#Jeremiah Wadsworth

[john-laurens]

"I am in great want of a pair of strong & likely carriage horses, that are not more than 6 years old, nor under 15 hands high_ they should be well broke, & accustomed to no gate but a trot_ I would take them of any colour, but prefer a bright bay." - Francis Kinloch to Jeremiah Wadsworth, in a letter dated September 25, 1792 (source)

Kinloch taking sides in the bay gelding vs. chestnut mare debate

[pinksopaque]

welcome to pinksopaque : a semi selective , low activity multimuse blog written by yours truly , featuring canon & original characters ( mostly from horror ) as well as other media ! please read the rules before interacting ! all muses will be under the cut .

memes . plots . open starters .

THE MUSES .

billy loomis , played by brigette lundy paine . ( they / them pronouns ) . serial killer . 27 , pansexual .

joe goldberg , played by penn badgley . serial killer , former husband , former bookkeeper , obsessive stalker . early 30s , pansexual .

love quinn goldberg , played by emilija baranac . joe goldberg's equally obsessive wife , killer . 26 , pansexual .

gaby , played by addison rae . victim of john carver , college student . 23 , pansexual .

sidney prescott , played by simone ashley . former author , high school teacher , survivor of the woodsboro slasher . 28 , pansexual .

the man in the mask , played by glen powell . serial killer , stalker . 32 , pansexual .

eric newlon , played by oscar isaac . sheriff of plymouth , serial killer . 43 , bicurious .

demetria holland , played by brigette lundy paine . ( they / them pronouns ) . graduated law student , interning at a law firm . 27 , pansexual .

mindy meeks martin , played by jasmin savoy brown . college student at blackmore university , 1 / 3 of the ghostface killers . 20 - 21 , lesbian .

harry osborn , played by brigette lundy paine . ( they / them pronouns ) . spoiled brat from norman osborn's blood , owner of oscorp industries , former best friend of peter parker . 29 , pansexual .

astrid bishop , played by brigette lundy paine . ( they / them pronouns ) . archaeology major . 27 , pansexual .

callisto holmes , played by brigette lundy paine . ( they / them pronouns ) . scavenger , amateur pilot of the resistance . 29 , pansexual .

hange zoe , animated . ( they / them pronouns ) . 14th commander of the survey corps , titan extraordinaire . 31 , heterosexual .

mei mei , animated . jujustu sorcerer . 33 , bisexual .

billie callahan , played by brigette lundy paine . ( they / them pronouns ) . assistant to roman roy at waystar royco . 28 , pansexual .

kenji tanaka , played by mackenyu arata . high school teacher / football coach . 28 , pansexual .

jeremiah adelman , played by milo manheim . college student majoring in film studies . 23 , pansexual .

leia marchetti , played by nell verlaque . college student graduate , content creator . 23 , pansexual .

tatum riley , played by bebe wood . survivor of the woodsboro slasher , college graduate . 22 , pansexual .

norman bates , played by benjamin wadsworth . owner of bates motel , killer . 24 , bisexual .

richie tozier , played by mekki keeper. 1 / 7 of the losers club , stand up comedian . 29 , homosexual .

himeno , animated . public safety devil hunter . mid 20's , bisexual .

nita d'alia , played by amrit kaur . hotel front desk clerk , bartender on the weekends . 29 , pansexual .

maggie akiyama , played by midori francis . former law intern , current caretaker of the elderly . 29 , pansexual .

analia varma , played by maitreyi ramakrishnan . biology major , grocery store clerk , online personality . 22 , pansexual .

maddy wilson , played by brigette lundy paine . former high school student , soul lost through the pink opaque . 23 - 29 , lesbian . ( they / she pronouns ) .

lorenzo alcaraz , played jordan gonzalez . college substitute teacher by day , bartender by night . 32 , pansexual .

[46ten]

