Some of his descendants are still enjoying the Charles Scott, of Virginia. As to the date fruits of his judicious decision. Thompson of Hand's commission, consult Almon, vol. said "Richard was too timid to be a bold xvi., pp. 126, 127; Spark's Washington, and enterprising merchant," and was quite vol. iv., p. 373; Reed's Life, vol. i., p. 296; willing to be "left alone in his glory" to the Lossing, F. B. Rev., vol. ii., p. 34, note. enjoyment of the products of his own sagacity, instead of dividing with a partner. He soon dashed out in the Canton trade and accumulated a fortune of $800,000. But alas! for the uncertainties of speculation. He had the ambition to be a richer man than Stephen Girard, and to make more money in a few years than he had been long years in piling up. But he had not the head for these large operations and failed. He was largely indebted to the Government for duties on goods, which he managed to get out of the custom-house, was sued and placed in prison for the debt. He was after some time released, I believe, by President Jackson, and lived in retirement. One of his sons is now U. S. senator from New Jersey.

GENERAL HAND'S ELECTION AS BRIGADIER IN THE ARMY OF THE REVOLUTION (vol. v., p. 344). In a communication to the Historical Magazine, my friend "J. P. J.," says: "It is a fact very little known, that Roberdeau and Hand were elected brigadier-generals of the Pennsylvania troops by a military convention, held at Lancaster, in that State, for that purpose, on the 4th day of July, 1776."

J. P. J., in relying on his recollection of the contents of papers, which he had seen over seventeen years ago, errs, at least, as far as regards Hand, in making him a brigadier-general by the election of the Lancaster convention, on the 4th of July, 1776. Hand was colonel at the battles of Long Island, Trenton, and Princeton, and was commissioned by Congress as brigadiergeneral, April 1, 1777, the same day as Col.

Pennsylvania did her part nobly in the war of the Revolution; but to what she really did, history has been very unjust. No ofticers in the American army surpassed those which she furnished, in personal worth, bravery, efficiency, or fidelity to the national cause. It is only necessary to mention Wayne, Irvine, Thompson, Butler, Moylan, Stewart, Armstrong, Johnston, Hand, St. Clair, Roberdeau, Cadwallader, and other glorious names, to prove this. The history of the Keystone State remains to be written. It has been hitherto sadly neglected, or wilfully distorted. When an honest historian shall have given due credit to Pennsylvania for all that her sons achieved, in council and in arms, during the Revolutionary War, it will clearly appear that our sister State did enter most heartily into the struggle for independence, and was foremost in her zeal, energy, and patriotism.

November 12, 1861.

M. HENNESSY.

Notes on Books.

The Comprehensive History of the Southern Rebellion and the War for the Union. Embodying also important State papers, Congressional Proceedings, Official Reports, Remarkable Speeches, &c., &c. By Orville J. Victor. New York: J. D. Torrey, 1862. 8vo, 512 pp.

THIS history closes its first volume with the end of the administration of James Buchanan. It condenses the political and social history of that period with considerable ability, and skilfully details the proceedings in the last Congress where the North and South ever met. Mr. Victor has succeeded as well as any one at this moment could well do, for the minds of all are at present too much excited perhaps to enable any one to

Miscellany.

CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOWN OF BERNARDSTON, MASS.-The territory now contained in the towns of Bernardston, Leyden, and a part of Coleraine, was granted by the Legislature of the Province of Massachusetts, in the year 1735, to those, and the descendants of those, who were in the battle of Turner's Falls, on Connecticut River, between the Indians and the English settlers, on May 18, 1676. This grant was for about twenty-five years called the "Falls

THEIR SUCCESSORS

ESTABLISHED IT IN 1812.

We are now struggling for its
PERPETUATION IN 1861.

Fight Township," or "Fall Town;" and "The Union must and shall be Preserved.”

was incorporated as a town, by the name of Bernardston, in 1762.

The inhabitants in a town meeting on the 5th of November accordingly resolved to celebrate the centennial anniversary this year.

EAST SIDE.

A Grateful Tribute

BY THE

HATBOROUGH MONUMENT ASSOCIATION.
CHARTERED AND ERECTED,
A. D. 1861.

NORTH SIDE.

