THE DIARY OF MRS. PRESIDENT BROWN ON A JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH IN 1819

Francis Brown, the third president of Dartmouth College, was one whose personal qualities endeared him to all who knew him. To those upon whom, after the lapse of a century, the charm of his personality can have no effect the record of his life as of an unusual character is of great interest, but to the sons and friends of Dartmouth it makes an especial appeal, for he guided the College through the stormiest period of its history and to him, next to the Founder, is due the fact that Dartmouth College exists today. It was his constancy and determination that kept alive the College during the great controversy and called to its aid the legal skill of Smith, Mason, Hopkinson and Webster.

It was a sense of duty that led Mr. Brown to accept the call to the presidency of the College at the time of its contest with the University, when its only offer was the certainty of extreme labor and the uncertainty of the result. It was also a sense of duty that led him in the darkest hour of the fortunes of the College to decline the offer of the presidency of Hamilton College at twice the salary which he was receiving.

He became president in his thirty-first year, the youngest president ever elected by the trustees, and for five years he carried the ordinary burden of administration and added to it the labor of the entire instruction of the senior class and the duty of financial agent, while he gave such attention to the legal aspects of the college case that, according to Jeremiah Mason, no one of the counsel was better acquainted with it.

It was not strange that his health gave way under such a strain and within three years, before the termination of the controversy, the appearance of pulmonary tuberculosis obliged him to relax his labors. In the fall of 1818 he took a journey to western New York in the hope of recovery, but without avail. The decision of the United States Supreme Court was too late to give relief and the next autumn with the aid of friends he undertook a journey to the South.

The College has lately been enabled through the courtesy of President Brown's granddaughter to examine the diary kept by Mrs. Brown during the trip, Xat u rally, the diary was not such as would be written by one who visited a strange country for the pleasure of travel, to enjoy its scenery, to discover its resources or to interpret the character of its inhabitants by a comparison of their manners and their customs. Rather is it the record of one who made a journey with a single personal object in view and who looked at all events as they were related to that object, but incidentally there appear in it suggestions of outside interest relating to the character of the country, the state of the roads, the means of transportation and the hospitality of the people.

The journey was begun October 11, 1819. On that day President and Mrs. Brown left their home, which was the house then standing on the present site of Robinson Hall, but which later, having been enlarged to a dormitory known as Sanborn Hall, was moved to the rear of Cemetery Lane. They set out with a horse and chaise and were accompanied on horseback by a young man named Nichols. The first day brought them to Windsor, where they were "entertained very kindly by Gen. Curtis," and the second to Charlestown, where they "put up at Rev. Mr. Crosby, hospitably entertained." This entertainment was typical of the times. Doubtless Mr. Crosby was a friend of the Browns, but whatever may have been the case the houses of ministers were open to the travelers through- out the trip, and in general ministers were obedient to the injunction to "be not forgetful to entertain strangers" and to "take them in," not in the modern humorous sense but with a genuine hospitality. Mr. Crosby accompanied them as far as Putney, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, which gave them "snow and rain" before reaching Bellows Falls and 'a hard frost" the next morning.

Five days brought them to Springfield where they "spent the Sabbath and went to meeting." In three days more they reached New Haven where they "went directly to Rev. Professor Fitch and put up there' for two days. Here they were disappointed in not seeing their Hanover friend, Dr. Nathan Smith, as he was absent from home, but the impression received by others of the condition of Pres. Brown is indicated by a letter of Dr. Smith to Mr. Olcott, in which he wrote that he was "apprehensive that there must have been some insanity on the part of his friends in Hanover or they would not have suffered him to set out on such a forlorn hope. Those who saw most of him here do not think that he will reach South Carolina."

On the 26th of the month they reached New York, of which the entry is : "Rode into the City of New York 18 miles. Put up at Dr. Springs—very kind and hospitable entertainment. A kind Providence raises up friends to usamong strangers—may they be abundantly rewarded with the best of heavenly blessings. Cold day."

Leaving New York on the 27th they "crossed the Hudson on a steamboat," stranger then than now, and with a succession of mild pleasant days passed through "Elizabethtown," where they "put up at Dr. McDowell's" and "found much hospitality among these strangers," through New Brunswick, "a handsome place," Princeton, where they dined at a public house just opposite the President's, Trenton and Bristol, with a "very pleasant view of the Delaware," to Philadelphia on the 30th, where they stayed at a cousin's until November 2nd.

