Jan. 1776: At "Little Village" / Peace still possible?

Letter 28th   To my Mother*   Little Village   January — 1776

My Dearest Mother

 

It was, you will not doubt, a very considerable disappointment to me, to find, upon my arrival here, both yourself, and my sister — absent — I am, however, pleased you could command health sufficient for the little excursion, which I hope will be attended with much pleasure.  

 

My Father advises us, by all means, to take the house belonging to Mr G–  — we have been to look at it, and if Mr W– will relinquish a promise, which he hath obtained of one of the apartments, we shall place our furniture there as we are under an absolute necessity of removing it — Mr G– engages to render his house tenantable and we rather conclude to deposit our goods there, indifferent as the place appears, as we indulge a hope that we shall not be under the necessity of yielding our present residence —

 

An opinion has now become generally prevalent, that it is far from the design of the british to spread unnecessary devastation, that still regarding American Property as their own, they can have no inducement to lay our Sea Ports in Ashes — 

By tarrying in Town, I can be of more consequence to my Father, his business will often carry him thither and he has it in contemplation to shut up the mansion, from which you have flown, and to reside with us during those intervals which he is necessitated to be absent from this Village —

 

Alas!  my Dear Mother what days of sorrow have arisen upon us — Gloomy is the morning of my Life, and I am ready to wish the warrant for my release, had already past the great seal of heaven —

*Judith Saunders Sargent, Judith's mother

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Notes:

"Little Village" is JSM's name for Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, later, Essex. 

“Father” is Winthrop Sargent (1727–93). His “business” was serving on Gloucester’s Committee of Safety and later, by 1776, as the Massachusetts government's agent in Gloucester during the war.

 “Our Sea Port” refers to Gloucester.

July 1776: Hosting British officers captured by privateer Yankee Hero

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. 

July 4, 1790 in Philadelphia

Letter 768  To my Father and Mother*  Philadelphia  Arch Street  July 10 1790 — Saturday

 ...On Monday every restraint being taken off, the ebullations of hilarity obtained their utmost latitude — 

The bells were clamorous, the colors displayed, and the Cannon discharged — The military of every description was concluded by a display of fire works from the State House, and a superb illumination of Schuylkill gardens — 

The Proprietor of that Elysium, had advertised a variety of additional exhibitions, such as an artificial Island, a [Tavern] house, garden etc  to be represented in the evening, upon the River, splendidly illuminated — a number of heathen Deities rendered luminous, and distinguished by their insignia — Bridge dressed in shrubbery, and appropriate Colours for every state in the Union — The Arms of America and France entwined by Liberty — a rich display of Fire works, exhibited from the Lawn, in front of the Federal temple — 

Thirteen Boys, and an equal number of Girls, issuing from the Grove, habited as shepherds, and shepherdesses, and proceeding to the Federal Temple, chanting responsively, an Ode to Liberty, with a number of songs, Odes, and Choruses, in honour of the auspicious event, which the day commemorated.  

An advertisement of this kind, originated the highest expectations — It produced in the gardens a vast concourse of people, upwards of six thousand persons, Candidates for the pleasure of the scene — In an assembly so multifarious, characters of every description, you will not doubt, were collected — Urged by curiosity, my husband, supposing it would be unpleasant crossing the floating Bridge, took me in his Carriage to the middle of the ferry — never did I behold a scene more truly enchanting than Nature then presented, upon the Banks of the Schuylkill — 

The river was divinely serene, and the margin was ornamented by romantic, and beautifully variegated imagery — But crossing the stream we approached the scene of riot — Never did my Fancy in its most tumultuous, and capricious combinations, sketch a view so replete with wild disorder, and confused uproar — With much difficulty we obtained tickets of admission, and when we reached the grounds, the unlicensed Mirth, the prevalent anarchy, boisterous manifestations of unbridled joy, and rude elbowing of the promiscuous throng, was really distressing — 

In vain, in the midst of those sweetly rural, and enchanting recesses, where we had recently enjoyed so much, we sought the honeysuckle arbour, or embowering shade — upon every seat, and in every embosomed haunt, noisy frolick, with rude unmannered stare had taken its stand, and it was well if the thronged croud allowed us to keep our feet — All ranks of people were grouped together — 

The Orchestra, that beautiful seat of harmony, was taken by the Mob, and from the correct mind, every idea of enjoyment was of necessity banished — so great was the croud that to obtain the smallest refreshment, was out of the question, and our only remaining wish, was to gain a passage out of the gardens — To effect this was, however, impossible [—] 

Thick and lawless ranks lined the gates — all our addresses, and perseverance, proved abortive and I was nearly sinking upon the spot, when a friend taking compassion upon our sufferings, led us through a flight of rooms, into a subteraneous passage through which, winding our way, we once more found ourselves safely conducted into a spacious street — when instantly mounting our Carriage, and crossing the floating bridge at the risk of our lives, from the pressing horses, chaises, Coaches, and throngs of people, we very cheerfully left behind us illuminations, fire works, heathen Gods, and Goddesses etc etc most sincerely felicitating ourselves, upon our happy escape — 

By the depredations of the Mob, we are told the Paradise recently so beautiful, is greatly injured but time I hope will restore it to accustomed Order and neatness...

*To Winthrop Sargent and Judith Saunders Sargent, her parents

1775: "In the midst of warlike preparations"

Stage Fort Park

Letter 23    To my Mother*    Gloucester    November 11 1775 

My heart was greatly set upon seeing you this day — but it must not be, the roads are so heavy, the weather so precarious, and my health so indifferent. 

My situation is truly unpleasant — in the midst of warlike preparations — Soldiers flocking in from the adjacent Towns — frequent alarms, drums beating, bells ringing, and not a single female associate, to whom I can resort for consolation — To the mind attached to show, military parade may be pleasing, although, even amid its most potent fascination — if the gentler vision pervade the soul — martial appearances in time of war, must be attended with melancholy presagement, and surely, Peace is the kindly soil, from which the social virtues must derive their fairest growth. 

In these days of apprehension, I am happy that my Mother and Sister, with their Fitz William, have obtained a sequestered spot. Thither, in imagination I shall often follow them, for my sincere affections are ever Theirs. 

*Judith Sargent Stevens to Judith Saunders Sargent

Notes:

• JSM's mother is Judith Saunders Sargent of Gloucester (1731-93); she married JSM's father, Winthrop Sargent, in 1750 in Gloucester.

• JSM's sister is Esther Sargent Ellery (1755-1811); she was married to John Stevens Ellery (1748-97).

• Fitz William is JSM's youngest brother, Fitz William Sargent (1768-1822).

• the "sequestered spot" they obtained was in the Chebacco Parish of Ipswich, Mass., away from the coast and British war ships.

• In total, JSM had seven siblings; only three survived to adulthood. JSM was the first born. Of the three surviving siblings, their birth order was: Winthrop Jr. (1753-1820), Esther, and Fitz William. Winthrop Sargent Jr.'s papers are housed at the Mass. Historical Society.