIAMS.

GEO. WASHINGTON’S FIRST EXPERIENCE AS SURVEYOR.

Washington’s early education was in the direction to fit him in an especial manner for the practical work of the surveyor. After having exhausted the possibilities of the elementary school, which he had before attended, he was taken into the family of his brother Lawrence, that he might have the benefit of a better one than existed in that neighborhood. It seems to have been intended that he should attain a thorough and practical business education—such as should fit him for all the duties of an extensive colonial land owner and planter. Perhaps the possibility of his becoming a magistrate or burgess was also present, as the place that awaited him in the society of Virginia was such as to warrant so modest an ambition. There are now in existence several of his school books, into one of which are copied, with infinite pains, forms for contracts, land conveyances, leases, mortgages, etc. In another are preserved the field-notes and calculations of surveys, which he made as a matter of practice—kept and proved with the same exactness that would have been expected had the result been intended to form the basis of practical transactions. Not the least advantage of Washington’s sojourn with his brother, was the fact that it introduced him, at once, into the highest and, at the same time, the best society of the colony. Lawrence had become one of the most honored and prominent men in Virginia. His wealth, his social position and that of the Fairfax family, his sterling character and unquestioned ability, had united to advance him, and he was a member of the House of Burgesses, as well as adjutant-general of his district, with the rank and pay of a major.

But a few miles below Mount Vernon, as Lawrence Washington had called his estate, and upon the same wooded ridge that bordered the Potomac, was Belvoir the seat of the Fairfax family. Occupying the ample and elegant appointed house, was the Hon. William Fairfax, father-in-law of Lawrence Washington—a gentleman who had attained social, political and military prominence in England, and in the East and West Indies. He had come to Virginia to take charge of the enormous estate of his cousin, Lord Fairfax, which, according to the original grant from the crown, was “for all the lands between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers.” This grant had been very liberally construed to include a large part of the land drained by affluents of these streams, embracing a considerable portion of the Shenandoah valley. In the midst of this princely domain, the Fairfaxes lived in the style of English gentry. Their house was always open to guests of the right class and to no others. The monotony of life was occasionally broken by the arrival in the Potomac of an English war vessel, when its officers were certain to be found at the Fairfax and Washington tables, telling their stories of service in distant seas, of battle, travel, and all the various experiences that a naval life involves. Washington was made a sharer, on terms nearly approaching equality, in much of this social intercourse; he felt the refining and broadening influence of contact with accomplished and experienced men of the world, and, not least important, he heard the tales and jests of the seafaring visitors, and hearing, was enthralled. At the age of fourteen he became infatuated with the idea of entering the British navy. His age was suitable, the profession was an excellent one for a young gentleman desiring to push his fortunes, a frigate at that time lay in the river, Lawrence Washington and Mr. Fairfax approved, and nothing seemed necessary to carrying the plan into effect but the consent of the lad’s mother. Even this difficulty yielded to argument. George’s clothes were packed, and he was ready to go aboard, when the mother’s heart failed her, and she withdrew her consent, thus saving Washington to his country. It is more likely, considering his training and disposition, that, had the boy sailed upon that cruise, he would have directed a vessel or fleet against the revolting colonies; called them rebels, not patriots; served the king, not the people. Back to school he went, no doubt chagrined and crestfallen, and remained for nearly two years. At the end of that time his teacher discharged him as finished, as, no doubt he was, so far as the capacity of that master was concerned. These two years were passed in the study of the higher mathematics, his intention being to fit himself for any business or professional emergency, civil or military.

