familiar with the Tribune's article as printed in the Historical Magazine, but my investigations of the question of authorship made me dubious as to the value of this anonymous statement. As I have published a literal and complete copy of these "Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation," from the original manuscript, and at the time earnestly endeavored to solve the question of their authorship, I would call Mr. Lodge's attention to my introduction to that work. In view of the interest which the publication referred to has attracted to this subject, I feel justified in emphasizing more fully than I did in the introduction. referred to my efforts made to discover the author or source of these maxims of good behavior usually referred to as "Washington's rules of civility." These rules exist in the hand-writing of George Washington when a boy of about thirteen years of age, and to the end of discovering whether he had copied them as a study or exercise from some published works, search was made through all the French and English publications upon this subject printed before 1750 contained in the library of congress. More than one hundred works on etiquette and kindred subjects were consulted, but in no one could I find rules either identical with or similar in form or arrangement to those by Washington. Etiquette in all the early works on the subject is treated of by chapters, as "on etiquette at court," "at a ball," "in the parlor," "at a dinner," etc. But in no work before or since Washington's day do I find the whole subject-matter of civility and good behavior treated of in a comprehensive series of numbered rules as they are in this paper. Mr. Spofford, the librarian of congress, to widen my field of inquiry, placed before me catalogues of other libraries and thus enabled me to select titles which encouraged the hope of finding in them the rules sought for. And although searches were made of books in Boston and Philadelphia, the secret was not solved. That I have been unsuccessful does not, of course, prove that these rules of civility do not exist in print in some undiscovered publication to which Washington might have had access in his youth. As I have not seen the thirteenth edition of The Young Man's Companion, I will not presume to say that the rules in question are not contained in it; but as they do not appear in earlier or later editions, I will exercise caution and withhold my assent to the unsupported newspaper statement until Mr. Lodge or some other careful historian shall vouch that he has seen these rules in print in a work published as early as 1745. WASHINGTON, D. C. J. M. TONER Sir I have just been informed by my good friend Col. A. Denniston that you have in contemplation to raise a Regiment of Blacks, should this be the case, I solicit permission to tender my services to assist in Recruiting such a Regiment, confident that in Penns (the place of my nativity) I should be able in a short period to enlist from 3 to 500 men, any information or recommendations you may require respecting me, shall be furnished from the most respectable Military characters in this and the 4th M. District. Permit me to refer you to the Secretary of the Navy and Richard Rush Esq. who I believe have some knowledge of me, I am present detailed by the Comd Gen of this district as Acting Inspector General during the Arrest of Co1 N. Gray. Soliciting your attention to my application I am With sentiments of the highest respect P. P. Walter Capt: 32nd. I. Actg. Inspector General 3rd M. District Queens AN ANTIQUE DOCUMENT [Contributed by Townsend D. Cock] By John Jackson, Joseph Sackett, William Bloodgood, Theodorus Van In Pursuance of An Act of Generall Assembly of this Collonie Entitled An Act for Levying ten thousand pounds You the Assessors of the Town of Oyster bay in Queens County are hereby Ordered & Required Immediately upon your receipt hereof to assess upon the Estates, real & personal of all & every the Inhabitant, Residents, Sojourners & free holders of your Town, the sum of thirty two pounds, fourteen Shillings in Mony according to the Value mentioned in an Act of General Assembly made in the Seventh Year of the reigne of our Late Soveraigne Queen Anne Entitled An Act for the regulating and preventing the Corruption of the Currant Coin that Sum being the proportion of Your Town of that part of the Said Tax payable November 1717 which Said Sum the Collector of the said Town is hereby ordered and Required to Levy & Collect according to the Directions & powers to him given in An Act of Assembly Entitled An Act for Levying four Thousand pounds made in the Eight year of our Said Late Soveraigne Reigne and the same to pay to the Treasurer of this Colloney for the time being on or before the Last Day of November Next Ensuing only the Said Collecter is first to retain to himself out of ye said money nine pence in the pound for Collecting of the Same for which this shall be to you & Either of You A Sufficient Warrant. Given under our hands & Seals, this twenty first Day of May Anno Dom 1717. To the Assessors & Collecter of the town of Oyster bay in Queens County these. Jo Jackson EXECUTION OF MAJOR ANDRÉ LETTER FROM CAPTAIN TEN EYCK TO HON. HENRY GLEN [Among the Glen papers, contributed by Mrs. Pierre Van Cortlandt] EDITOR OF MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN HISTORY: I have read with much pleasure the articles contributed to your Magazine by the Hon. J. O. Dykman. I notice that in the account given by Judge Dykman of the execution of Major André the name of but one of the officers who accompanied him to the gallows is given, and in every sketch of André Captain Hughes is the only one named. The