MAJOR-GENERAL EBENEZER STEVENS

THE SUBJECT OF OUR FRONTISPIECE

In the first volume of this Magazine, issued in the year 1877, and long since out of print, appeared an interesting sketch of Major-General Ebenezer Stevens, whose excellent portrait is given to our readers as the frontispiece of this current number, through the courtesy of the Society of the Cincinnati, who have recently engraved the picture. General Stevens will be remembered as the commander of the state forces who, with Morgan Lewis, mustered for active service against the British the militia of the city, in September, 1814.

In the sketch of General Stevens above-mentioned the following paragraph occurs: "The person of General Stevens has been admirably portrayed by Trumbull in the large painting of the surrender of Burgoyne, at the capitol in Washington. The life-size figure is drawn in a graceful attitude, leaning upon a cannon on the extreme left of the scene. He is again introduced in the picture by the same artist representing the surrender of Cornwallis. He is here seen in the distance at the head of the artillery, of which he was the field officer on the day of surrender."

General Stevens was twenty-two years of age when the Dartmouth, the first of the fleet of tea ships intended for the colonies, arrived in Boston harbor, anchoring off the Castle, on the 28th of November, 1773, and he belonged to the famous company of artillerymen who were employed to guard the tea and prevent its landing. He was also one of the participants in the exciting affair when the tea was destroyed, which he describes as follows: "I went from the old South Meeting House just after dark; the party was about seventy or eighty. At the head of the wharf (Griffin's wharf) we met the detachment of our company on guard, who joined us. I commenced with a party on board the vessel of which Hodgdon was mate, and as he knew me, I left that vessel with some of my comrades and went on board the other vessel, which lay at the opposite side of the wharf; numbers of others took our place on Hodgdon's vessel. We com: menced handing the boxes of tea on deck, and first commenced breaking them with axes, but found much difficulty, owing to the boxes of tea being covered with canvas-the mode that this article was then imported in. I think that all the tea was discharged in about two hours. We

were careful to prevent any being taken away; none of the party were painted as Indians, nor, that I know of, disguised, excepting that some of them stopped at a paint shop on their way and daubed their faces with paint.

From all the testimony it would seem as if the idea of a disguise on this occasion was an afterthought, and only with a few, and the work of a moment comparatively. The Hodgdon mentioned was afterwards treasurer of the State of Massachusetts, at the time young Stevens was courting his sister.

During the continuance of the war Stevens proved himself a most efficient and gallant officer, and was present when the army disbanded. He entered New York with his command on the 25th of November, the day of the evacuation by the British. Here he established himself in business, becoming one of the largest and most successful merchants of the period. He was active and prominent in civil affairs, and a military counselor at all times. He acted as agent of the War Department, and at different dates as agent for the French and English governments. He was conspicuous in the founding of the Tammany Society or Columbian Order, in 1789, and one of the founders of the New England Society, organized in 1805, of which he was the president from 1817 until his death in 1823.

Among the valuable documents in possession of his descendant, Mr. Byram K. Stevens, are several of the broadsides containing "Division Orders" while he was in command of the New York militia. The follow ing is an interesting example:

"New York, 14th November, 1807.

In obedience to general orders of the 11th July last, Major-General Stevens directs that the detachment of seven hundred and thirty men, including officers, ordered from the division of artillery of this state, composed of the following companies, duly enrolled, and volunteering their services to their country, be organized into one regiment, to be under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Curtenius-the said regiment to consist of two battalions, the first composed of the companies commanded by Captains Ross, Millikin, Minthorn, Vandenburgh, and Slee, in the regiment commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Clinton, and also of the companies commanded by Captains Young, Osborn, Brown, Brainard, Whitney, Cooley, Hawley, Day, Greer, and Whitaker, in the regiment commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Thorne, to be commanded by Major Robert Jenkins, as first major of said regiment; and the second composed of the companies commanded by Captains Hewitt, Harsin, Fleming, Morgan,

Forbes, Townsend, Ferris, Lyon, and Boerum, of the third regiment, and also the company commanded by Captain Horne of the first regiment, in General Morton's brigade, to be commanded by Major Charles Snowden.

Lieutenant-Colonel Curtenius will select and organize the staff.

By command of Major-General Stevens."

We are permitted also to copy the following letter, addressed by the governor of the state, Daniel D. Tompkins, to Major-General Stevens: Albany, March 4, 1815.

SIR-I have the honor to inform you that your resignation of the office of Major-General of the artillery of this state has been accepted, and that General Jacob Morton has this day been appointed in your stead. As it will be proper for you to announce this to the artillery of the state in a valedictory order I transmit the inclosed to be incorporated in your division order.

