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| Yankee Hero |
Letter 49 To Mr Murray Gloucester July 15 — 1776
Once more, dear Sir, I resume my domestic employments — My circumstantial journal may possibly reach you — but lest it should not, it may be well to give you a brief account of particulars — I had the small pox rather severely — Inoculation hath not enabled me, as an individual, to speak lightly of this malady — My kind friends left nothing, in their power, unessayed, which they conceived might mitigate my sufferings.
My Aunt is decidedly an amiable Woman, the character of my Uncle rises upon me, he is generous, hospitable, and unaffectedly sincere — May fortune still smile upon him, and may he never lack the means of relieving the indigent, and the stranger —
I have had the small pox very full, the disfiguring marks of which still remain [—] I do not wonder that persons possessing beauty, are shocked at the approach of this Despoiler — What devastation had it made where the lily and the rose enchantingly presided — and, after all the elaborate harangues of philosophy, there is, it cannot be denied, something delightfully pleasing in a fine face, and, I am free to own, that were beautiful features, and a graceful person mine, I should have regarded their loss, as a truly melancholy deprivation, nor can I allow it to be a reprehensible trait in the character of a beauty, which induces a becoming sense of her privilege — She receives her personal advantages, with every other gift from a most beneficent hand, and should not gratitude triumph in her bosom —
But leaving beauty to the quiet possession of its fair Proprietors, let me proceed in my narration —
after depositing my journal in the post office, directed to New London, early on Monday morning, I left Boston, accompanied by my lively Cousin, Miss Harriot** — The laughter loving Girl, was in full possession of her accustomed flow of spirits, and, if I were not cheerful, I could not impute to want of effort in my friend.
We reached Salem about noon — at the door of the public house my ever honoured, and very dear Father, presented me his hand — Words cannot express how grateful the rapturous sensations by which I was then nearly overwhelmed. Tears of joy streamed from my eyes while the revered Parent pressed me to his bosom. With silent transport he seemed to bless my returning steps, and as he viewed my face, yet red with the disorder from which I had recently recovered, the big tear started in his manly eye, and he precipitately quitted the apartment —
We were now under the most secure, and natural protection, and thus delightfully escorted, came on to Manchester where we had the happiness of meeting my husband, who informed us that he had a large company at his house — Mr and Mrs Ross, with Miss Ross, their daughter, a Mr Morgan with three small children, and two black servants: These were all passengers on board the ship lately captured, and brought into Gloucester*** —
Upon my entering our Mansion — the gentlemen and Ladies were severally introduced — My Aunt E. S. ever obliging, had condescended to visit our dwelling, for the purpose of hailing my return, she embraced me with a degree of ardour, becoming the friendship with which she has ever honoured me — My sister too, was here, and the dear Girl, throwing her arms about my neck, testified her satisfaction by expressive silence — Taking each of the strangers by the hand, I bade them most cordially welcome —
Poor unfortunates, they embarked on board a ship at Jamaica, with an intention of fixing their future residence in England — They were met by Captain Johnson, wholly unprepared for an engagement, and became, of course, an easy prey — How unhappy that National disputes thus involve the unoffending — Surely it might be rendered mutually advantageous, to allow the sons of commerce to pass, at all times unmolested — to extend to all unarmed vessels, the protection, which the potent arm of authority, is so decidedly able to yield — The injuries of war would thus become less extensive, and, I should imagine, political questions might be altogether as warmly contested.
The sufferers under my roof, seemed to bear their misfortunes with true greatness of mind — They expressed some anxiety at the inconvenience their abode here might create — but I endeavoured to soothe them by an assurance that we should take pleasure in any little attentions we could pay them — I entreated they would consider themselves at home, and dismiss, as far as possible, the idea of an Enemy’s Land, Captivity, &c &c
But I had not yet seen my Mother, and upon the wings of affection I hastened to her maternal arms — The dear Lady had conceived such apprehension from the small pox, that she received me as one from the dead — With hands uplifted, and in broken accents her words interrupted by tears of rapture, she exclaimed — Oh! my Child, my beloved Child — Welcome, welcome to the bosom of your Mother. May God in heaven be praised, that I once more behold you — she pressed me repeatedly to her heart, nor did sorrow appear in her fine face, untill the Laws of hospitality obliged me to return to the society I had quitted.
Thus have I condensed particulars, in which your benevolence induces you to claim an interest, and, I have only to add, my best wishes for the success of your truly divine Mission —
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*Judith Sargent Stevens to John Murray
***Harriot Saunders (1757–?), the daughter of Judith's uncle Thomas Saunders5 and his wife Lucy Smith Saunders; Harriot's childhood home is now part of the Sawyer Free Library, on Middle Street.
***William Ross and Nathaniel Morgan were passengers on the ship Zachariah Bayley, captured on July 11, 1776 off the coast of Cape Ann by the sloop privateer Yankee Hero. One of the owners or bonders of the Yankee was Paul Dudley Sargent, Judith’s uncle.