The trip to Washington occupied a week, broken by a Sunday at Baltimore, where they "put up at Rev. Mr. Duncan's and went to church, Mr. Brown went also—it was their communion, we communed with them." From Baltimore they passed over "a pretty good road but very dismal—thro' thick woods most of the way—few log huts, and arrived at the City of Washington [on the 9th a little before sunset after riding 25 miles —put up at Mansion Hotel, elegant accommodations." Intending to leave Washington on the 11th they waited four hours for a boat to take them across the Potomac, and then put off their going until the next day.

Eight days brought them to Richmond. Their experience on the road is best given in the words of the diary.

"13. Came to Occsquan, put up at a public house kept by Lindsay, 16 miles— got out of our way twice—once rode more than mile and half—very roads— rocky—sandy—hilly—cut up—ford rivers much the worst roads we have had on our journey—very fatiguing to Mr. B. Dreary region in every respect. ,

"14. Rode 10 miles altho' it is the Sabbath—to Dumfries in order to attend public worship—but when we arrived at eleven the meeting had begun—and that was only a Methodist—no other meeting in the place, few met—others spent their time going about. O dreadful! so to spend the. Sabbath—put up at public house kept by Williams.

"15. Rode to Fredericksburg 25 miles —Dreary road and more dreary country —the most desolate country and the most uninviting I ever saw—not one dwelling that had the appearance of respectability —from Dumfries here—and D. is a wretched place. We put up at Rev. Mr. Wilson's—find a kind and hospitable family which is very grateful after bad taverns, bad roads and much fatigue as Mr. B. now has. "

On the 17th they were "overtaken by a violent shower of rain and heavy thunder," to which they "turned the back of the chaise to the wind which was pretty violent and sat in the chaise until it was over." But Richmond was reached on the 20th where they "went directly to Rev. Dr. Rice's, where we had a most cordial reception. Mr. B. very comfortable." Here they had the pleasure of seeing a Hanover friend, the lawyer Benjamin J. Gilbert, who was in Richmond on business.

On the 24th they left Richmond and in fifteen days came to Salisbury, N. C., where their companion, Mr. Nichols, "very unexpectedly concluded to return," leaving them to go on by themselves. This they did and on the 21st of December reached Columbia, S. C. The weather on the way varied often between wet and dry, cold and warm, and with less private hospitality they had a new experience of public houses. One was a "small log house, but comfortable" where Mrs. Brown, to her surprise, "saw a damask napkin." Another attracted her attention for an architectural feature not common in that section, a "chimney in the middle and inside the house."

In Columbia they stayed until February 15th "in lodgings at Mr. Randolph's, a very kindly family," where they made many friends and where Dr. Brown with the delusive character of his disease seemed to be better and to be gaining in strength. On that date they left Columbia for Augusta, Ga. There they spent six days at the hospitable home of Mr. More, the cashier of the Augusta bank, whose wife was "from New England, an old acquaintance of Mr. B." Heavy thunder showers attended their journey to and from Augusta, and once, after crossing a "deep creek with bridge under water." they were obliged to put up for the night in a house that had no glass windows and on the next day they drove "at least one quarter of mile in deep water, almost up to the axle tree."

On the 27th "altho' it was Sabbath day" they "considered it duty to ride" and about forty miles from Augusta they came to "Capt. Whitehead's ... a very kind hospitable family, where they were very kindly entertained" for weeks. The anxiety of those weeks may be estimated from the record of March 27th and 28th, when the journey was again begun.

March 27. As to our journey things never looked darker—a stranger in a strange countfey—don't know where we are going to—these have been my thoughts of late—but my God can clear the way and enable me to cast all my care upon Him—and He will care graciously for me. O preserve us, Thou great preserver of men, and in Thine own time return us to our own dear and beloved home and children again in circum- stances of sweet mercy.

"28. Feel very dull indeed and cannot exercise the Faith I wish to. Live upon the promises when external prospects appear so dark and my mind so gloomy. O have mercy upon us Thou great Shepherd of Israel, and pity me, and do for us more than we ask or even think, both for us and ours—in particular our dear children. Be their covenant God."