After leaving school, Washington was much more frequently at Belvoir than before. Lord Fairfax, the owner of the estate, was now an inmate of the house, having come to inspect his possessions, and determined to make Virginia his home. He was much impressed by the fertility and beauty of the country, and also, gossip had it, having never recovered from a wound to his heart and pride, inflicted in his youth by a fickle beauty, who preferred a ducal cornet to his more modest rank after the wedding dress was made, was glad to escape from England to the freedom and retirement of Virginia. Lord Fairfax was not far from sixty years of age, tall, erect, and vigorous in figure; kind-hearted, generous but eccentric, and not a man to take every comer into his friendship and confidence. He at once showed a marked liking for the tall, handsome, reserved and dignified young man, whom he so often met at Belvoir. No one longer regarded Washington as a boy, though he was but fifteen years of age. Lord Fairfax was a devoted sportsman, and set up his hunters and hounds at Belvoir, as he had been accustomed in England. Had anything been necessary to confirm his friendship for Washington, it was only to find, as his lordship did, that the latter was as hard and intrepid a rider as he, and would follow a fox over the dangerous and difficult hunting grounds of Virginia with as little faltering or fatigue.

So this oddly assorted couple became close friends and constant companions, in the hunt and elsewhere. The old nobleman, _litterateur_, and man of the world, treated the sturdy young man as a social and intellectual equal, and, from the fullness of experience, unconsciously added, day by day, to his slender knowledge of the world; while the latter, probably quite as unconsciously, in a measure repaid the debt, as his knowledge of the country and of colonial life enabled him to do. One important effect of his intimacy was that it resulted in securing to Washington his first opportunity for testing his new-found freedom, by undertaking an independent enterprise. This happened incidentally, yet was the starting-point of the young man’s fortunes.

As has been said, Lord Fairfax’s estate in Virginia extended beyond the Blue Ridge, and to a considerable distance up the eastern slope of the Alleghanies. West of the former range no survey had ever been made, and reports had come that the country was filling up with lawless squatters, who invariably selected the best lands for settlement, and were in danger of gaining such a foothold that to oust them would be a matter of no little difficulty. Lord Fairfax desired a survey of this wild and uncivilized territory to be made. It was a service requiring not only skill as a surveyor, but ability to endure great fatigue, courage to face danger, determination and ingenuity to meet and overcome difficulties—yet all these qualities he deemed combined in Washington, who had barely reached the age of sixteen years. The committing of so important a trust to one so young seems almost inconceivable, and this fact is one of the best indications of what the youth must have been, not only in bone and muscle, but in brain, self-reliance and maturity, at an age when most boys are thinking more of their balls and kites than of the serious duties of life.

Washington eagerly accepted the proposal of Lord Fairfax, and immediately set about his preparations for departure, which occupied but a few days. In company with George William Fairfax, a young man of twenty-two years, son of William Fairfax, he set out in the saddle, during the month of March, 1748. Mr. John S. C. Abbott, in his ‘Life of Washington,’ describes the experience of the young men in a manner characteristically picturesque. He says:

“The crests of the mountains were still whitened with ice and snow. Chilling blasts swept the plains. The streams were swollen into torrents by the spring rains. The Indians, however, whose hunting parties ranged these forests, were at that time friendly. Still there were vagrant bands wandering here and there, ever ready to kill and plunder. * * * Though these wilds may be called pathless, still there were, here and there, narrow trails which the moccasined foot of the savage had trodden for uncounted centuries. They led, in a narrow track, scarcely two feet in breadth, through dense thickets, over craggy hills, and along the banks of placid streams or foaming torrents. * * * It was generally necessary to camp at night wherever darkness might overtake them. With their axes a rude cabin was easily constructed, roofed with bark, which afforded a comfortable shelter from wind and rain. The forest presented an ample supply of game. Delicious brook trout were easily taken from the streams. Exercise and fresh air gave appetite. With a roaring fire crackling before the camp, illumining the forest far and wide, the adventurers cooked their supper and ate it with a relish such as the pampered guests in lordly banqueting halls have seldom experienced. Their sleep was probably more sweet than was ever found on beds of down. Occasionally they would find shelter for the night in the wigwam of the friendly Indian.”