Eliza Hamilton biography review

Tilar J. Mazzeo's Eliza Hamilton: The Extraordinary Life and Times of the Wife of Alexander Hamilton Let me preface this review by stating that I'm not the target audience for a book like this, but I’ll try to be fair. A major challenge in writing a biography of Elizabeth S. Hamilton is that the period of her life when the general public has the most interest - the years of her marriage to Alexander Hamilton - are those in which we largely only have contemporaneous sentimental accounts of her as a wife (letters from AH and P. Schuyler, brief mentions from McHenry and Stephen Van Rensselaer), daughter (letters from P. Schuyler), and sister (letters to/from Angelica S. Church and Margarita/Peggy S. Van Rensselaer, and letters between her siblings and father). But that's not all that EH - or any woman - was.  Based on the lack of information provided in this biography, Mazzeo's not terribly interested in the role of upperclass women in the late 18th century, the dynamics of marriage in that era, class distinctions between women, labor dynamics, childbearing and -rearing customs (she doesn't know about naming customs either), handicrafts, household management, women’s roles in education, the Republican Court, or any of a range of topics that would flesh out EH's world. Mazzeo doesn’t elaborate on the common conceit of the era that women had a political and social duty to the republic, including in helping to regulate the affairs of men through their “complementary” traits. She largely treats the social gatherings of women as arenas for gossip, titillation, and regular old social duty, not as opportunities for soft diplomacy, influence, and favor currying, which they most definitely also were. The women in this biography just sort of move across the stage of male dominance.* Since Mazzeo largely does not contextualize EH's 18th century life and seems to fall into the trap of, “the work of men is important; the work of women is only of side interest,” she's left repeating lots of gossip and conjecturing about romantic thoughts and feelings, as if these were largely all that women had to offer in the 18th century. Mazzeo clearly read letters that have not been included in the standard Hamilton narrative and found some things - mostly gossipy items - really interesting and was willing to go down the rabbit-hole on those, but was also comfortable relying on Hamilton biographies without going to primary sources on many subjects.  The Good Mazzeo does add some valuable context of the events in Albany especially.  She also adds Schuyler family voices to the narrative. I also liked how solidly she showed the interconnection of the Schuylers and AH with other wealthy and influential families. Although Mazzeo doesn't completely make the link, the tension of life near the frontier, wars, and the assassination attempts on her father's life may have played a role in EH's anxiety, such as it was, about being separated from her husband, esp. as he was also subject to threats of assassination at times. She could have more clearly made a counterargument to biographers' claims of EH's nervous anxiety by pointing out the terrors that EH really did face, but she does not do this. While for dubious reasons (based on how she sees EH as a character), Mazzeo raises issues around the Reynolds Pamphlet. It needs to be taken more seriously that Maria Reynolds denied - to at least two parties on the record - that an extramarital affair ever happened and volunteered a handwriting sample** to prove that the letters in AH's supposed possession were not written by her.  I appreciate that Mazzeo brought up that AH's explanation for his involvement with James Reynolds was not universally accepted at the time - Monroe had serious doubts, as did Callendar.  Unfortunately, some of Callendar's pamphlets detailing why he thought both were possible - AH was a sleaze who could have both had an affair with MR AND been engaged in shady financial dealings with her husband - are also lost to history.  I am also gleeful that I'm not the only person who has noticed that there is a similarity between EH's spelling style and MR's as re-printed. (I have also entertained the thought that EH forged those MR letters herself, or were AH forgeries copying parts of his wife's letters.)  I also appreciate that she points out that AH's claim of an affair with MR became widespread knowledge in the political sphere within a very short period of time. The Bad While Mazzeo adds to the record with facts from the Schuyler family letters, she relies heavily on Hamilton biographies, and not even the thorough, well-sourced ones, for others.  Based on the notes at the end of the book, she didn't bother to go to (or check for) primary sources for a lot of facts about AH. She states that Edward Stevens was "likely" AH's half-brother, which has largely been dismissed as a possibility. There are bizarre dating errors, wrong years, even wrong kids named - by my rough estimate, on average there are factual errors at least on every other page. Did Mazzeo not have a fact-checker - even someone decently acquainted with the facts around the persons she’s writing about? (She also contradicts herself on information she’s provided, so maybe she didn’t have a good proofreader either.) It's head-scratching that Mazzeo would do enough research to conjecture that "Polly" (from Tench Tilghman's May 1780 letter, recorded in his memoir) was Mary Tilghman, but not bother to read AH and GW letters to know more about EH's 1794 pregnancy.  Similarly, she gets it right that William S. Hamilton was born in NYC, but then thinks Eliza traveled to Albany right after. (Although a letter from PS to EH from late August contradicts that claim.)  She even repeats the shoe bow story, but claims it did happen in 1789 (incorrect), and says the person mistakenly thought Peggy was unmarried because of the way she behaved? Stephen Van Rensselaer was a reasonably well-known man. Back to the Reynolds Pamphlet: Mazzeo uses as evidence of AH's drafting of the MR letters the similarity between them and Pamela. It's not really evidence that someone - anyone - would write using common idioms and expressions of the time. AH did it quite frequently himself, as I've written about on this blog - he's doing it when he uses the popular phrase, "best of wives, best of women," not making some reference to the Nut-brown maid poem. This isn't proof that the MR letters were forged. Mazzeo hypothesizes that the real reason for the Pamphlet was further financial scandal cover-up, but never conjectures as to the wheres/hows. (If only she could see my many pages of notes on the interactions between AH, John Church, and Church's financial associates.) I'm also baffled as to Mazzeo's explanation for EH going along with the coverup of a financial scandal of the Reynolds Pamphet - because she was afraid of her husband going to jail? That this was EH's biggest fear? Where is the evidence for that? The Ugly The treatment of Peggy! Harsh and man hungry and scared of being a spinster - though a theme with Mazzeo is all of these women being obsessed with flirtations and afraid of ending up husband-less. The treatment of Angelica! The treatment of JOHN CHURCH, whom she describes as a "scoundrel." AH is a "rogue," seemingly with a drinking problem, visiting prostitutes (yet somehow having MR as a mistress would be too much), staying out late at night. It's a wonder that Mazzeo's AH ever accomplished anything in his life, with all of the 18th century character flaws and errors in judgement she gives him.  Most especially with sexual activities, she repeats gossip from AH detractors several times in the book, while her sources are John Adams (as much as two decades later) and Benjamin Latrobe (good friend to Jefferson).  Mazzeo repeats a story, more than once, about AH sexually assaulting Sarah L. Jay that Adams related decades later and that even Adams' cousin William Cunningham said sounded like nonsense, and guesses as to EH's parlor-room reaction to it.  Yet AH and Church would have had about zero social standing if this were really how they had behaved (or if these anecdotes had been widely known at the time). And then there's all of the fantasy treated as fact - without letters to draw on from the period of her childhood and marriage, Mazzeo spends a lot of time imagining EH's feelings and thoughts and presenting them as facts. As one illustration, Mazzeo invents a wedding scene in which Eliza and Alexander exchange rings. Nevermind that EH's actual wedding ring was interlocking and AH likely never had a ring - Mazzeo has AH give Eliza the "Elizabeth" ring, and her give him the "Alexander &" ring. Why would they exchange rings with their own names? Finally, there's a good deal of documentation of EH's life after AH, including more letters from her, more evidence of her financial management, and actually more about her beliefs, thoughts and feelings than are available during her marriage. This is the period when EH's "voice" is most clearly recorded, along with her actions outside the management of her household and her husband's public career. Yet this gets very short-shrift by Mazzeo. The Ugly left a strong impression - it doesn't seem that Mazzeo is neutral about the personages, but actively dislikes them. At various times, she slams pretty much everyone who made up EH's closest circle during her marriage: her parents, her sisters, her husband, her brother-in-law, and then goes against acceptance of the Reynolds Pamphlet not through analysis of the evidence but because she wants an EH that is more palatable to her.  EH, ultimately, comes across as a cypher. Mazzeo does have a strong narrative style, and I wish that this book could have been a collaboration between a historian (or at least someone with stronger scholarly skills) and herself, to at least tease out a real world.  I think we're a good 50 years past writing women from other eras as if they're completely unknowable except as wives, mothers, and daughters. *In patriarchal cultures, there are always women cooperating with the dominant culture as a means to their own ends. The compromises and nuances of how that plays out in societal rules are fascinating. But, I guess, not to Mazzeo.

