Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER VC 1817
OBJECT NAME letter
DATE November 17, 1812
AUTHOR [Rev?] Billy Hibbard
*See other VC manuscripts referencing Hibbard, Jr. in Judd
RECIPIENT Pierre Van Cortlandt (jr) II
MEDIUM paper, ink
PEOPLE Washington Clinton, De Witt Clinton, General Hull, General
Dearborn, Governor Lewis, Governor Harrison, his son Billy
Hibbard Jr.
PLACES Washington DC, Rhinebeck, Croton, Virginia, Albany,
Staatsborough,
KEYWORDS member of congress, health of Washington Clinton, war, war of
1812, candidacy of Dewitt Clinton, revivals, conversions, difficult
times, comparison to biblical story of Jacob/Rebecca and Esau, generals too given to “wine and women” for success, anecdote of General Dearborn enjoying a party too much and missing steamboat, 500 dollar coat, “dancing Pigeon wing”, “Petition” Hibbard wrote to raise money for a military school by various “taxes”, not printed, Quakers,
Rhinebeck Nov’r - 17 -1812
Dear Sir
I received yours this morning. Am glad to hear a / little from you _ my family and [C’t?] have engrossed my labour / and attention so that I have not vissited Dear Mr Washington / Clinton since I returned from Croton where i saw you. He was very / weak _ I hope to see him in a few days _ My family have had a / tedious season of affliction _ my labours have ben great ) we have / a good revival of Religion on this Circuit about 20 - have pre-[page torn] / to be converted _ But the greatest cause for rejoicing is the solem / steadfast engagedness of the members _ Notwithstanding wars and rumo- / rs of wars, the Lord Jesus has not left us. We hope he will continue / with us through all this trouble. I preached on Pslams 110-2-3- / and I considered that part of the text emphatic which says “R–[ule, page torn] / thou in the midst of thine Enemys thy willing People - - in the beau-[page torn] / ies of holiness – on the day of thy Power”. I laboured to [shew?] [them?] / the day of Power spoken of was the Judgement of God upon our Nati- / -on and the Nations of the Earth. And the Judgments we as a / Nation have to deplore, are the Earthquakes, Pestilence, and war / that has come upon us _ I im-[formed?] the necessity of praying God / to - rule - in the midst of his enemys _ his People in these times / of sore evil - It appears to have a good affect ) I view the present / war a Judgement from God, and I wish it may prove a necessary E-[vi] / -l Notwithstanding the great good done by Preaching the Gospel / and the moral institutions in Church and State. Wickedness / has abounded, and corrupted many, so that party spirit has / [drove] [justice] like. But I think times and administrations / are about to alter - I said three years ago that the Hon-l / De Witt Clinton would he the next President I say so still. Some / have asked me my reason for such a Prediction _ I cite the case of / Jacob - and [Esau] – Jacob and Rebeccah’s Policy never prospered - it being / a violation of Gods order - so when Mr Madison was nominated over Mr / Clinton it was a violation of Gods order, And will produce the curse /
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The Virginia Politciks are of the same stamp of Rebeccan and / Jacob’s Notion of bringing about Gods purpose they manifested / a principle that it was honorable to lie for God, so I / fear Virginia Policy has led some to lie. And if it / is not checked verry soon it will most certainly produce / a dismemberment of the Union _ I hope better things though / I thus speak -
Are News in these parts is pretty much of Great defeats and little consiests / Generals – Hull and Dearborn from the best accounts, are give too / much to wine and women for successful commanders _ Our Gen Dearborn / had an expedition from Albany to Staughtsborough not long since to / celebrate the Anavercery of a young ladys birth day at Gov’r Lewis / where I am informed he was so engaged in dancing Pigeon wing / as they call’d it : that he mist of the pasage in the steam boat _ / and had to get a passage with the mail - drove in a one horse waggon / It is quite a mortification to some here that a gentleman who / wares a 500 dollar coat should be so unfortunate when he goes to / see the Ladies - But I tell them it was his own fault . he ought / not to be so ingaged in dancing Pigeon wing.
I dispare of any great things being done till Gov’r Harrison goes forw - / ard - he’s the man —- in his hand I think the fortune of war / will turn - - - - The unprepared state of our countery for war / is a verry painfull Evil _ and as the Evil might have ben prevented / If our wise men had ben a little wiser, But as they did not make due / preparation it renders our Policy verry unpleasant
I wrote a Petition (Stiling my self Think Well) to the Gov’r + assembly of / this state for an Institution to organize a Military school stiled a / volunteer corps of the Militia to be suported by a tax of first 14-[$ -?illegible] / from each one that pleads exemtion from Military duty for concience / [sake] 2d - 10 dollars from those who only plead [?convenience] 3d 14 dollars / from Every fiddle - 4th 10$ - for license to hold a fiddling dance / in any house 5th 50 cents and 25 for the highest + lowest seat in a Theatre / [and?] each act 2c - and 14 $ for a license of each actor per year – 6th 25$ / for Each profane oath that a Gentleman shall utter - and 3[¢ ?] for Each / [?? - illegible] oath uttered by a clown – – And I found on a moderate [??]- / -lation that if there was no profane swaring or cursing . we should reali- / ze the sum of near 900-000 $ per year - and this would Educate at / least 30-000 volunteers for service and pay them well –
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I sent it to a printer - he said he liked [^ it] well - but he was / affraid to print it least he should bloose the good graces of the Quakers / so it is not Published - If you think the General Government / could do anything to organize such a school I would send / you the Petition in that form you would Prescribe - Either to be / presented to Congress or printed in some Newspaper to adgitate / some talk upon the subject.
Whatever measures congress shall adopt to carry on the war and defend / the Nation - let us practise that old, though much neglected method / of pray to God - I feel verry happy in prayer for my country / and my friends and Especially that the present Judgements may / be blest to us -
My family injoy better halth now than for some time past. /
My Billy expresses an anxious desire that the N York Candidate / for President should succeed in the Election. For which and for / the Blessing of God to attend you and all in authority I add / m - [page torn] -event prayer. And subscribe my self your respectfully
Billy Hibbard
Please to send such of the documents as you can share / and you will much oblige your friend ___
B H
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Free
[ADDRESS]
Hon Pierre Van Cortlandt
Member of Congress
City Washington ___
[LABEL]
Bill Hibbard
JohnTranscriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