In amusing contrast to this rose-colored view of life in the woods are the terse and evidently feeling words from the pen of Washington himself, recorded in his journal under date of March 15, 1748: “Worked hard till night and then returned. After supper we were lighted into a room, and I, not being so good a woodman as the rest, stripped myself very orderly and went into the bed, as they call it, when, to my surprise, I found it to be nothing but a little straw matted together, without sheet or anything else, but only one threadbare blanket, with double its weight of vermin. I was glad to get up and put on my clothes and lie as my companions did. Had we not been very tired, I am sure we should not have slept much that night. I made a promise to sleep no more in a bed, choosing rather to sleep in the open air before a fire.” Again, after being much longer away from home, Washington says in a letter to a friend: “Yours gave me the more pleasure as I received it among barbarians and an uncouth set of people. Since you received my letter of October last, I have not slept above three or four nights in a bed. But after walking a good deal all the day, I have lain down before the fire on a little hay, straw, fodder, or bear skin, whichever was to be had, with man, wife and children, like dogs and cats, and happy is he who gets nearest the fire. I have never had my clothes off, but have lain and slept in them, except the few nights I have been in Fredericksburg.”

With these and similar experiences, Washington and his companion, with their little party, consisting of an Indian guide and a few white attendants, continued through the weary weeks and months occupied in the fulfillment of their mission. This work was well and thoroughly done; the surveys made were afterwards proved to be careful and accurate. The party finally returned to civilization on the 12th day of April, 1749, more than a year after they set out. The report made to Lord Fairfax proved a source of immediate profit to Washington, who, though but a little more than seventeen years of age, was soon after made one of the official surveyors of the colony of Virginia. His late employer soon removed to a point in the newly surveyed territory, beyond the Blue Ridge, where he set aside ten thousand acres of land, to constitute his home estate, and projected a grand manor and house, after the English style. The proposed site of this dwelling—which, though Abbott describes it in glowing terms, was never built—is about twelve miles from the present village of Winchester.

Washington pursued his labors with the additional sanction given by his office, which entitled his surveys to become a matter of official record. As will be readily understood, the demand for such services in a new country was great, and, as the number of competent men was small, his labors commanded a correspondingly large remuneration. So for three years he continued patiently working, his ability and industry commanding respect and gaining a daily wider recognition. He was so accurate in all his processes that no considerable error was ever charged against him, and a title, finding its basis in one of his surveys, was rarely disputed. The minute acquaintance with the soil, timber and other natural advantages of the region, thus obtained, proved of great practical value to him in after years, when his increased wealth needed investment; much of the finest land which he surveyed passed into his hands, and was later owned by members of the Washington family. He held his office of colonial surveyor for three years, when he resigned to accept more important trusts.

WALTER BUELL.

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EDITORIAL NOTES.

The purposes which this publication is intended to subserve are the promotion of historical studies in general and an increased familiarity with the history of the western portion of this country in particular. The field is a broad and inviting one. The early annals of every locality possess a peculiar charm for its own people, while they furnish something of interest to the people of every other locality. The conductors of this Magazine invite the aid and co-operation of every person interested in the development and preservation of local history, and shall rely in a special manner upon the friendly offices of Historical and Pioneer Societies. These organizations accomplish great good in the work they are carrying forward from year to year, and they should increase in number until every county, or section of the country, shall have a Pioneer Society. The publishers of this monthly now have in course of preparation by an able and well informed writer, the history of Ohio, which will be published serially in the numbers of this Magazine, to be followed by the history of other States. A department will be devoted to local history, in which county and town annals, and sketches of pioneer settlers and of representative men and women will have chief place. The contributions of students of history, who have something to say of interest to the general reader, will be welcomed to the pages of this publication. We have received already the proffer of papers by able and experienced writers, and hope to make the Magazine of indispensable value to a large number of readers. To furnish essays on historical subjects by writers of experience and ability; to provide a history of each of the great Western States that have not already satisfactory State histories; to afford a medium for the publication of the proceedings of Historical and Pioneer Societies, and to publish such other information regarding these and similar organizations as will enable them to become better acquainted with one another; to give sketches of the lives of early settlers, and of others who have largely aided in the development of the material interests, or in promoting the advancement, in other respects, of the community in which they dwell; to add to the interest of the printed text by the help of engravings where they can be employed to advantage, and especially to employ the services of art in portrait illustration; and to use skill and taste on the part of the printer in giving a neat appearance to the Magazine—these are the chief features of the programme which we have formed for the work we have undertaken. We do not lightly esteem the labor, or overlook the difficulties which lie before us. We expect the Magazine will have friends if by its excellence it merits them. It has a field of its own, differing from that occupied by any other publication, and its success will be sure and enduring if it achieves it by deserving well of its patrons and readers.