**This really needs further comment in my epic John Church-AH shenanigans post, where Jeremiah Wadsworth gets more attention, but I’ll point out here that AH asked Wadsworth to confirm MR’s handwriting, from AH to Wadsworth, 28Jul1797 (in NYC, writing to Wadsworth in Hartford, CT): 

My Dear Wadsworth

I regretted much, that I did not find you here.

I know you have seen the late publications, in which the affair of Reynold’s is revived. I should have taken no notice of them had not the names of Mughlenberg Monroe & Venable given them an artificial importance. But I thought under this circumstance, I could not but attend to them. The affair has so turned that I am obliged to publish every thing.

But from the lapse of time I am somewhat embarrassed to prove Mrs. Reynold’s hand writing. Thinking it probable, as she was a great scribbler you must have received some notes from her when she applied to you for assistance, I send you one of her notes to me and if your recollection serves would be much obliged to you to return it with your affidavit annexed—“That you received letters from Mrs. Reynolds, conceived yourself to be acquainted with her hand writing & that you verily believe this letter to be of her hand writing.”

If your memory does not serve you then return the letter alone to me. If I remember right I never knew of your agency towards procuring Reynold’s relief, till after he was discharged. If your memory stands in the same way, I will thank you to add a declaration to this effect.

Dont neglect me nor lose time.

Yrs. truly

This was Wadsworth’s response (2Aug1796), truncated by me: 

your favor of the 28th July arrived late last evening. I have not the least knowledge of Mrs. Reynolds’s hand writing nor do I remember ever to have recd a line from her if I did they were destroyed but a letter or two for you which by Your request I returned to her or destroyed. ...[S]he immediately fell into a flood of Tears and told me a long storey about her application to You for Money when in distress in her husbands Absence & that it ended in a amour & was discovered by her husband from a letter she had written to you which fell into his hands. I told her I would see Mr. Woolcott & G Mifflin The next Morning I told Mr. Woolcott what had passed he then related the transaction for which Clingn & Reys had been committed. I then went to Mifflin and told him I came at ye request of Mrs. Reynolds. he imediately told me that she had told him the Story of the amour. ...A Mr. Clingman whom I had never seen before and seemed to have been sent for was present part of the time. From this interview I was fully confirmed in my Opinion before formed that the whole business was a combination among them to Swindle you. Mrs Reynolds called on me again and urged me deliver letters to You. You refused to receive them & desired me to return letters for You or destroy them I do not know which. I rec’d several Messages from her and again went to her house told her you would hold no correspondence with her and gave her my Opinion as at first that her husband must undergo a trial. I can not be particular as to time & date and I do not remember that I ever knew how he was liberated untill I lately saw Mr Woolcott. I certainly never considered myselfe as having any agency in procureing Reynolds’s relief nor do I remember ever to have had any conversation with You on the subject untill after your meeting with the Mess Munroe Melenburg & Venables. and had supposed Reynolds to have been ⟨released⟩ by their influence he was ⟨ashamed⟩ to have been so ⟨–⟩ after an Explanation with you. I am sorry you have found it necessary to publish any thing for it will be easy to invent new Calumnies & you may be kept continualy employed in answring. be Assured it never will be in the power of your enemies to give the public an opinion that you have Speculated in ye funds, nor do they expect it: I should have replied by this days Post—but the Mail arrives here at nine at night & goes out at Two in the Morning. I am D sir truly yours

[craigtowens]

Humbug?!

In Longfellow’s classic I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day every stanza ends with the phrase “peace on earth, goodwill to men.” Unless you’ve been living someplace that doesn’t get the daily news, you might be saying, “Peace on earth? Really? I just don’t see it….” Or as Ebenezer Scrooge might say, “Peace on earth? Bah! Humbug!” 

A humbug is an imposter, or something empty of meaning. 

The third…

[theamericanparlor]

George Washington~The Hottest Guy On The Dance Floor?~ I involuntarily but softly exclaimed. When he bowed to me, I could scarcely resist the impulse of my heart that almost burst through my bosom, to meet him.”

First-hand accounts say he was extremely good at it – and was always the center of attention. One anecdote has Washington performing a minuet before French officers who admitted that his dancing could not be improved by any Parisian instructor....

A contemporary in the 1750s described him as "measuring six feet two inches in his stockings and weighing 175 pounds. ... His frame is padded with well-developed muscles, indicating great strength." The admirer also praised Washington's "commanding countenance," as well as his "graceful" and "majestic" movements.

