This was in 1839 By this time I was tolerable smart and father wanted me to
come home again and help him on the farm I told him that if I did it would
not be long before he would want me to leave again, but he assured me to the
contrary so I concluded to do it about this time father was taken sick with
the ague which laid him up for some time and all the work fell on me and it
made it vary hard for me for I was not vary healthy we had to take down the
chimney in the house and put it up, we had corn to gather and potatoes to
dig and stock to take care of and many things to do such as preparing for
winter which was on hand and I thought he must get well and help me he sent
for the Doctor but he did not come being away and he was such a favorite
that he would not take any medicine that the Doctor did not recommend, and
it was thought best to make him some bitters and make him think the doctor
sent it to him so I took a quart of whiskey and put in a teaspoon full of
quinine and some aloes and wrote the directions on a piece of paper and put
it round the neck of the bottle as follows, take a tablespoonfull three
times a day before eating when all was ready I went to the door and knocked
and Mary Ann said walk in so I opened the door and changed my voice and said
here is some bitters for Uncle Phin and again shut the door and directly
carried it to him for he was in another room he took off the directions and
read it and began rite off to take it and pronounced it good, he soon began
to mend and in 2 or 3 days he could sit up and walk out and in a short time
began to help me he got smart rite off and we got through with our business
in good time.
While we were taking down the chimney one morning early our neighbor across
the street (E. Judson) came runing over and holered as he came there is a
bear among the pigs, and soon all hands were out on the chore George Mury
run and called his dog Beve David Hamburg took a club father took the long
carveing knife and mother the broom but she did not go any farther than the
gate, finding no lives ware lost she returned but with the rest the chore
continued and soon his black magesty was arroused by the yelping of old Beve
and he treed on the fence but finding too many on his track he took to his
heels for the woods and being obliged to pass through neighbor Woodruffs
yard he was assailed by a fresh recruit of men and dogs, he attempted to run
up one corner of the barn but was hauled back by the dogs and after running
over dogs and men some with ox whips some with corn stocks and all sorts of
weapons he chose his way to the nearest tree which he succeeded in climbing
in spite of all his enemies by this time the alarm had become general and
they came runing in all directions but ownly two guns in the whole
neighborhood that could shoot one was a rifle and the other a shot gun. as
soon as the man with the rifle saw the bare while yet at a great distance
was about to shoot but was ordered to hold on for fear he might miss the
bear and hit a man so after cautious deliberation among the wisest of the
men it was decided that Esqr Hooker should take the best of aim with his
shot gun which he warrented to shoot ball first rate, all hands ware to
encircle the tree so as to cut of his retreat in case he should not kill him
all things being in proper order he fired and down he fell and all hands
pitched in but finding him vanquished the Esqr. called a halt, then all
hands were in for a share but they found him so poor that he was not fit to
eat so his carcass was cut up and given to Woodruffs hogs, next thing was to
divide the skin after counting all the shares they ammounted to 12 in number
finely 11 sold out to Muray for 50 cts. each and he took the hide, having
again restord peace in the neighborhood all again returned to their
respective employment.
After the fall work was done we hired a man by the name of Johnson and he
and I chopt 20 acres for logging in the spring he had a beautiful race horse
he was a good hand to chop We cut all the fallen trees in 2 months the 1st
day of January 1840 I was married by this time all had agreed to the match
and all went to the wedding and had a good time. Our fathers and mothers
were both present they stayed till 2 o'clock in the morning and ate and
drank and made themselves quite merry. When they retired they wished us all
the happiness we desireu but Darius and his lady who he intended at that
time to marry, because Ann Eliza did not invite her until the day before the
wedding they thought she did not use them well, so after we was married and
the dainties ware passed round they left and went through the back way and
as they passed they being by themselves they filled their pockits and
handkerchiefs full and packed it off without asking any odds so that when we
came to hand round the 2nd time we had but little or none to hand round they
must have taken at least 1/2 or 3/4 of a bushel of the best of loves of
pound cake and pies and other things which was prepared for a 2nd passing
but it all passed off and I suppose they thought we never misst it for
nothing was said about it.