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The American Historical Association held its first annual meeting at Saratoga, September 9, under the friendly auspices of the Social Science Association. The importance of this movement, whose object is the promotion of historical studies throughout the country, cannot be overestimated. No society of like aim, national in character, seeking to create an interest in the study of American history in every section of the country, has ever existed. The nearest approach to it was the “American Historical Society” organized in 1836, at Washington, D. C., with John Quincy Adams as President. Its membership, however, was made up from residents of Washington, Congressmen, and a few persons outside of the Capital who however, were only honorary members. The meetings were of irregular occurrence and were held in the House of Representatives. The active spirit of this old Historical Society was Peter Force, whose work in the publication of rare collections of early colonial history was of incalculable value to the Nation, and to whom the country is likewise indebted for the collection of the “American Archives.” This society was, however, only local in character, and had only such purposes in view as were of easy attainment at the National Capital. On the other hand, the new organization, having no one place for its habitation, is a national association of students of history, who may come from any section of this and other lands. Historical specialists and active workers everywhere, whether from academic centres or State and county historical societies, if approved by the committee, will be welcomed. The annual membership fee is $3.00, the life membership $25. Forty-one active members were enrolled at Saratoga, and the Executive Council has selected 120 more persons, students of history, resident in various sections of the country, to whom invitations to become active members are to be extended. A constitution was adopted and the following distinguished persons selected as officers: President, Andrew D. White, President of Cornell College; two Vice-Presidents, Professor Justin Winsor, of Harvard and Professor Charles Kendall Adams, of the University of Michigan; Secretary, Dr. Herbert B. Adams of John Hopkin’s University, Baltimore; Treasurer, Clarence Winthrop Bowen of the New York _Independent_, New York City. These gentlemen, with three associates—Mr. William B. Weeden of Providence, Professor Emerton of Harvard College, and Professor Moses Coit Tyler of Cornell University—form the Executive Council, which is empowered to pass judgment upon all nominations which may be made through the secretary, and which has charge also of the general interests of the Association. President White delivered an admirable address on “Synthetic Studies in History,” and several other important papers were read—all of which, together with a record of the proceedings, will soon be published in pamphlet form.

* * * * *

Hon. Harvey Rice, who has attained the ripe old age of 84 years, celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of his arrival in Cleveland on the 24th day of last September. Nearly two hundred persons, acquaintances and friends, assembled at his residence, 427 Woodland Ave., Cleveland, to pay him their respects—a very fitting tribute to one to whom not alone the citizens of the Forest City, but also the people of Ohio, and in a certain sense of the whole country are very largely indebted for valuable services. For his able efforts in behalf of the improved management of common schools he has for many years been appropriately called the father of the Ohio system of common school instruction, which has been largely imitated by other States. Mr. Rice is the author of several books, some of which have had a very good circulation. He is a graceful writer of poetry as well as of prose.

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No other branch of knowledge is so neglected as that of history. Many who are familiar with mathematics, philosophy, the sciences, and the languages are almost totally without historical knowledge. Many who do give it attention too often study it inadequately, considering it a dry statement of facts, events and dates. History, when rightly studied, affords information of the greatest profit and rarest interest. It unfolds to our understanding not merely the chief events of the past, but the purposes, the efforts and achievements of the great minds of each age in the actual drama of life, and gives us many pleasant glimpses into the world of thought, purpose and feeling of another time.

