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The Dorr Letters Project
Catharine
R.
Williams
to
Thomas
Wilson
Dorr
: |
Introduction
Catharine Williams was never one to write short letters to her friend Thomas Dorr, and her missive from early November 1842 is no exception. Williams relates information about Dorr’s mother Lydia that should be of interest to researchers (see also the TWD prison correspondence on this website). Williams mentions the ongoing clambakes, most notably the large one at Medbury Grove near Seekonk, that were designed to raise money to care for Dorrite prisoners of war. She also highlights the gender divide as male Dorrites, including the Providence editor William Simons (misspelled in the letter), did not want to march next to women. Note that Williams’ use of the word “coon” refers to members of the Whig Party (anti-Dorrite).
Letter
Providence. Lowell Nov 2nd 1842.
Honoured & Dr Sir.
When I received the enclosed, it was with the under
standing I was to hand them to you myself, at the Clam-bake, or that I should go to Brattlebourough &
try to see you, as it was understood that place was near you. The lateness of the season however & my
continual pain of rheumatism, warns me not to attempt that Journey, so I gave it up, & concluded while
in Boston to send the accompany^ng package to care of Major Walker, & just then, I heard of his death, by Col Holbrook
who by the way, has just been at death’s door with Erasyphilous. (Mercy knows how the word is spelt I don’t.) Col
Mitchel & himself received your letters safe; by the hand of a Maine Man, a fellow Traveller, by name Vandorne,
who had been visiting your present abode Westmoreland to see a Sister by name of Shaw, & he prevented this good
old Patriot from Maine, from visiting you, by telling him (it is nessasary to know such neighbours) that “in the
late disturbance in RI Gov Dorr had a Canon planted before his fathers door, & gave orders to blow up the whole
family, & that the men disobeyed his orders &c &c”. I believe I put him right, & he was very sorry, & really pleased
to carry these letters & one I sent to Simonds, as a sort of repperation for the injustice of suspecting it for a moment.
I did not return home, untill about ten days after I saw you, the disappointment of the Nashua Clambake,
was great, at Providence, Anthony came down here to bespeak Car’s for the Company, & was informed you could not come.^&c
The Men were comeing in droves from Providence, & were to have bespoke Car’s for themselves, with the express con
-dition no women should occupy them, as they intended to form a procession from one Depot to the other in Bos
-ton, & they were afraid the women would want to walk with them, & Col Simonds swore & many others – ^“swore they would
not go if women went.” There’s gallantry, a widower too, pray heaven he never gets another wife. Now the Ladies
would not have walked in procession at all, & they might have been civil, the Ladies have done well by them. The
great Clambake at Medbury Grove, I understand, produced a net proffit of 800 dollars, the management of which
the men were entrusted with by courtesy; & out of that, I am informed, they paid a debt of over two hundred dollars,
for lighting the Town house &c. for Suffrage meetings. 2 or 3 hundred dollars is funded they say, for time of
need. & they likewise say the remainder is given to needy Suffrage families. & that is all they ^the Ladies know about it.
The treat at Chepatchet was so noble, that the Ladies only received over & above 100 dolls. which I presume will
have full use for sufferers of that place.
Immeadiately after my return from NH. was invited to a Clambake
all Millville, the 2nd one in that region, it was a kind of social affair of about 15 hundred people. & Gen D’Wolf was
there & the oldest Comstock, & two more noble looking men, I have rarely seen. They both made a speetch, characterized
by good sense & propriety. Mr Comstock, Silas has lately plead several causes in the Justice’s Court, against some
of the Worcester Lawyers, & beat them, his exile is going to opperate as a developement of talent, so much for “the 6 Comstocks”
Some one mentioned there was a Lady present who had lately seen Gov Dorr, & to confusion she was called for by so
many voices at once, she was obliged to show herself. Litterally forced to the stump. Thank heaven, women never are
at a loss for words. & finding herself thus compelled, the Lady in question, threw off her cloak & stepped
forward to the front of the Stand, & gave a brief & I trust intelligable history of her visit to our exiled Governor
you might have heard a leaf move in the forest, so profound was the attention given. Of Gov Hubbard too
his noble & disinterested freindship to our persecuted friends, the patriotic sentiments that I heard from his lips &c
&c I could not forbear to speak. & the recital was rewarded by immense plaudits.
I always thought it would be dangerous to force me to the rostrom, as if I once began I was afraid I should
never be able to stop. I was therefore very much astoneshed when I found I had come to a conclusion, & believe I had
the merit of ending, when the interest of my subject was at its height. However to be honest, I mean to take care in future
that our Gov, shall not be disgraced by his “masculine followers.”