The next morning our father came into our room to bid us good morning and
brought us some hot tody to drink much satisfied with his new sons that
night we had an infair at my fathers all things passt of tolerable well
About a week or 10 days after our wedding a meeting commenced at Gull Corners
under the direction of the Methodist and Congregationalists which lasted 6
weeks night and day and in rememberanee of my covenant to serve the Lord if
I could find the right way, I attended vary steady hopeing to get religion,
after a while they invited me to go forward to the anxious seat to be prayed
for telling me that this was the way to be converted. I determined not to
neglect anything on my part, so I went and they prayed for me as hard as
they could, and after they got through they asked me with the rest if I did
not feel my soul converted, I told them I felt about as common, then they
told me if I would continue to come to the anxious seat every night that at
length I should be converted. After I had been forward several times and
finding that I felt no change they began to loose all hopes of me. But
finely as a last resort they told me if I would take up my cross and pray
that the victory would be gaind. This to be sure was rather hard before so
many people but being in the habit of praying from my childhood I had no
trouble, I truly felt the spirit of the Lord resting upon me as I ended and
arose but being questioned as to my feelings about arriseing on my feet to
bear testomony, I answerd that I felt vary well but did not know that I had
anything to testify to. Then they told -me that if I would join the church
that no doubt I should be a Christian. I told them I could not tell which
one to join thare was so many. But they said that made no differance as all
ware on the way to heaven ownly their was a little differanc* » the
disepline but I could take my chois I told them that if I could find a
church that could heal the sick as they did in old times that would be the
one for me; Oh: they that would be miracles they are done >-away with the
death of the ancient apostles they were ownly given to establish the church
since that time they ware not kneeded. This rather discouraged me for I had
read in the Bible that the Lord changed not that his coarse was one eternal
round and could hardly give up that what they said was true After much
reasoning and counciling I made up my mind to join the Methodist partly
because my wife belonged to them in the east and partly because they took
common men and made preachers of them and then I thought they ware as near
right as any so about the 12th day of May at a 3 days meeting held at Gull
Mill I presented myself for membership with my wife and was received on 6
months probation. I continued to inves-tigate the different creeds and read
many discusions with uni-versalists and others and in conversation with my
methodist brethren I spoke at all times as I felt sometimes they found fault
with me because I wanted a more liberal salvation for the family of man. I
could not believe the Lord had made a part to be saved and a great part to
be damned to all eternity, for this would come in contact with the saying
that nothing was made in vain At length I grew more firm in the faith and as
they perceived it they sent one of their most prominent men to labor with
me. We talked a long time and at last he gave me up for lost In this
conversation he was many times put to his witts end to carry his point, and
he gave it up and said he should report me to the church. I told him he
might for as long as we could not agree I thought it was better for us to be
apart; and they might take my name off as soon as they chose.
I now leave this portion of my life and take up the history of my wife She
was born in the town of Saratoga Co. State of New York in the year 1823,
18th day of June her fathers name was Henry Rowland her mothers name was
Phebe Baker. He was born the day of October 1790 in the town of Saratoga Co.
State of New York, her mother was born the 6th day of April 1792 in the town
of Saratoga County State of New York her grandfathers name was Khowlton
Rowland he was born in the year 1771 the day of in the town of County of
State of he died the day of in the year 1853 town of Stillwater Saratoga Co.
State of New York, her Grandmothers name was Wright she was born the day of
in the year 17 in the town of County of State of She died the day of in the
year in the town of County of New York. Her Grandfathers name on her mothers
side was Baker he was born the day of in the year 17 in the town of County
of State of
This is all I can tell of them never haveing been acquainted Ann Eliza had
ownly a midling education her father was a mechanic and his circumstances in
financial affairs was rather limited he generaly had all he could do to
bring all ends together at the end of the year, but he taught his children
to do right and taught them habits of industry and econimy He imegrated to
Michigan in the year 1835 and sent back to the State of New York for his
family consisting of two sons and 4 daughters in 1837 they arrived at
Kalamazoo 17th day of October I soon after became acquainted her fathers
family consister of mother Lorenzo Ann Eliza Ann Mariah Susan A. , Charlotte
M. , one brother stayed behind his name was Erwin a worker in brass Lorenzo
W, was born the 17th day of July 1817 in the town of Saratoga County Ann
Mariah was a twin with Ann Eliza Aurealia was born the 29th day of Nov. 1826
Eliz C was born in day of 182 and died the day of 182 Charlotte was born in
Waterford Saratoga the 21st day of April 1829
I now return to my own history, from the time I left the methodist I
determined to have no more to do with the differant sects of religion but I
resolved to do the best I could and I thought if there was any heaven I
should be as apt to find it as any of them for I thought as long as I had
the strongest arguments that I was safe but when I found any that could
introduce a better creed than mine I was bound to embrace it. from this I