INAUGURATION of the Crooked BILLET MONUMENT, HATBOROUGH, MONTGOMERY Co., PA.-On Thursday, Dec. 5, was inaugurated the monument in commemoration of those who were cruelly massacred by the British troops and Tories of the Revolution, And others who were cruelly slain on this ground, in the

and who fell at the battle of the Crooked Billet, May 1, 1778. The inaugural ceremonies were conducted at the base of the monument in the forenoon.

IN MEMORY OF PATRIOTIC

JOHN DOWNEY,

struggle for

AMERICAN LIBERTY.

After the urn was raised and a prayer said, the venerable Dr. William Darlington, The monument is beautiful, large, and of West Chester, a son-in-law of Gen. Lacey, imposing, and stands upon a high bank over- being present and called upon, addressed looking the road. It consists of a plinth the audience briefly, thanking the people of five feet square and one foot thick, and a the neighborhood for the patriotism they double base, all of Montgomery county mar- had shown by the erection of a beautiful ble; upon this rests a die, enriched with a monument, and that it was chiefly owing to projecting moulding, on which is the Latin the energy of the gallant Colonel W. W. motto, "Defensores Libertatis per Insidias H. Davis, of the 104th Ringgold Regiment, Abrupti" on the square below is engraven Pennsylvania Volunteers, and his friends, the inscription; above this is another die, that this enterprise, which they had been bearing the coat of arms of the "Old Key-called together to-day to consummate, had stone State;" rising from this second die is been commenced. a well-proportioned shaft or obelisk, nine Addresses were delivered by Gen. John feet high, on which is sculptured cross- Davis, Col. David Marple, Rev. Messrs. swords and a shield in bold relief; upon the Toland, Hand, and others. obelisk is a neat capital, and the whole is surmounted with an urn, from which issues HISTORY OF BARNSTABLE.-A history of a flame. It stands some twenty-four feet this town, by Amos Otis, Esq., is now in high, and is of the finest Italian marble from course of publication in the Patriot, and is the base up. The monument will be sur-attracting much attention, especially from rounded by a wall and an iron railing. natives of the Cape residing abroad.

Revolution, having recorded events as they transpired, I must yield the palm to George Bancroft for elaborating a history that the eye of posterity will regard as first, with all

OUR FIRST HISTORIAN OF THE AMER- its errors, for pure excellence, indeed far

ICAN REVOLUTION.

BY JAMES 8. LORING,

A paper read before the New England Historic-Genealogical Society, May 2, 1860.

after

above every one of its predecessors,-I estimate him as our western Macaulay, before long to crown the apex of his own fame. There is no Carlylesqueness of thought or My object is to elaborate on our first his- style in Bancroft, but all is limpid and flowtorian of the American Revolution, his char- ing as with Macaulay; his grand tribute to acter, and that of his work. It is a familiar William Penn, the Quaker governor, is a remark of Shakspeare, that "the web of timely rebuke to the unjust censures of the our life is of a mingled yarn, good and bad prejudiced Macaulay. Yet for simple, comtogether." William Gordon, the subject of prehensive, and unvarnished statements of this article, is a striking example of the facts and dates, Ramsay and Hildreth are danger of neglecting the advice of Paul to eminently useful. "Who does not read Timothy, that "he devote himself entirely an American book?" resounds in all the to the duties of the sacred office;" so that literary world. Is not Worcester's royal he was not induced, like Demosthenes, to quarto dictionary, with its hundred thoustand on tiptoe to hear street ballad-singers sand words, twenty thousand of which are Warble his praises, or like Cicero, to pant new, and thousands of synonyms, besides applause from the capitol. How rare relative words, an avowed standard of the that a pastor is eminent whose practice in- English language, wherever spoken? terweaves either law, medicine, politics, or William Gordon was born at Hitchin, commerce, with divinity! "Transparent Hertfordshire, in the year 1730. He was as the soul of innocent youth," should be educated under the learned Dr. Marryatt, the career of every professional man that in London. He was for many years the Would be worthy the famous epitaph: "Here pastor of a flourishing Independent Congre lies the body of Deacon Auricular, who gational church at Ipswich, and married walked in the ways of God perpendicular" Elizabeth Field, who had two brothers in (hope our vigilant librarian, Mr. Trask, London,-one a bookseller, and the other an will transcribe other Dorchester inscriptions apothecary. Gordon removed from this before they are undecipherable); and when church, owing to dissatisfaction that a leadfurnished with a general knowledge ing member of the church should employ of the chief sciences, it is edifying for dis- his workmen on the business of the crown course, and beautiful in elucidation, but during the Sabbath. He next succeeded every divine should be patriotic. This is as Dr. David Jennings in the Old Gravel Lane evident as that my Lord Bacon, or rather church, at Wapping, where he might have St. Albans, is indebted for his Novum Orga- continued in perpetual favor; but his partito the Novum Testamentum. While ality to the cause of American independence Gordon is our first historian of the American induced him, in 1770, to emigrate to this