The Algereene’s have torn Mrs Parlin’s character in
fragments, & several others so they boast, & I expect every moment they will take hold of mine, as yet they have only reported I “am
subject to fits of insanity” (considerate creatures) & “that as to talents, I never wrote one of my books in my life,” & being hard
pushed, they named Wm E Richmond as the real Author. The democratic sentiments they account for by saying he wrote
that to please me. This is an old story new varnished. Doct Cracken procured the services of Mr Richmond to correct the
first Book I ever put to press. I never spoke with him before in my life.
They are putting on taxes pretty well, have taxed
me in adition to my house nearly four dollars, for 1000 dolls in Bank shares, which I never owned, or intended to own, I never
owned but one bank share in my life, & that was one of 50 doll, I took for a debt, & got rid of in ten days. I mean to put off paying
taxes as long as possible, & am advised to contest the payment of this, as illegally assessed. That, the Assessors say I cannot do
as I ought to have given in an Inventory, & let them know I had no Bank shares. Was there ever such logic heard off?
I have no doubt others are subject to like impositions. May the great Lord of heaven & Earth, grant their reign may be
a short one. I once prayed, there might be no fighting, now I pray for victory alone, over these outrageous Scoundrels.
Poor Capt Landers is quite ill in Prison, I visited him a few days after his incarceration. He is heart sick, thinking he has been
so villainously decoyed into their power. They took him upon a charge of assault & battery - & he cheerfully went with the
officer in the night, to answer against a charge he knew could not be sustained, & a little out the village of Woonsocket
found himself surrounded with armed men, & a carriage into which he was forced, & hurried to the City Purgatory.
The Algereene’s are building a Bastile in Benefit Street opposite Joseph Angels, where Gov Arnold now
lives, who for aught I know, may be Keeper, however things look suspicious, a carefull List of all young men ^capable of bearing arms & old is
preparing in every town, quantities of arms & amunition have been sent for &c. This building termed an Arsenal, has
loop holes &c for giving cross fires, two large Towers, thick Walls &c. Now whether the new Constitution, which out
michevols the old Coon himself, is to be put down our throats by the bayonet, or in case of falling back upon the old
Charter, that is to be upheld by a military despotism, we don’t know, but that whatever is intended, it is plain
they rely upon military force to carry it into effect. & a Standing Army to keep matters in stato quo
& there sit the People, as quiet as Lambs, just as did the Neutral French, while their chains were forging.
By the way that word “Coon”, is a Godsend – they writhe under it, there was a live Coon, carried along the streets of Lowell
on top a Pedlars cart yesterday, followed by about a hundred boys, & such jokes & peals of laughter, one does not hear every day.
The two legged ones, rather hung down their heads, at the antic’s of their four legged brother.
It is said Doct Parlin is going to move from Providence, either to Boston or Newyork, his business is utterly down, as
the Algereene’s were his principal customers. The Suffrage being generally a hard working set are seldom on the Doctor’s
hands, so poor man he has nothing to do. He is a man of real science, & fine mind. I was truly astonished at his various
acquirements, when he is drawn out, being of a modest & retiring turn, the world has not yet learnt his worth. Mrs
P is in Newyork, she cares not for their censure, feeling her motives pure, but her sensitive husband, though he despises
the source from whence it comes, I am afraid feels it too deeply, She is too careless, & if I live to see her again, mean to perform
the truest office of friendship, in advising & remonstrating with her, & trust to her noble & generous soul, to overlook
the freedom of speetch, in consideration of the motives.
Now to business – Mrs S— my Envoy, carried down your
letter to your mother, & the good Lady wept, & said “He has been cruel to his mother again, & returned me the very same
Bills.” & Mrs. S said, “I am afraid Maam you scolded Mr Wilson, & you know he has a great spirit.” & the mother said
“I believe you think I am a dreadfull Creature Mrs S—” & wept again, & Mrs S— came back &
asked me, “What is to be done, Mrs D— will die if he continues to do so.” Well then says I, “she must write different, had I known it was a
harsh letter, I would have thrown it into the Canal going up, & never delivered it at all.” So with this comforting
assurance, she went back, & to the inexpressible comfort of her honest soul, was answered, “Well I believe after all you are
right, & I will try it again, & write as a mother and let politicks alone." & then she sent me the accompanying
Letters, which she said "would comfort you." & I told Mrs S— to tell her "if there was a single cross word I would
throw them all into the Canal (I don't know how I was to find out) on the way." & she assured me "there was not."
So if they contain War to the knife, I am not to be blamed. And now allow me the privelege of an old woman, as one
who is herself a mother, & one who regards you with no small share of respect & esteem. If the good Lady
has humbled herself to send you money again, I beseetch & implore you to keep it. Mrs S says she believes
“you are her favourite child.” Whether that is so or not, is of no consequence. but pain not her bosom again
refusing her proffered kindness. If death should suddenly deprive you of that excellent Mother (erring as she may
be in Politicks, few women understand them) you would reproach yourself. & your own generous heart, would have re-
ceived a wound it would never recover, I ever entreat it as a personal favour to myself, & without boasting I would
do much to serve you. swallow down the riseings of pride & self will, & God who regardeth the humble will reward you.
