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From the Otsego Herald
for Saturday, May 5, 1810
Compiled, with comments
BY HUGH C. MACDOUGALL
THE LIBERTY POLE
(Scene, Pittsfield)
THE ARGUMENT
``The Adjutant began to pant,’’ And so did FLAGG and MOSES, And PRENTISS too, look’d very blue, At tar and feather doses.
Liberty Pole, upon my soul, Rose eighty feet, or higher, The tory squad began to plod, T’escape the WHIGS’ rais’d ire.
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Hell’s imps, And fed’ral pimps, Hover `round th’election, With ghastly mein, Like tories keen, For th’purpose of inspection.
Afull emetic, With joy ecstatic, Otsego town did take, Spew’d out imps And Fed’ral pimps, The number four doth make. Now boys attend, With tories blend, And raise the mighty faction, Stub toes, Tear clothes, With horrible distraction.
COMMENT: This charming little verse refers to the election, in which the Republicans (Jeffersonians) had carried Otsego County, although the Town of Otsego had voted Federalist. H. Flagg was a lawyer, who lived for a few years in Cooperstown in the early 1800s. I have not identified Moses. John Prentiss was the Editor of the ``Impartial Observer’’ (later renamed The Freeman’s Journal), which the Herald frequently disparaged as ``the imp.’’
MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALES
The Otsego Herald always included notices (often repeated for some time) of mortgage foreclosure sales. In this issue they included: Micah French, Jr., Worcester (1806 -- $800)
COMMENT: His father, Micah French, Sr., had in 1804 founded the Welcome Baptist Church of New Lisbon. Bildad Welch, of Butternuts (1807 -- $500)
COMMENT: Bildad Welch (1771-1823) came from East Windsor, CT, but lived in Otsego County from ca.
1800-1815 before moving to Delaware County, Ohio, where he died and is buried. In 1794 he married Lucy Aspinall, and they had 12 children, mostly born in New York.
Thomas Adams, of Cherry- Valley (1795 -- $400) John Hayes, of Cherry-Valley (1804 -- $643) John Rudd, Jun., of Richfield (1801 -- $100)
COMMENT: Both John Rudd, Jr. (1779-1856) and his father John Rudd, Sr. (1748-1830) lived in Richfield, and are listed in the 1800 US Census there. Both later moved to Erie County, Pennsylvania, where John Rudd Sr. traded his farm in Richfield for land there belonging to Solomon Spalding, who would become briefly head of the Cherry Valley Academy and whose unpublished novel has been alleged to be the source of Joseph Smith’s Book of Mormon.
Dan Lyman, of Cherry-Valley (1795 - $395)Samuel Gary, of Cherry Valley (1795 - $532.50) Abel Parker, of Cherry-Valley (1795 - $397.50) COMMENT: This may be the Abel Parker (1769-1846) who came from Rhode Island and died in Cortland County. An Abel Parker is listed as living in Middlefield in 1800 and 1810, born about 1766.
THE ELECTION
Though no official returns have come to hand -- yet we have ascertained to our entire satisfaction, that the Election has terminated in the most signal and decisive victory of the republican interest of the state of New York, over that motley combination of foreign and domestic influence, which has arrayed itself throughout the union, under the fostering aid of the British government, against the constitution, laws and liberties of this country The Republican TOMPKINS, the people’s friend and favorite, is re-elected Governor, by a vast majority -- maugre (despite) all the consequence given by his opponents to the vile calumnies of a notorious robber of hen-roosts and hog-styes in Westchester county, and the petty larceny and black-guardism of Ruck a Tuck and Co. in this city.
The Republican Senators in every district, Eight in number, are also elected, together with a Republican Majority in the Assembly; and the people of the state have thus proved themselves superior to all the arts of intrigue, calumny and detraction, whether in the shape of a Pigstealer’s petition for an impeachment - a lying resolution of a legislative caucus - or a School Fund report, the offspring of meanness, malice and deception. - AMEN. - From the Albany Register
Otsego Herald
May 6, 2010
Otsego Herald: Mortgage foreclosure sales
- Otsego Herald
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- Maryland port attacked Havre de Grace, May 3. "This morning, a little after the break of day, a British armed force, under cover of armed vessels which anchored in front of this town ... landed below a small breast work which had been roughly thrown up, and in which were one 9 and two 4 pounders, manned by 50 militia.
- Canadian capital captured Dear Sir, I have just returned from Fort Niagara, where I saw a Captain of the United States' navy. He is just from little York, the capital of Upper Canada, and gives the following account, which is confirmed in official dispatches from Gen. Dearborn to Gen. Lewis ...
- 'Dubious' about weather, Hawkeyes 'suitable' nickname Unfortunately, it seems to us that this spring has, thus far, been anything but spring like. In fact, we are still more than happy to stay bundled up in our polar fleece.
- Public schools created The Common School Act of 1812 marked the start of New York's public school system. Much of the credit for this was due to the radical Otsego County politician Jedediah Peck (1747-1821). To quote the NY Education Department:
- River Raisin Massacre Those whose feelings have been harrowed by the narration of the murder of the wounded, by the allied forces the day after the defeat of gen. [Jamed] Winchester at Frenchtown, will duly esteem the callous wretch (calling himself an American, and, perhaps, unfortunately, born in the United States) that could insert such an article as the annexed, in his paper.
- Please pay up Bristol Gazette, March 20, 1813. On the 19th inst. arrived at Holmes' Hole, the United States sloop of war HORNET, of 16 guns, Captain [James] Lawrence, from a cruise. Off Surinam fell in with His Britannic Majesty's brig PEACOCK, Captain [William] Peake, of 19 guns, which he sunk after 15 minutes close action. The following from the log-book, was handed us, which diffused a general joy amongst the friends of "FREE TRADE & SAILORS RIGHTS."
- Trust Nobody! Died in this village on Thursday last, Mrs. SUSAN GRAVES, consort of Mr. RECOMPENCE GRAVES, aged 49 years.
- Ship Sunk in China Died, in Cherry-Valley on the 13th inst. [March] Mr. CHRISTOPHER ALLEN, aged 27, of the prevailing epidemic.
- A cave tomb in Tennessee Died, in this town on the 2d inst. [March] of the prevailing epidemic, Mr. JACOB PRICE, aged 47 years.
- 'Shocking Barbarity' Died, yesterday in this village, between the hours of three and four P.M., Mrs. ELIZABETH R. GOODSELL, consort of Mr. Peter Goodsell, of this place, aged 41. It is but justice to say, that the deceased was possessed of all those amiable qualities of the heart, which truly adorn the female character, and which had peculiarly endeared her to her family and acquaintances.
- More Otsego Herald Headlines