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In importance and value history is excelled by no other story. It does not possess an equal interest for every student, for the very evident reason that every student of history does not evince for it the same degree of fidelity and love. But to every disciple it brings a reward. It widens the horizon of his thought, solves for him many an intricate problem in the affairs of life, acquaints him with the events of the human race, brings him in contact with the greatest minds and loftiest spirits of every age, and enables him to gain a better understanding of the fellow-beings with whom he mingles.

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The earliest Historical Society in this country, we believe, is the American Philosophical Society, of Philadelphia, organized in 1743. If any reader knows of an earlier historical organization we shall be obliged for the information. In fact, we would like a complete list of all the historical societies in the country. Who can furnish it?

PIONEER SOCIETIES.

The editors of this Magazine will be very thankful for such news relating to Pioneer and Historical Societies as will be of interest to the general reader. These organizations are doing an important work, and deserve great commendation. We make brief mention of the proceedings of a few societies, of whose annual meeting we have had information.

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THE ASHTABULA COUNTY PIONEER ASSOCIATION held its last annual reunion August 28, at Jefferson, O., and was well attended. An interesting address was delivered by Judge Darius Cadwell of Cleveland, O. The next regular reunion will be held at Jefferson, July 4, 1885. The following gentlemen are the officers of the society: A. Udell, President; J. A. Howells, Secretary; N. E. French, Treasurer.

THE WESTERN RESERVE PIONEER ASSOCIATION—On the same day, the 28th of August, the members of the W. R. Pioneer Association held their annual meeting in Burgess Grove, near North Solon, in sight of the log cabin in which James A. Garfield was born. The association has reached its fifteenth year, and its membership includes residents of Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lorain, Summit, Portage, Lake and Ashtabula counties. Gen. A. C. Voris of Akron, delivered the annual address, while interesting speeches were also made by Judge Tilden and R. C. Parsons of Cleveland. The officers are: W. H. Curtiss, President; Samuel Patrick, Secretary, and J. M. Burgess, Treasurer.

THE GEAUGA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY held its annual gathering August 23, in Newberry township, in a delightful grove near the shore of what has recently been christened Emerald Lake. The membership of this society is very large. Hon. Lester Taylor, a venerable and worthy man, is its presiding officer; James M. Bullock, Vice-President; W. R. Munn, Secretary; Donald Johnson, Chairman of the Executive Committee. Hon. Geo. H. Ford was the orator of the day, and delivered an exceedingly able address, and was followed by W. L. Utley of Wisconsin and Hon. A. G. Riddle, of Washington, D. C., who spoke in a delightfully entertaining manner. The number of people who attended this interesting reunion was estimated at two or three thousand. The people of Geauga County attested their interest in local history by the publication, in 1881, of a very full and thorough history of their county.

THE MAHONING VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY held its eleventh annual session at Youngstown, September 17. John M. Edwards, its venerable presiding officer, delivered an interesting address, in which he urged the members to contribute such information respecting the history of the Western Reserve and its early pioneers, as they were able to furnish, which information it is intended to preserve, with a view to collation and publication. After making brief biographical mention of such pioneers as had passed away since the last meeting of the Society, Mr. Edwards spoke as follows:

I will now speak briefly of another matter suggested by what has just
been said. After the death of Benjamin Stevens, of Warren, at the age
of 96 years, a question was raised as to who was the oldest person
residing there or in that or neighboring counties. Daniel Warner, of
Mesopotamia, was reported as saying that he thought himself the oldest
man in the county, being 92 years old. There were also reported in the
newspapers the names of Mrs. Lucy Adams, of Warren, aged 90; John
Langley, of Vernon, aged 93; Hezekiah Howe, of Bloomfield, aged 98,
all old residents of the Reserve. Mr. Howe has resided in Bloomfield
from an early period. His daughter, Mrs. Baker, is said to have been
the third child born in the township. He is probably the oldest
citizen and pioneer of that county.