“The General danced every set, that all the ladies might have the pleasure of dancing with him, or as it has since been handsomely expressed, get a touch of him.”– James Tilton to Gunning Bedford Jr., Annapolis, Maryland, December 25, 1783.

“He (George Washington) attended the ball of the 22nd of February; opened it by dancing a minuet with some lady, and then danced cotillions and country dances; was very gallant, and always attached himself, by his attentions, to some one or more of the most beautiful and attractive ladies at the balls.” – Judge Francis T. Brooke (1784).

“His Excellency (George Washington) and Mrs. Greene (wife of Nathaniel Greene) danced upwards of three hours without once sitting down.”  – General Nathanael Greene to Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth, Middle Brook, New Jersey, March 19, 1779.

“We were not long seated when General Washington entered, and bowed to the ladies as he passed round the room. ‘He comes, he comes, the hero comes!’ I involuntarily but softly exclaimed. When he bowed to me, I could scarcely resist the impulse of my heart that almost burst through my bosom, to meet him.” – Miss Charlotte Chambers to her mother, Mrs. James Chambers Wednesday February 25, 1795.

Painting: The Victory Ball, 1781 by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris  https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/colonial-life-today/dancing/

[an-american-experiment]

We have the check stubs. From separate accounts.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

During the spring of 1791, there were rumors that Hamilton was not using his position in the Treasury wisely. He was attacked via newspaper of financial impropriety. The clue in to what was going on comes from the money being made by the people around Hamilton - particularly men in Eliza’s family. 

Most likely Philip Schuyler, John Church, Jeremiah Wadsworth (who worked with Church), William Duer, Gouverneur Morris, Robert Morris, William Bingham, Stephen Van Rensselaer (Peggy’s husband), and Philip Van Rensselaer were all involved in the scheme. The scheme was this: “playing the markets aggressively and trading in government securities and speculating on real estate development” (Mazzeo 157). Essentially, “the secretary of Treasury was making trades for a family member in a market he regulated” (Mazzeo 157). 

Sources: the following sources were used - the collected letters/writings of Alexander Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton the Revolution, Ron Chernow’s biography of Hamilton, The Intimate Life of Alexander Hamilton by Allan McLane Hamilton, Hamilton by Richard Syllia, and Charles Cerami’s book called Young Patriots. In addition, War of Two by John Sedgwick and Washington and Hamilton by Tony Williams were used throughout. Eliza Hamilton: The Extraordinary Life and Times of the Wife of Alexander Hamilton by Tilar J. Mazzeo was used too.

Follow us at @an-american-experiment where we are historically analyzing the lyrics of Hamilton with a new post every day!

[seried]

atticus - chris pratt fc, nolan’s husband. almost the polar opposite of his husband because he’s the “healer” type. surgeon, bandages up the guys 

franklin - sebastian stan fc, bounty hunter. gets distracted easily and takes up a different hobby every now and then. gets hooked on his targets

dimitri - oliver stark fc, bouncer, was made known of all the shady shit that was going on around him and he wanted in

vincent - jacob elordi fc. model. works for the drug cartel side of the business as one of the mules. sells through the parties and shows he has to attend 

jeremiah - benjamin wadsworth fc, nolan’s son. cop in training. takes after his father’s aggressive nature, but trying to use his job for connection

beckett - can yaman fc, lawyer. connected with the rhodes family even though he doesn’t do any of the illegal stuff, aside from keeping things under wraps 

leonardo - brandon larracuente fc. rival gang member. kind of eager to take part in the industry, works in the initiation process 

elias - gavin leatherwood fc, rival gang member. marlon’s counterpart on this side, the pretty one that is used as a distraction 

zander - brent rivera fc, rival gang member, kind of a wild card, no one expects him to be as aggressive and volatile as he is, risk taker

viper - álvaro rico OR dj cotrona fc (comment who you’d rather see), focuses a lot on making sure that all of the numbers add up for the real estate cover

[valerieullmerromanceauthor]

Blog Tour - Vacation Tails by Deanna Wadsworth

Blog Tour – Vacation Tails by Deanna Wadsworth

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Vacation Tails by Deanna Wadsworth Pride of the Caribbean, Book 2 When the full moon rises, your soul will become complete… Those are the words ominously whispered to Jeremiah Singleton his first day aboard the Pride of the Caribbean—an enchanted cruise ship where paranormals hide in plain sight. Jeremiah leads a quiet life running an aquarium store. Stepping out…

[bookstattoosandtea]

Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway: Vacation Tails by Deanna Wadsworth

Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway: Vacation Tails by Deanna Wadsworth

Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway: Vacation Tails By Deanna Wadsworth Pride of the Caribbean, Book 2 When the full moon rises, your soul will become complete… Those are the words ominously whispered to Jeremiah Singleton his first day aboard the Pride of the Caribbean—an enchanted cruise ship where paranormals hide in plain sight. Jeremiah leads a quiet life running an aquarium store.…

[westernconnecticut]

George Washington slept in many places, but where did George Washington's horses sleep?

George Washington slept in many places, but where did George Washington’s horses sleep?

George Washington’s horses slept in Wadsworth Stable in Hartford, the capital city of Connecticut! This stable was originally located in downtown Hartford, built by the Rev. Daniel Wadsworth on his estate in 1730. His son, Col. Jeremiah Wadsworth, served as Commissary General for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. On September 20, 1780, Wadsworth hosted the first meeting between…

[newingtonnow]

Jeremiah Wadsworth, “foremost in every enterprise”

By Joel Lang

Jeremiah Wadsworth was a sea-going merchant, commissary general to the Continental army, and founder of the nation’s first banks. He also helped established the insurance and textile industries in Connecticut and served in the first three terms of the US Congress.