As I have experienced great satisfaction in your command of the division and received repeated marks of your confidence and support, I pray you to accept my acknowledgments therefor and an assurance of my ardent wishes for your future prosperity and happiness.

DANIEL D. TOMPKINS."

General Stevens was for many years the acknowledged representative of the officers and soldiers who survived the war, and was constantly called upon by them to seek redress or relief from Congress, and on all public occasions he was one of the principal military figures.

He was born in Boston, August 11, 1751, and died in New York, September 22, 1823, at the age of seventy-two.

PLEASURE PARTIES IN THE NORTHWEST

INCIDENTS OF FORTY YEARS AGO

About the year 1849 the Rev. E. H. Day was sent as a missionary, by the Michigan Conference, to the region of the famous Cliff mine near the shore of Lake Superior. His varied experiences have recently been recited in an address before the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society, from which the following extracts are alive with interest: "The Cliff mine had just been opened, and developed vast masses of pure copper, with bits of native silver, sometimes weighing an ounce or more. Men went wild, and I really think expected to find masses of silver that would weigh hundreds of tons. My first business, on my arrival, was to secure a place for my family. I obtained a room up-stairs in a cooper shop, roughly boarded up, with loose boards laid down for a floor, above where four or five coopers were at work. Our 'church' was an old blacksmith shop about fourteen feet square. The only road in the country was from the Cliff mine to the lake, a distance of five miles. But there were trails cut through the woods from one location to another, on which a horse or a single ox could pass in the winter. No one would dare to travel from one place to another in winter without his snow-shoes with him. There were probably about four hundred inhabitants in the country who remained during the winter season.

The community was a restless one, and during the summer months was much larger and constantly changing; but in winter, which lasted full seven months, that is, from closing of navigation in the fall to the opening of navigation in the spring, the people were compelled to keep comparatively quiet, as there was no possible way to leave the country except on snow-shoes, through an unbroken wilderness of one hundred miles. Few were hardy enough to attempt it, but some did. The mail was brought once a month by an Indian and 'a dog train.' Two men always went with these trains, for if, as it frequently happened, a heavy fall of snow came while on the journey, a road must be broken for the dogs. All things being ready and the dogs in harness, the driver, with a long whip in his hand, took his place behind the train. In his left hand he held a strong cord which was fastened to the hind end of the train. At the word of command each dog would start on a trot, and the Indian behind

with the cord in his hand would follow after. The cord was to hold the train back in going down hill. If the train upset, as it did a dozen times a day, nothing was spilled nor anything broken. It was like rolling over a log. The dogs would stop, the Indian take hold and roll it back, and then 'de-dah' (go on) would ring out, and off would trot the dogs.

Dog trains were frequently used for pleasure parties of ladies and gentlemen. These were made a little different from the freight trains. The bottoms were the same, but instead of the canvas a shoe was fixed on the train, made of some light stuff but strong. A blanket was spread in the bottom of the shoe, and a cushion at the heel. Into this shoe, thus fixed, a lady would place herself, warmly clad, the heel of the shoe supporting her back. Thus fixed, blankets would be placed around her, and she was wrapped and swathed up until only a small portion of her face would be visible. Thus fixed up, her man' would take his place behind the train, and the dogs would start.

Sometimes four or five trains would start off together to visit a mine fifteen or eighteen miles distant. Such parties had usually two ladies to one train, the second lady taking a light pair of snow-shoes. Each lady had her cavalier, but the company had to go in single file, as the footpath was only wide enough for one to occupy at a time.

Now imagine the party all ready to start. The dogs are growling and snarling, the men and women laughing and talking. The word is given. The dogs give a bark and a jump, the train moves, the women give a little scream, and we are fairly started. Now let us take a look at the procession. First come the dogs, pulling and snarling, followed by the train, with only the face of the rider visible; back of this walks a man with a cord in his hand that is fastened to the train, by which he is to keep vehicle and lady from being precipitated upon the dogs as they descend the first hill. Next another lady followed by a gentleman, all wearing snow-shoes; then another set of dogs followed by another train and its occupant, and so on until you have the whole party on the way. The old woods ring with shouts and laughter. Suddenly the caravan stops, and the inquiry runs along the line: What's the matter?' 'Oh, nothing,' comes back the answer, only one of the trains has tipped over.' Then the men run along to the upset train, and lift it out of the deep snow with shouts of laughter, and place it on the trail upright and brush off the snow, the inmate of the train being as helpless as a log of wood, and as safe. The dogs seem to be the only ones who do not enjoy the fun. They sit quietly on their haunches until the word is given to go, and then the whole caravan moves on as before until another upset.

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