But Mahoning County has among its citizens the oldest man in this part
of the Reserve, and perhaps in the State. Charles Birch, of
Lowellville, in Poland township, was born in Staffordshire, England,
January 4, 1778 or 1779, being at this time 105 or 106 years old. He
is not positive as to his age within a year, but thinks he was 106
years old in January last. He was a soldier in the British army—was at
the burning of Moscow, fought under Wellington at Waterloo, receiving
two wounds in that battle, and draws a pension from the English
Government. He came to the United Slates in 1851, and is residing with
a daughter. His memory of events in which he was a participator is
still good. Two other questions of interest, and of like import, are
frequently asked:

First—Who is the oldest living pioneer on the Reserve?

Second—Who is the oldest living native born citizen of the Reserve?

We have heard several names as the probable persons, given in response
to each question, but the precise dates necessary to solve the
question are wanting. We request our friends, who can do so, to
furnish us names, dates, place of present residence, etc., sufficient
to enable us to satisfactorily answer the questions.

At our last reunion, after discussion, it was resolved unanimously to
continue the reunions annually. Our citizens have accordingly made
preparations for your reception and enjoyment. We are pleased to see
so many of you here to-day, and we extend to all a hearty welcome.

THE FIRELANDS’ HISTORICAL SOCIETY.—This society, which was organized in 1857, held an interesting meeting at Peru, Huron County, October 8, and was addressed by Rev. J. N. Lewis, P. N. Schuyler, Dr. J. C. Sanders, and Rev. T. F. Hildreth. Dr. Sanders, of Cleveland, the orator of the day had for his subject “The Pioneer Physician,” and spoke in a very able and interesting manner. P. N. Schuyler, of Bellevue, O., than whom no other person has been more deeply interested in the welfare of the society, or has done more for its well-being, made an earnest appeal to the members to sustain the society’s publication, The Firelands Pioneer. There were thirteen persons at the meeting who had settled on the Firelands before the year 1820, and sixty who have been residents for forty-five years or more. There were seventeen persons present over seventy-five years old; six over eighty, and one over eighty-six. Captain C. Woodruff is the presiding officer of the society, and H. Stewart, Secretary. The Secretary being absent, C. E. Newman, Esq., of Norwalk, Ohio, an active member and earnest worker, performed the duties of that officer.

THE LICKING COUNTY PIONEER, HISTORICAL AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY, Newark, Ohio, Isaac Smucker, President, C. B. Griffin, Secretary, has a total membership of 377, of which 125 are pioneer resident members; 78 antiquarian members, the rest being associate, corresponding and honorary members.

HISTORICAL NEWS.

G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS will soon publish ‘Life and Times of Augustus Adolph,’ by John L. Stephens; ‘The Works of Alexander Hamilton,’ including his contributions to the _Federalist_, by Henry Cabot Lodge; and a translation of the Marquis de Nadaillac’s work on ‘Prehistoric America.’

* * * * *

JAMES R. OSGOOD & CO. will have ready in November, ‘Nathaniel Hawthorne and his wife,’ by Julian Hawthorne, a book that will prove acceptable to many readers.

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HARPER & BROTHERS announce ‘Indian History for Young Folks,’ by Francis S. Drake, and ‘History of the Four Georges.’

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THE APPLETONS have ready the fifth volume of the newly revised edition of Bancroft’s ‘History of the United States’; the second volume of Mr. McMaster’s History of the People of the United States,’ and the ‘First Essays and Speeches of Jeremiah S. Black,’ edited by C. F. Black.

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MR. WILLIAM O. STODDARD AND COL. JOHN HAY have each prepared ‘A Life of Abraham Lincoln.’ Each of these gentlemen was President Lincoln’s secretary during the civil war and had exceptionally good opportunities for studying his life and character. Mr. Stoddard’s biography has just been given to the public from the press of Fords, Howard & Hulbert, and is an octavo book of 508 pages, with illustrations. The story of Mr. Lincoln’s life, though often told, is always new and interesting, and in the hands of Mr. Stoddard is so entertaining, so rich in anecdote and incident, and sparkles with so much humor, that it is invested with a greater charm than ever; while the book contains so much information that is of permanent value to the student of history that it cannot fail to receive an unusually cordial welcome.