Had he lived in another era, his wealth and influence might have made him a figure comparable to a 19th-century financial tycoon or a 20th-century venture capitalist. As it was, the fortune he amassed, valued at $125,000 according to probate records, was one of the largest of his time and seeded the 1842 creation of the Wadsworth Atheneum (as it was then called), the nation’s oldest public art museum and one of Hartford’s most enduring institutions.

Younger Years and West Indies Trade

John Angel James Wilcox,Jeremiah Wadsworth, 1776, engraving – Connecticut Historical Society

Jeremiah was born on July 12, 1743, to Daniel Wadsworth, minister at Hartford’s First Church, and Abigail Talcott, the daughter of Joseph Talcott, Colony governor from 1725 to 1741. Losing both parents as a child, he was raised by his uncle, Matthew Talcott, a ship owner in Middletown, then an important Connecticut river port.

His uncle sent him to sea in 1761, introducing Jeremiah to the West Indies trade. Within a decade he had become a ship’s captain and a wealthy man. As ship commander, he was as much merchant as mariner, since his duties required him to decide where and when to sell his cargo, not just transport it.

His mercantile skills led to his appointment in 1774 as commissary (supply master) for the Connecticut militia. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he advanced to commissary for the eastern division of the Continental army and in 1778 succeeded Joseph Trumbull as commissary general for the entire army.

He earned the trust of General George Washington and his reputation withstood claims he profited excessively from his post, which paid by commission. He resigned in 1780, only to soon act as commissary to the 5,500-soldier French army led by Jean-Baptiste-Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau.

Later Life and Further Wealth

At the peak of his mercantile ventures, Wadsworth had trading partners in England, France, and Ireland as well as in larger colonial cities and the West Indies. One of his notable local partnerships was formed in 1779 with Barnabas Deane, brother of Silas, and General Nathaniel Greene of Rhode Island. The partnership built a large distillery and owned a fleet of ships to supply the distillery with molasses from the West Indies.

Velvet coat originally owned by Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth, 1784 – Connecticut Historical Society

Wadsworth began to invest some of his wealth in banks even before the Revolution ended. His ownership of 104 of its 1,000 shares made him the largest shareholder in the continent’s first bank, the Bank of North America, founded in Philadelphia in 1781. He served as president of the Bank of New York, founded in 1784, and as a director of the first Bank of the United States, chartered by Congress in 1791 and located in Philadelphia.

In 1792, he was a driving force behind the founding of the Hartford Bank, the city’s first, which later became Hartford National. An anniversary history published in 1892 described Wadsworth as “the wealthiest man in town … foremost in every enterprise which promised to advance its prosperity.”

Among those other enterprises were Connecticut’s first insurance partnership, in 1794, and the Hartford Woolen Manufacture, the first mill to use power machinery to spin broadcloth. The owner of three farms, he also was noted for importing new breeds of cattle and for his experiments with crops. The inventory of Wadsworth’s estate showed the largest share of his wealth was in bank stock and farm property. He also had a large library of 1,000 volumes.

Wadsworth had married Mehitable Russell in 1767. They had three children, including Daniel. Besides founding the Atheneum, Daniel would use the fortune he inherited to fund the construction of the present-day Center Church, replacing First Church, and to restore the adjacent Ancient Burial Ground, where his father was one of the last to be interred after his death in 1804.

Joel Lang retired in 2007 from the Hartford Courant, where he wrote mostly for Northeast, its Sunday magazine; he currently resides in Bridgeport.

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/jeremiah-wadsworth/

[46ten]

Side topic - the extinct Narrangansett Pacer

The Narrangansett Pacer was the first horse breed developed in the U.S. The horses were described as follows: “a breed of small horses which are extremely hardy. They pace naturally, though in no very graceful or easy manner; but with such swiftness, and for so long a continuance, as must appear almost incredible to those who have not experienced it.” They were a major export in the 18th century, and may have played valuable roles in the American Revolution.  See this New England Historical Society article for more information, and this article for more information about the importance of horses, and this breed, in West Indian trade. The breed went extinct in the 19th century. (A side diversion for me one day was looking into all of the domestic cattle and pig/hog breeds that have become extinct as tastes for fat content in dairy/beef and pork have changed.) 

The breed appears in letters between G. Washington and Jeremiah Wadsworth.  GW requested that Wadsworth acquire one for him (11Feb1796 to J. Wadsworth)

Mr Trumbull has informed you of my want of a good Narraganset. Is it easy to procure one of a proper size for my weight; and as well formed as that breed admits? altho’ a bay would be preferred, no colour would be objected to. When it is said I am ⟨in⟩ want, I do not mean immediate want; any time next spring, or even summer, would answer my purposes.

Wadsworth responds (21Feb1796 to GW):

...I am glad you are not in imediate want of a Narragunset Horse as it is not possible to get one at any time—when I do find one that is a good one you may depend on having him—it is very rare to find a Bay one 

And then buys him a horse (12June1796 to GW): 

Yesterday I purchased for you a Black Guelding Eight Years old fifteen hands high a good pacer both slow & fast. his trot not so good, but fast—I wish I could say he was handsome but that rearely belongs to this breed, but he carries well & when moveing has a decent appearance—he Cost one hundred & thirty Dollars—he has always been used to a plain snaffle Bit. I can every monday send him by a carefull Man who rides Post thro. Litchfield to New York so as to arrive their on Wednesday. to that place you can send a Boy in the Stage with a Saddle & Bridle to ride him to you. I should send him tomorrow to be left at a stable just at the Ferry Stairs in New York to be delivered your order but fearing you may be absent from Philah. I shall keep him untill I hear from you—if we live two or three Years I hope to furnish you with a perfect Narraganset as I have two fine Mare Colts one of which when old enough you shall have. 