Poor Anthony & Pierce have got sadly pushed. John Q Adams has publicly made them Liars in the Journal
to keep himself in with the Coons, & some think they are paid for trusting one of the achivous scamps to plead
their case, if it was me, I would just write him a Note in the public Papers declining his services. The old
one must have owed them some grudge – he is now paying. About that speetch of Judge Durfee’s, there
is a little different version, he was in the next room, the daughter tells me, & uttered the exclamation, who
is that Lady, she is a woman after my own heart.” Make the best of it, it was encouraging –
her speetch was, “if I could fire a pistol, I would shoot him.” Since then she has talked other side, & I believe talks
both ways.
Your poor little Cousin you will see, has departed for a better world, she died quite happy & more
than resigned.
Will you present the accompanying trifles for some of the Suffrage Ladies to Mrs Buffum,
the ring is for her oldest daughter. If I could have let them all known there was a chance, many more would
have sent some remembrance, my mine is my love, which I hope you will give her.
About this Constitution, I rather think they will not attempt to vote it down, in fact there is not going
to be time enough to do much, in the way of organization, after they have fixed it. I want you to be kind
enough to write me by some safe hand & tell us what we can do for you & the cause, we are at a stand.
Send it to Providence if you please, ^I expect to be there in about a fortnight from this. Our brethren of the Suffrage have been talking (don’t let them know I
reveal secrets) of sending a sum of money for your use, but they dare not “for fear you would send it back.”
& they are at a loss what way to manage. I wish they would set me to manage for them. While
they are plotting & contriving & going round robin hoods barn, I would go strait at the
mark, & go there & get back again, before they could make up their minds.
Mem – There is a story, I don’t know the truth of it, that the Jail doors of Newport were left open all one
day last week, & the Prisoners would not take the hint, swearing “they had stayed in so long, they would now
wait & have a trial.” Mr. Pearce, they let out, to go & look up his witnesses. The other day they broke out in a new
place, & sent men to watch at all points for Mr Sayles, he is lecturing in Mass, & by a singular providence escaped that
day. He knows I am told Gov Davis, has
given a requisition to take all Exiles in this State, yet he continues to lecture publicly
H Y Cranston gave a lecture here last Monday evening I hear, in which he said you were never on the Whig side
but always on the other, it was they say, very abusive to the Suffrage Party & intended as an ofsett to Stiness who
had lectured here a few weeks before. I hope Mr Sayles health will improve, for his lectures are very
tiring, & doing much good to the cause. This is beautifull weather & again I lament, the loss of our
Clambake yesterday.
I know of no better way than to send this to care of Gov Hubbard at Concord. Mr
Walker (Democrat) is the conductor on the rail road, & I have a book – present – life of Barton &c to send him,
as he wished to see it. & also a little vol. with my “Last of the Dinsmore’s” in it, which I promised to S Dinsmore
esqr. with whom I became acquainted at Keene. Gov Hubbard kindly proffered me a letter to one of his Coun
-cil, Col Barton of Concord, & from his freinds, I received the kindest & most flattering attentions. As usual I
took with me a parcel of Books, intending half for Lowell, but when I got here, they were all gone, & I had to go to Prov
& return here with more. Sold over a hundred principally in Concord & Nashua. I consider the history of these Neu-
trals, as a good lesson, to resist the first encroachments of tyranny, & mean to spread them in Mass, ^too if possible, not-
withstanding the disgrace ^to myself of haveing some ostensible means of getting a liveing. Somehow or other, I can do more in that way
than any lady. & not be thought masculine, or imposeing. “Hitherto hath the Lord helped me.”
Some of the Algereene’s, had the impudence to ask me on my return from Newhampshire “What were Gov Dorr’s
plans? & what he proposed doing now?” Said I, “In the first place he did not tell me, & in the next, if he had, I
should not tell you.” Please remember me to our exiled brethren, Whipple & Willmouth when you see them.
Please attend to your health, keep up good spirits. The Lord reigns, be the people ever so impatient. The Lord is King, be the
Earth ever so unquiet.” but a little while, & this mystery of iniquity will be laid open, so that all shall see it, & oh what
shame & confusion of face, must be the portion of those, whose “poisoned chalice shall return to their own lips.” Doubt
not these Political sinners, will one day see their reffuge of lies swept away. In the mean time, let us possess our souls in patience
& whatever is our duty, whether to be up & doing, or to stand still & see the salvation of the Lord, may we perform it.
Questions
Why did Dorr not appear at any of the clambakes in Massachusetts or New Hampshire?
Why was Williams concerned with her taxes?
For more on the clambakes see Erik Chaput’s article, “Let the People Remember” (resource section of website).