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LEOPOLD VON RANKE, the eminent historian, is the author, and G. W. Prothero, the English editor and translator, of an important work on ‘Universal History,’ the first volume of which has just been published by Harper and Brothers. We quote from _Harpers’ Magazine_ as follows:

The entire work, when completed, will be a universal history of the
world from the earliest historic period until our own day. Of this
great undertaking he has completed four volumes, covering the earlier
periods, and the volume now published relates to the oldest historical
group of nations—the Egyptians, the Hebrews, the Assyrian and other
Asiatic nations—and the Greeks. Every page is instinct with broad and
philosophic generalization, and the statement of unexpected but most
convincing facts and conclusions. Its style is perfect; the reader is
delighted by the charm of its steadily flowing narrative, while he is
instructed by its revelations of the origins and development of things
which have exerted, and continue to exert, a powerful influence upon
mankind, and have thus a universal interest and application. Those who
are curious may here find the record of the first development of small
independent communities into nations, of the first maritime expedition
and the first systematic war by land, of the first endowment of the
individual in society with those rights and immunities which are the
foundation of all civil order, of the first tragic person in history,
of the first establishment of the principles of hereditary monarchy
and democracy, of the first conquering power which we encounter in the
history of the world, of the first time that the power of money made
itself felt in the internal affairs of an important community, of the
first employment of mercenary troops, and a multiplicity of other
“first things” in history, whose analogues, parallels and counterparts
are traced by the great historian down through the centuries to our
own day. The volume before us brings the history down to the struggle
of Hellas and Carthage for the supremacy, and the rise of the new
power, Rome, that was destined to vanquish both.

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Footnote 1:

American Pioneer, volume one, 1842, contribution by Dr. S. P.
Hildreth.

Footnote 2:

A portion of the cleared ground was planted with peaches, and the
second or third year after, fine fruit was obtained from this orchard,
probably the first in Ohio. One variety has been quite largely
cultivated in Marietta and its vicinity, and named after its
originator “the Doughty peach.”

Footnote 3:

Ellen D. Larned, in the History of Windham County, Connecticut.

Footnote 4:

Arius Nye, in Transactions of the Ohio Historical and Philosophical
Society.

Footnote 5:

James R. Albach’s Annals of the West.

Footnote 6:

This village and Shawneetown, at the mouth of the Scioto, were the
only exceptions to the abandonment of the upper Ohio valley noted
above.

Footnote 7:

Gist, however, found, in 1750, the town on Whitewoman Creek, called
Muskingum, “inhabited by Wyandots” and containing about one hundred
families. This was undoubtedly an isolated government. As late as
1791, the Indian war being in progress, the different tribes were
massed in what is now the northwestern part of the State, and their
old abiding places, their favorite regions, were of course deserted.
Delawares, Shawnees, Miamis, Mingoes, Senecas, Chippewas, and others,
were upon the Maumee and its tributaries.

Footnote 8:

Some of the Delaware chiefs who visited Philadelphia during the
Revolution spoke figuratively of having “placed the Shawnees in their
laps.”

Footnote 9:

This information is derived from a communication in the Archaeological
American, written in 1819, by Colonel John Johnston, then Indian
agent, and located at Piqua, Ohio.

Footnote 10:

It was from the fact of these that the Indian village and the present
town of Piqua, Miami County, derived their names. The name Pickaway,
which has been given to one of the older counties of Ohio, but which
was originally applied to the “plains” within its limits, is a
corruption of Piqua.

Footnote 11:

William Henry Harrison and other eminent authorities pay the highest
tribute to the valor of the Wyandot warriors, and give abundant proofs
of their assertions.

Footnote 12:

The writer is indebted to ‘The Arthur St. Clair Papers’ for this
information as well as for many other facts given in this article.

Footnote 13:

From William F. Poole’s article in the _North American Review_ for
April, 1876.

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. Typos fixed; non-standard spelling and dialect retained. 2. Used numbers for footnotes, placing them all at the end of the last chapter. 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. 4. Enclosed bold font in =equals=.