GW wants to know when he’ll get his new horse (23Aug1796 to J. Wadsworth):

Be so good as to inform me of the precise time, and at what place in the City  of New York, the horse you were so obliging as to procure for me can be delivered; and a person shall be there in order to receive him: and the sooner, the more convenient it will be for me.

Let the account of his expences for seed & pasturage; and whatever you       shall agree to give the Post Rider (or who ever brings him to New York) for his trouble, & the expence of doing it, be mentioned in your letter; and the person who goes for him shall be furnished with money to pay the whole. The One hundred and thirty dollars—the cost of him, has, as I presume you have been advised, been paid to - - - - agreeably to your desire.    

Wadsworth sends GW the instructions and bill, and promises a great Narrangasett for him (27Aug1796):

your favor of the 23d came so late last night, that there was no possibility of    replying by the same Post: otherwise your Horse would have been at New York on Wednesday evening, Of Next Week. as it is he will be there on the evening of Wednesday the 7th of September—at Powels Stable about twenty Yards—from the Ferry Stairs on the North River. the charges on the horse are as under and may be paid to Thos—McEwen & Co. Chesnut street Philadelphia as it is possible your servant may not meet with the post— ...[bill]

one of my Yearling mare Colts of the Narraganset breed is very handsome and will be for you when [set] to ride. 

No note whether GW lived long enough to get Wadsworth’s mare. 

[runawayforthesummer]

January-June, 1781

The Hamiltons were married on December 14, 1780 and spent the rest of the month in Albany.  Hamilton left ahead of Eliza in early January to get back to headquarters.  On January 9, he wrote from Fish Kill that he planned to get to headquarters at New Windsor that night. 

Eliza had not yet arrived on January 16, but was there by January 21.  Eliza left Albany 2 days after her husband and was expected in New Windsor on the 17th or 18th of January at latest (Schuyler to Hamilton, January 25).  She was there by January 21 (Eliza Hamilton & Alexander  Hamilton to Margarita Schuyler, January 21).

At some point between her arrival and early March, the following happened:

I recall one of her reminiscences of General Washington, because it gave me a new idea of him. She had been talking of men of bodily strength, and she observed that Washington was a very strong man. She then, told an incident that must have happened soon after her marriage, for she was at the time at headquarters with her husband. Washington was writing in his office, a room on the second floor of a farmhouse. The farmer's wife, who was washing clothes, suddenly discovered that the shed roof was on fire. She rushed screaming into the house, and Washington came bounding down the stairs, picked up one of the large washtubs full of suds, ran upstairs with it, got out on the roof, and emptied it on the blaze; then he ran for another tub, and still another, before he succeeded in putting out the fire.

Source: Reminisces of Mrs. Alexander Hamilton

Hamilton, along with Washington and others, took a trip to New Jersey around January 26 to quell a rebellion.

During February, there was a plan for Washington, Hamilton, and others to meet the French in Newport, Rhode Island (Hamilton to Timothy Pickering, February 9; to William Denning, February 12; Washington to Schuyler, February 20).  The trip, originally planned for mid-February, was delayed.  In that time, Hamilton’s infamous break from Washington occurred on February 16.

In a letter to Philip Schuyler on February 20, George Washington discussed the intended plans of everyone (he and Hamilton to Rhode Island; Mrs. Washington and Eliza to Albany) and the delay of those plans:

New Windsor Feby 20th 1781

Dear Sir

[…]

On the 15th I was, in appearance & expectation, on the eve of a journey to Rhode Island, as Mrs Hamilton & Mrs Washington were on a propos’d one to Albany. Some important dispatches prevented my setting off next morning & an intervention of occurrences since has not only render’d the time of, but the journey itself, somewhat uncertain. We all join in best wishes—& respectful regards for Mrs Schuyler, yourself & family With much truth & sincere Affecte I am Dr Sir Yr most Obedt Sert

Go: Washington

(February 20 is also the day Catharine Van Rensselaer Schuyler was born!)           

On March 1, everyone was still at headquarters:

Madame Hamilton, whose husband was then confidential aide-de-camp to General Washington, served us tea with much grace.  She is a daughter of General Schuyler, who lives in Albany, and was very useful to the American army in the capture of Bourgoyne.

Source: The Revolutionary Journal of Baron Von Closen

On March 2, Washington and Hamilton and others finally left for Newport, reaching their destination on March 6.  Hamilton last wrote officially for Washington on March 8 (he would return to headquarters at different times to do some other work for Washington, but his official work was done after March 8). 

While Hamilton was in Newport, Eliza, Mrs. Washington, and Eliza’s Aunt and Uncle Cochran headed to Albany.  The invitation for the Washingtons to come to Albany was first stated in a letter from Hamilton to Washington on December 19, 1780.  On January 10, 1781, Washington wrote Schuyler stating that he would not be able to make the trip at that time.  However, Mrs. Washington was able to accept the invitation.  They left on March 5 (see: John Cochran to Mrs. Clinton, March 5 in Godchild of Washington). Dr. Cochran mentioned in a letter that the journey was, in total, 18 days (see: John Cochran to James Craik, March 26).  Eliza did not return with the others, as Hamilton came to Albany after Newport.