following letter, written by Captain Henry D. Ten Eyck to the Hon. Henry Glen, will be read with great interest by those who have followed André through the last twelve days of his life. This letter is one of several written by Captain Ten Eyck which I find among the "Glen papers." CATHARINE E. VAN CORTLANDT. MANOR-HOUSE, CROTON LANDING. [THE LETTER] Light In Camp Oct 6th 1780. Dear Friend The treachery of Arnold is the prevailing Topic of Conversation with us, & must be a greate subject for correspondents, such a Master-piece of Villany can-not escape my pen with-out giving you a shorte account of-doubtless you have heard many reports concerning that Hellish Plott, and are still at a loss which to believe -but this you may depend on, that Arnold has made his escape to the enemy M Smith of Haverstraw, who conducted the British Adj: Gen! to Gen' Arnold is now under the tryal of a Court-Martial & Major Andre, the Adj: Gen! of the British army was tryed by a Board of Gen! officers and sentenced to die, while in that situation several flags passed from his Exccellancy to Gen! Clinton on the subject, but instead of any offers being made for the redemtion of the prisoner nothing but threats were received,—Major Andre though he had justly forfeited his life According to the laws of all Nations, his air, address, and bright accomplishments, drew the attention and pitty from every one who beheld him—and upon my honour to give you an Idea of that gentleman I must call him a perfect Chester-field-last Monday he walked to the place of execution clasping the arm of Capt? Hun of Congress Reg and another officer of the same rank-Dresed in the neatest manner with as Composed a Countanance as if going to a Ball-the rope he himself fixed to his neck and after he had bound his head with a handkercheif & ordered him-self pinioned with his cravat-he justly Dyed-Only beging the spectators to have witness that he dyed like a brave Soldier-It is expected that some of the greate house in Philadelphia will have some secrects Discovered whitch they would keep a secret if posible-Though every thing is silent at present-but his Excellancy when at West-Point wrote to Gen! Grene that the Discovery of the Plott of Arnold would unravel some thing as high as A, B, and C—Now my dear friend could you amagin that America ever produced so damned a Raskel as that Arnold. I my-self just escaped a duel in defence of his carracter, not long since-We are still encamped two miles from Tappan. and nothing to do in the fighting way, neither do I expect we shall have an opportunity to Disstinguish ourselves, this Campaigne. It is Reported that Congress have resolved to reduce the Reg' to a certain Number & compell the States to have them compleat with during war, men by the first of Jan. Connecticut in the following manner, five Regts 10 Companies to each Reg composed of 60 Rank & file each, that is one Grenidier Com, two Light In Companies & seven Battalien Companies &c &c I have now pen'd down every circumstance of note. Adieu my Friend H. D. Ten Eyck P. S. pray make my compliments to you & your Brothers family also M! McFarlang-just this moment we have received Marching Orders, I suppose we will Cross the North River NOTES SETTLEMENT OF WESTERN NEW YORK -Albany, March 9, 1795: It is estimated that upwards of 1200 sleighs, loaded with women, children and furniture, coming from the east, and following the course of the sun, passed through this city within three days, while the late snow lay on the ground; five hundred were counted by a person out of curiosity, from sun to sun, on the 28th ult., besides what passed through in the evening. In short, the current of emigration flows incessantly through this city; and estimating only an equal number to pass the Hudson in various quarters, besides the emigration from the Jerseys and Pennsylvania, we may safely pronounce that the western counties of this state will receive an acquisition of, at least, 20,000 inhabitants during the present winter; and what is remarkable, the states from whence these emigrants principally flow, instead of diminishing, continue to increase in numbers.-N. Y. Evening Post, March 16, 1795. W. K. A COLLEGE CENTENARY-An important event in history: St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland, an institution which has among its alumni men of wide fame at the present time, and among its dead such men as William Pinckney, Francis Scott Key, Reverdy Johnson, etc., celebrated during the week from June 21 to 27, 1889, the centenary of the founding of the college. The growing need for a system of higher education in Maryland led the colonists in 1692 to found an academy, known as King William's school, named after its benefactor, who contributed to its library and equipment. King William's school, after nearly a hundred years of active work, merged into St. John's college and became a part of the newer and more advanced institution. Truly, then, St. John's ranks among the oldest institutions of learning in the new world. The college has taken a vigorous start of late, and much enthusiasm was displayed upon the centenary occasion. The special exercises were held upon the 26th of June, under the auspices of the alumni association, and consisted of an opening address of Francis H. Stockett, Esq., of Annapolis, president of the college board; a historical address by Philip R. Voorhees of New York; a centenary ode by John M. Leavitt, D.D., ex-president of Lehigh and St. John's; an address before the alumni by Rev. Leighton Parks of Boston; and the planting of a memorial tree by Mrs. Jackson, wife of the governor of Maryland. The alumni meeting occurred in the afternoon, and the banquet in the evening. |