one is

пит

country. According to the parish records, ly punishing several of them, on attempting Dr. Gordon was installed as "pasture" of to leave the school threshold, which was an the Third Congregational Church, on Ja- inclined plane covered with ice, his feet maica Plain, Roxbury, in the vicinity of slipped forward and he fell at full length, Boston. Pasture was a very natural term with his hat and wig rolling off his head, on for the pastor of a flock in pastoral life. which the urchins gave a hearty shout, and, This occurred after a unanimous invitation, remarks Captain Curtis, "We gave three June 5, 1772. Our divine here occupied cheers." This was the last time that Parthe pulpit for nearly one year previous, son Gordon ever assumed the care of them when he preached his own installation ser- in that capacity. Our divine, at another mon. No doubt his early ministrations time, sat down upon a log of wood, for the were as verdant pasture beside quiet streams, purpose of taking refreshments with the to the sheep and lambs of the plain. It was committee of the town, who were deciding said of him, however, that he was a man of on the parish boundaries, when Dr. Gordon elevated moral sense, but often offended by removed his three-cornered hat to wipe away his rude and blunt manner. How evident the perspiration from his forehead. One of was it that he could not say, as did Napo- the party, Ebenezer Wells, being of highly leon, "I know men." waggish propensities, remarked: "Dr. Gordon, you had better put on your hat, for calf's head is not good cold." On which the doctor smiling, replied, "Mr. Wells, you are a rowgue." His peculiar Scottish accent induced the belief in his parish that he originated from that country, and even Dr. Gray writes of him as a Scotchman. The privations of our fathers in the Revolution for the ordinary comforts of life, were often beyond conception. When Dr. Gordon married David White to a young lady in his parish, the bridegroom being desirous to furnish a good repast at the wedding, purchased of a soldier in the encampment on the Plain, a loaf of very choice baked wheat bread, as a substitute for the usual cake; which the parson considered so good that he took a large portion of it for the benefit of his wife at home.

The Jamaica Plain church, erected in 1770, was established on land bequeathed to the town of Roxbury by the ever-honored John Eliot, the Indian apostle, and owes its origin to the advice of Madam Susanna, the generous lady of Benjamin Pemberton, who bore the almost entire expense of its erection. She was a daughter of Peter Faneuil, the noble donor of the "Cradle of Liberty," in 1740, to the town of Boston, and who erected also the mansion of Dr. John, the brother of General Joseph Warren in Austin-street, on the Plain.

While Dr. Gordon had a large share of firmness in action, he was greatly deficient in gentleness of manner. Though our divine was not a Lawson Lyon in the use of the tingling ferule, yet he excelled at the catechetical recitations in tingling the ears of the children, when they failed to rightly answer the questions. We have this on the authority of Dr. Luther Metcalf Harris, the most aged physician on the Plain, who states that the village abounds in traditionary tales of the historian.

About the year 1773, Gordon published the plan of a society for the purpose of making provision for widows, by annuities for the remainder of life. In Roxbury he took an active part in political operations during the war with Great Britain, and in 1775 I will relate a few incidents. Another was elected chaplain to the Provincial Convenerable resident of the Plain, Captain Jo- gress, at Watertown. While in that station seph Curtis, then twelve years of age, whose Congress voted him a good horse for the home was a barrack for provincial soldiers service, and their confidence in him was unwith glittering arms, in the period of the bounded. They voted him free access to contest, states that the doctor had also a all prisoners of war, especially those at Conready hand in applying the smarting birch cord and Lexington. Congress learning to the young catechists, of whom he was that a copy of Governor Hutchinson's traione; and in a severe winter's day, after free-torous letters was in the hands of Capt.