Washington and the rest of the aides returned to New Windsor on March 20 (Washington to Schuyler, March 23) and Hamilton rode off to Albany.  See below: Robert Hanson Harrison to Hamilton, March 26; Marquis de Fleury to Hamilton, April 10; Lafayette to Hamilton, April 10.

I came here, My Dear Hamilton, on Friday night to bid adieu to the General, to you and to My other Friends as a military man, and regret much that I have not had the happiness of seeing you.

…

Present me most respectfully to your Lady, to General & Mrs Schuyler.

Are you come back from albany, with your sweet-heart; are you already, out of the general’s familly? or what Capacity do you serve? What are you doing? What are you thinking? Let me know every thing, which may be interesting to you; you know it is so to me.

Where is, for the present, My Dear Hamilton? This question is not a mere affair of Curiosity; it is not even wholly owing to the tender sentiments of my friendship. But motives both of public and private nature conspire in making me wish that your woe be not accomplished; perhaps are you at Head quarters, perhaps at Albany.

 It’s unclear when Hamilton arrived back from Albany.  He was in New Windsor (aka headquarters) on April 9 (Hamilton Washington, April 9) and on April 16 he mentioned his plan to take “lodgings” for him and Eliza (Hamilton to Jeremiah Wadsworth, April 16).  Likely, as before, Hamilton went ahead to set up house and home for his wife.

Eliza arrived shortly thereafter as she’s mentioned in a letter from Tench Tilghman (dated April 27, 1781) and her father sends her good wishes in a letter dated April 29.  Further, sometime between April 27 and May 5, Philip Hamilton would have been conceived. Regardless, Eliza was with Hamilton at De Peyster’s Point by April 30, 1781 as she helped Hamilton in his writing to Robert Morris.

It’s unclear when the Hamiltons left DePeysters Point.  The last letter we have from Hamilton at that location is dated May 22, 1781.  He would not write again until July 10.  They hadn’t left by May 30, as Philip Schuyler wrote Hamilton from Albany on that date.  In that letter, Schuyler says the following:

I propose to attend the legislature the latter end of the next week when I shall have the pleasure of seeing you at Fish Kill on the Sunday following.

So they likely met with Schuyler on June 10 and headed up to Albany from there.  Of course, Hamilton did not get that position and if they heard that news before leaving to meet Schuyler, they may have left earlier. 

The Hamiltons spent most of June in Albany and Hamilton left from there to rejoin the army in July (Hamilton to Eliza, July 10).

[wileymarch]

George Washington_Coward or Revolutionary Pacifist?

With the current political climate, Trump's blatant violation of law and The United States Constitution, I felt it important to take a look at the past, to answer for myself the question:  Have all of our political leaders in effect been corrupt, dismissed so casually human rights and law?  Starting from the beginning, we'll take a look in the coming days at each president, from George Washington to Trump, a brief history of 45 presidents and the ways they've benefited or harmed our nation. George Washington was not initially the successful military general history would have us believe.  In fact, more often he was an overwhelming failure, defeated twice by the French, a third time his biggest success was in his ability to turn tail and run.  Washington lost almost every battle he ever fought, yet somehow, he had the charisma to hold his troops together, even when they were watching their comrades fall.  The win he achieved against the British could be seen as a fluke.  So how, you might wonder, did he become the first leader of the free world?  He wasn't. That's correct.  Technically, George Washington was not the first president of the United States.  Let that sink in a moment, your history teacher lied to you!  Okay, for many of us knowing that history is predominately lies and embellishments to make a prettier version of the truth and create a sense of indoctrinated patriotism is not surprising.  In fact, many of us have learned to take it in stride and educate ourselves instead of wholesale believing what we're told. There were actually 14 presidents before Washington, actually presidents of the Continental Congress.  We'll evaluate them in the next post.  Washington is credited with laying the foundation of our country.  In truth, it was his fourteen predecessors that built the groundwork for our country, declaring our independence from the British Crown, establishing Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government to create a checks and balances system, and prevent us from becoming a dictatorship. Washington suffered with low self-esteem and a nearly unbearable anxiety over becoming president of the United States.  I'm sure the sixty-nine members of the Electoral College saw this as a benefit to themselves and their own designs on power.  Indeed, Washington likened his election to presidency as a "death sentence". Trump is not alone in being venerated as a "savior".  Washington's own cabinet singled him out as appointed by "Divine Providence"  to be the "savior".   One might wonder how a cowardly general became the first "American Messiah" and was referred to as "Your Excellency" as opposed to Mr. President.  The answer, Propaganda, the same as today. Many of the men involved in Washington's election as president were worried that their puppet would back out, turn tail and run once again.  Even Washington's own wife Martha did not believe her husband fit for the duties of presidency. Washington was treated on his journey from his home to New York as if he were being coronated.  He was a "Federalist", later to be known as the first Republican and those who pushed him into presidency told him, "you are now king, under a different name."

Newspapers such as the Federal Gazette, owned by a leader of the Federalist Party John Fenno, touted Washington's kingly procession, labeling him the unitor of our country, "savior" of our country and a "great patriot".  Washington however, did not initially enjoy all the ceremony and pageantry, at one point even sneaking out of town ahead of his travelling party to avoid it.  It all seemed to have been a bit too arranged and over the top that as he rode over the bridge into Trenton, he was greeted with women and young girls draped in white gowns throwing flower petals at the feet of his horses as they rode through, proclaiming him the defender of women.  Shocking, seeing as how the battle at Trenton had been a very small one but history would have us all believe Washington had led his forces against insurmountable odds and a vast enemy, neither of which were true.  And many of the Hessian troops stationed at Trenton escaped Washington's attack.  

