WATSON'S ANNALS OF PHILADELPHIA Vol.2 Printed in 1857 General Washington was often to be seen riding abroad, with a black servant, having a guard and some officers in company. How different things THEN, from what he must have afterwards witnessed them, when a summer resident in Germantown, and going occasionally over the same happy and prosperous neighourhoods, witnessing their changes and improvements. In preserving the remembrance of the past, I may mention that the house in which I dwell was the residence of THOMAS JEFFERSON, in 1793, when he was secretary of state. The same house was before occupied by John De Braine, a French-German, distinguished as an astronomer; who published, while here, several small publications, and diagrams, too occult to be understood ! Persons now visiting Germantown, and witnessing its universal ENGLISH population, could hardly imagine that a place so near Philadelphia could have retained its GERMAN CHARACTER, down to the year 1793. Before that time, all the public preaching was in German; and nearly all the plays of the boys, and their conversation, was in that tongue. The yellow fever of 1793 brought out here all the officers of the general and state governments, and of the banks, and filled all the houses with new inmates. In the next and subsequent years, sundry families from the city became summer residents. Then English succeeded rapidly; and soon after, increased desires for English preaching, in part, began to be manifested among the young, and to be resisted by the aged. Then, Runkle, Wack, and others, who could preach to both languages, were induced. Now, Mr. Richards is the only one who preaches in German, and that only once a month; the chief of his sermons are in English. The Methodists were the first who introduced English preaching---they beginning in the school house, at first. While the British were here, the chaplains of the Hessians preached in the German churches, and two remained in this country after the war. One of them, the Rev. Mr. Schaeffer, took the Lutheran church, in Germantown. The yellow fever could make no headway in Germantown, although so near Philadelphia; only six or eight persons died of it here, and they had derived it from Philadelphia. The place is always pre-eminently healthy. Many remember General Washington's very civil and courteous demeanour to all classes in the town, as he occasionally had intercourse with them. He has been seen several times at Henry Fraley's carpenter shop, and at Bringhurst's blacksmith shop, talking freely and cordially with both. They had both been in some of his campaigns. His lady endeared herself to many, by her uniform gentleness and kindness. Neither of them showed pride or austerity. Germantown was the first place in our country to declare against the practice of SLAVERY. The declaration proceeded from the Friends' meeting, of whom the chief members at the time were Germans. Among the characteristics of the place was its unrivalled manufacture of superior stockings---all done by hand weaving, as originally brought into use by the first settlers; these have been in modern times driven out of use. The place was also, since the revolution, pre-eminent for its superior build of coaches and vehicles; but, in late years, the workmen of Newark have drawn off the business by their reduced prices. It may justly surprise the present generation to have a little insight into the state of farming before the revolution, and before the introduction of CLOVER AND PLASTER OF PARIS. These were the things which enriched the cultivators, and beautified our fields. It was first started about the year 1780, at Chestnut hill, by Abraham Rex, and at Germantown, by Leonard Stoneburner. It became a wonder to see men making grass, and hauling it in from UPLAND fields. Every body was delighted to see the effect of this new era in farming. The aged now can well remember the stirring interest which was every where excited by this important improvement. Before this time, a farmer at Germantown would consider one hundred acres of land as inadequate to provide his frugal living THEN, unless he had also a good portion of NATURAL meadow to supply his stock. It soon came to be experienced that fifty acres of land, well tilled, produced enough to fill a barn of double the size before used ! The horses and cattle soon found a joyous change to their benefit, and well they SHOWED the difference of their feeding. We tell these things for the sake of the GRATITUDE and ACKNOWLEDGMENT which such benefits, conferred on us, deserve. I ought to take this suitable occasion to expain why it formerly was, that GREAT COUNTRY STORES could be so well sustained at Germantown and Frankford, and out on Lancaster road. It arose from the extreme badness of all great roads leading into the city, in particular seasons. To avoid such, farmers bringing produce could sell out their whole loads to Rex, and others, on Chestnut hill, or at Stoneburner's, Fry's, and Miller's in Germantown. In return they could get fish, salt, plaster of Paris, clover and grass seed; all kinds of grain, and received and cured hogs and beef. They all made money. You might see a dozen country wagons at a time about their premises. All this continued until the turnpikes insured safe passages into the city; and then the stores began fast to decline, and finally to give up, or to contract themselves into small affairs. The present aged Jacob Keyser was told by A. Cook, a primitive inhabitant, that he could well remember Germantown street as being an INDIAN FOOT-PATH, going through laurel bushes. COLONEL GRAY'S POWDERHORN --- In July, 1841, there was found in digging about two feet below the surface, in the lot of the New Lutheran church in Germantown, a very curiously wrought powder-horn of the Revolution, used and lost in the battle of Germantown, by Elijah Lincoln, a volunteer of Windham, Connecticut. This, when found, showed the way to its ownership, and the facts connnected therewith, --- by being published as a curious relic, in the Germantown Telegraph. It was a large white bullock-horn, and had engraved thereon, besides the name of the owner--E. Gray-- several pictures and devices: such as a sketch of Boston and its environs, Bunker's hill, Dorchester, and encampments of the military, the British fleet and positions. The facts in the case were these: ---Ebenezer Gray, and William Hovey---the inscribed maker of the horn, with Elijah Lincoln, were young volunteers of Windham, going to begin the war at Bunker hill. While encamped near there under Washington, the horn was engraved by Gray. At this time, we are to presume that regular cartouch boxes were not supplied. Upon the regular organization of the army, Gray, who was an educated man, received a commission, which he honoured by his after services and bravery, rose to the rank of colonel. When promoted, he gave his horn to Lincoln, under his promise to use it faithfully for his country. That he did in many battles; till at last it was lost in the affair at Germantown, by being pulled from his side by the grasp of a dying comrade, shot by his side, in the very act of drawing a load from it, for his musket ! The company, with Lincoln, rushed forward without the horn, and soon after he found another well filled for his purpose. When the present horn was found and published, it came out, from the publisher of the Demodcrat, of Columbia county, Pennsylvania, that HE had been formally engaged in making out a pension claim for Lincoln, and had all these facts, before told, in his possession ! Colonel Gray is deceased, but his widow and daughter and son are alive at Windham, and have been informed of their opportunity to repossess this long lost relic of a patriot's service and glory.* It is something to be valued and perpetuated in a family ! *His grandson has since got the horn. I have seen an old family Bible, 8vo.., of the SHOEMAKER family, which came out with the first settlers in 1682, printed at Zurich in 1538, by Christoffel Froschouer, in Switzer-German, done so early as to be WITHOUT VERSES. In many pages, verses are marked with a pen, and many passages are underscored to add to their force. It was marked as being bought for 50s. at second hand in 1678. In it was a record of family marriages, births, and deaths. Isaac Schumacher, the head of the family, was born in Cresheim in Germany, married in Pennsylvania Sarah Hendricks, who was born in the same town, the 2d of 10mo., 1678. She died a widow the 15th June, 1742, her husband having died the 12th February, 1732. Benjamin, a son of the above, was born in Germantown, the 2d August, 1704, married in Philadelphia, the 18th June, 1724, to Sarah Coates, daughter of Thomas and Bulah Coates. Benjamin died at Philadelphia in 1767; the wife died the 8th June 1738, leaving four children. I have indulged in this lengthened detail, because this venerable old relic has got out of the family, by some means, and fallen into the hands of strangers; and thus shows, how strangely families will sometimes allow their records to sink into oblivion ! It is since given by me to Samuel M. Shoemaker, in Baltimore. To be continued... Note: Words in capital letters are italics in the book.