became settled in my feelings awaiting anxiously for some one that could
tell me the true way which I did not find for some years after which will be
written in its time,
I must now speak of my temperal matters as I pass along during this time of
religious excitement I lived with my father on Gull prairie he became
somewhat displeased with me and wished me to go for myself accordingly I
went to work with a man by the name of Henry Wells at carpenter work I
continued with him about two months this was in the month of April and May
in the month of June my father in law wanted me to come and live with him as
his wife had been taken deranged he had opened a new farm and he wanted me
to help him so I went with Ann Eliza I continued with him till October when
my father wanted me to go home with him and help him gather his crops and
help him build another house I had always considered myself subject to him
and never thought myself to old to listen to his council so I complied with
his request and went I lived with him through the winter during the time I
worked on the house which was afterwards rented to a shoemaker by the name
of Orr he was an old English Soldier he fought at the battle of Waterloo the
7th day of Jany. 1841 our oldest or first child was born her name was
Charlotte Aurealia after her two aunts. In the month of April I again
went to work for Wells on a barn for Zephemah Barns in Barry County We next
went to thorn Apple and built a barn for George Bradley and also one for Win
Thorn and put on a roof for Philip Leonard he afterward became my brother in
law while we ware at work for him he told me he wanted a wife and I told him
I had a sister that wanted a husband and if he was a good man he might have
her and if he would come to Gull Prarie I would make him acquainted with her
accordingly the next Sunday he mad his appearance at fathers on Gull Prarie
they ware introduced and a bargin was made and they was married in 2-1/2
weeks she moved with him to Thornaple this hapned in the month of August she
wanted me to move thare with her after geting the consent of father I
concluded to go so in the month of September I went with Ann Eliza and
Charlott I built a small house on his land after I got it done I came back
to Gull Prarie and worked for Deacon Woodruff and bought a stove and went
back and staid through the winter, and in the spring of 1842 I moved back to
Rowlands Mills and worked for Edward K Rowland a half brother of my father
in law for which he paid me $1:50 pr day. I sold the house which I built to
Leonard and hired one of E K (Rowland) for $20 a year we lived thar one year
In the month of October 5th day in 1843 we had a son born we called him
Daniel Webster he was a sickly child his navel got to bleeding and caused
him to have fitts or spasms, which continued two days until we got Doctor
Upjohn he gave him something that stopt his fitts but he was always sick
after, he lived 23 months and eight days.
We had a few chickens which I had bought of the neighbors I put them into
the stable which was standing on the lot back of the house some tall oak
trees stood around the house and garden, of a suden the chickens ware
missing what had become of them I could not tell after hunting around for
some time at length I found the bones of one HI the weeds I continued
searching until I had found the most of them with the flesh pickt off from
ineir bones. This was a mistory to me and what had done it was a mistory
st'll greater, but I resolved to watch at night and by that means I
discoverd the cause I found the owls had crept into the window which was
opend they took them off the roost one by one and carried them into the
trees and ate the flesh off and dropt ihe bones to the ground my gun was
brought to bear on them which soon put an end to this intrusion.
I lived in that house about one year it was the year that the Prophet Miller
prophesied the end of the world about the middle of October there was a vary
singular appearance in the air it was a cloudy foggy day and the object such
as trees lookd red as though the shadow of fire was in the air many thought
the day of Judgement had surely come but soon it passd off and all was
natural again. I did not believe Millerism consequently I was not afraid
many went crazy and many died with fear or it caused their death.
We had many strange stories, one of which I remember it was said that a
young child in Adrian at 3 days old said that the snow would fall to the
depth of 8 feet and would melt and turn to oil and would catch with fire and
burn the world up it was a hard winter and much snow fell and it was vary
cold, About the middle of Jany their was another red day but it did not
cause as much consternation as the first did for the time of the prediction
had run out in the spring of 1843 in the month of May I moved to Marshall in
Calhoun Co to work for Harvy Sherman but I did not work long for him for I
found he would get drunk and would not do as he promised I hired a house of
Charles Camron a scottsman I werked around from one place to another during
the summer in July Ann Eliza was taken vary sick vomiting and purgeing she
was in that condition about 3 days I could do nothing for her till one of
our neighbors by the name of came in and gave her some spearmint tea which
stopt it immediately and she got up in a few days. A man by the name of
Lewis Whitney was also one of our neighbors his wife was taken with the same
sickness they had no house to live in but lived in with a man by the name of
John Potry Whitney was taken sick with a fever and his wife was taken sick
also and they ware vary poor they ware both sick nigh to death we took her
and took care of her till she got well which was about 3 weeks we ware
nearly worn out being up night and day which we thought at that time was a
deed of charity but our reward was of quite a different sort as will be seen
before I get through with this story
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