The association with Fenno is of note all throughout the early years of the United States because Alexander Hamilton and John Adams both bailed Fenno out of bankruptcy in exchange for his loyalty in printing whatever Adams and Hamilton saw fit.  Hamilton himself frequently wrote under pseudonyms to influence public opinion.  Thomas Jefferson, so enraged by the lies spread by the Federal Gazette set up his own papers the Aurora, edited by Benjamin F. Bache and the National Gazette, edited by Phillip Freneau.  

Washington, upon adoration of lovely women, finally gave in to all the pomp and pageantry bestowed in his "honor" when he arrived at his new home, Cherry Street in Manhattan, New York.  He was the first president to give an inauguration speech and spent much of it defending himself, claiming he hadn't done it to gain wealth or power.  This would immediately lead one to believe that was precisely why he'd become a puppet to these men, especially since much of his personal wealth was actually that of his wife, Martha from her first marriage.  Washington himself was bankrupt.  

James Madison attempted to keep the speech out of public circulation. Because of George Washington being a soft-spoken man, the crowd hadn't heard his actual words anyway giving Madison the opportunity to lie about what Washington had said and felt.  Madison then took it upon himself to completely rewrite Washington's speech for print so that no one would know the truth, which is the one most history books defer to.  Madison in turn wrote the response from Congress and the return response from Washington, which shows, Washington's presidency was a well-planned and well-executed means of rallying people to do the bidding of wealthy, power hungry white men by the intentional manipulation of people's perception.   The buttons on the brown suit from Washington's inauguration were engraved with eagles, establishing Washington as a down-to-earth patriot and was made by Jeremiah Wadsworth's Woolen Manufactory.  Wadsworth would later become a congressman.  

The "Holy Bible" only became a part of the inauguration proceedings at the last moment when it was decided by Congressional committee that this would indeed make Washington a "man of the average people".  Having no bible anywhere, a mad scramble resulted in a Masonic lodge providing one, which is delightfully amusing in hindsight.  The church service after the inauguration was held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, still standing today.  

In these early years is where the extreme partisan battle between Democrats and Republicans was born.  So as you can understand, propaganda, puppeteering, money and aggrandization have all been a part of the political landscape in the United States since its inception.  

While much of this post points out George Washington's flaws, it is important to note, though many white people saw slavery as an accepted institution, Washington was not among them. Though a slave owner himself, he came to see the practice of "owning" other human beings as something reprehensible and amoral, and attempted to prevent the importation of any more slaves into the United States.  It was his full intention to free all enslaved people in the United States and he worked tirelessly toward this goal.  

In the case of his military career, Washington hated violence, he hated fighting and killing.  Yet, when his men were in the worst of circumstances, he stood by them, fed them, clothed them, cared for the sick and wounded, spending his own money and resources to take care of them.  Washington often tried to remain neutral in matters of foreign politics, wishing instead to maintain peace and economic growth.  His death by epiglottitis and hypovolemic shock (rapid blood loss) is interesting, considering he remained a very vocal opponent to slavery, and the egregious treatment of indigenous peoples after his retirement from office.  However, his spoiled and tempestuous wife's notorious temperament and pro-slavery beliefs seemed to derail Washington's attempts to perpetuate a gradual ending to the practice of enslavement and theft of native land until the day he died.  

The many men who played a part in George Washington's election were schemers, thieves and conmen.  Gathering from his initial speech, Washington was somewhat aware of this and felt trapped by it.  In coming posts, we'll take a look at how these untrustworthy, greedy men used Washington as a pawn to control the American people and unite minorities to be duped into frauds like the National Bank, established by Alexander Hamilton, who was the direct cause of America's first financial crisis and the beginning of national debt.

Washington was a soft-spoken, kind and humble man who truly cared for the troops and the people he led, often willingly suffering immense hardships right alongside them.  George Washington was "chosen" by malicious and ambitious men because people trusted his simple nature.  He was honest, and in many respects, he was the "every man" of the time.  They knew people would unite behind him and this would further their own agendas.  His own wife had feared when he left to take the oath of presidency that she might never see him alive again.  He lived two years after he left office only to be killed at the hands of his physician.  As George Washington was an incredibly healthy and vibrant man, even for the time given his age, a conspiracy theorist might wonder if his death was indeed a cleverly disguised assassination or a case of medical malpractice as our high school history books suggested. Sources:  Smithsonian        National Park Service        Mount Vernon                History.com

[nyhistory]

Our manuscript card catalog can be a mysterious place. Why, for instance, would a letter signed “C. G.” be attributed to a “Charles Griffin” when the writer of the letter appears to be a woman? Cataloger Catherine Falzone gets to the bottom of it in the latest edition of From the Stacks. And yes, as in any good mystery, there are rumors of an affair.

Catharine Littlefield Green. Letter to Jeremiah Wadsworth. December 18, 1782. American Historical Manuscript Collection. New-York Historical Society.

Cataloging of the American Historical Manuscript Collection (AHMC), a group of 12,000 small and unique manuscript collections, is made possible by grants from the National Endowment forthe Humanities, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the Peck Stacpoole Foundation, and the Pine Tree Foundation of New York.

[minutemanmilitia-blog]

Jeremiah Wadsworth named commissary general

Jeremiah Wadsworth named commissary general

On this day in 1778, Jeremiah Wadsworth is named commissary general of purchases for the Continental Army at the insistence of General George Washington.Born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1743 to a minister who died when he was four, Wadsworth was raised by his uncle, Matthew Talcott, a ship-owner from Middletown, Connecticut. At the age of 18, Wadsworth embarked on a 10-year career as a sailor…