The one hundred miles to Savannah were covered in five days under difficulties best indicated by quotations from the diary: "Rode thro' deep creeks and ponds. One mile thro' where a week or fortnight since the stage horses swam. . . Rode thro' three deep creeks . . . one almost came into the foot of the chaise.. . This morn was warm and foggy, like our Hanover morn. It did me good to look at the fogg." Does not the last sentence reveal the homesick heart? j- o whom but to a "stranger in a strange country" would a fog have brought pleasure? On the day before reaching Savannah they had a joyful surprise, for as they were at Wright's Inn "the stage came in going to Savannah and who should get out of the stage but Mr. Tenney, a graduate from Dartmouth College last Commencement." It was indeed a happy meeting as Mr. Tenney accom- panied them on their return journey as far as Philadelphia.

From Savannah, which "had every appearance of a New England town," they arranged to go to Charleston in a sailing vessel, while Mr. Tenney drove the horse and chaise by land. For two days "wind and weather prevented" their sailing, and after starting, but, before reaching the mouth of the river, "the vessel went upon the oyster banks and stuck fast" until floated by the rising tide. "A fair wind and a smooth sea" then brought them to Charleston the next forenoon, but Mrs. Brown "was sick all night" and Dr. Brown, though not sick, "was considerably fatigued."

They spent two weeks in Charleston, where they received much kindness and many social attentions and "were very kindly entertained for 8 days at Capt. J. Young's, hospitable," affectionate kind family"; but the humid climate of Charleston was unfavorable for Dr. Brown. After some hesitation they "concluded to return home by land," and on the 21st of April, accompanied by Mr. Tenney they "set their faces homeward" with the prayer that they might be "preserved and returned to [their] beloved children in much mercy."

The experiences of the journey from Charleston to Richmond, which they reache'd on May 17th, were a repetition of those of the earlier days. Heat and cold, good weather and heavy storms, good roads and bad roads, swollen streams crossed by ferries, rickety bridges or fords, hospitable entertainment by friends or nights spent at public houses of varying conditions, are the record of the diary. One anxious night spent at a public house "with a whole company of Circus riders and two of them with their wives and two children, one young lady, perhaps 30 horses, 1 loaded wagon, 1 loaded carriage, 1 gig and about 20 men," who had a high dispute with the landlord, led to the prayer, "O Lord, preserve us from lawless and unprincipled men that have not Thy fear before their eyes." President Brown's varying condition led to hopeful days, but again to almost despairing prayers for restoration to health and for return home.

As they were coming north with the spring the beauty of the country at- tracted them. At one time fine forest trees made the road "seem like a very pleasant avenue," and again just before they reached Virginia, "the country and farms we passed for a day or two seem more like dear New England farms than anything I have seen before in the South," while Raleigh was "the pleasantest place we have seen since we left Philadelphia."

At Richmond they went "to Dr. Rice's" where, though both Dr. and Mrs. Rice were absent, they found "other friends as kind as ever," and this was especially comforting as this, said Mrs. Brown, was the "first place we have visited the second time since leaving home." After only one night in Richmond, on the morning of the 18th, they took a steamboat that at "the rate of 14 or 15 miles an hour, in 13 hours 160 miles," brought them to Norfolk, where they changed to another boat for Baltimore, which after a "good deal of tossing about" they reached on the morning of the 20th. There they changed again to "an elegant steamboat, very large and a great many passengers." On disembarking at the head of the bay, where Mrs. Brown wrote, "This week have rode 48 miles and come in steamboat 420 Miles," they crossed to New Castle on the Delaware and came by boat to Philadelphia, going to the house of their cousin, Mrs. Gilman. Here they remained a week, during which Mr. Tenney arrived from Rich- mond with the horse and chaise, and, as he did not wish to go farther, they "hired a man of color for a year who attends us on horseback." This was Edward Mitchell, a native of Martinique, W. I, partly of African blood, who remained in Mrs. Brown's family after the death of her husband and was graduated from the College in 1828.

Mrs. Brown's pleasure was very great on their returning to "this pleasant land so variegated, so delightful.... so green and the clover so sweet." More than, once she speaks of the fragrance of the clover and the charm and variety of the land, and once exclaimed, "O who would live to the South that could live to the North?" The joy in the country and in journeying homeward, seen in the entry a few days later, "We have now returned to dear New England; this day entered the State of Connecticut,'' gave her a roseate and delusive judgment of Dr. Brown's condition, who seemed to her to be "getting better gaining flesh and strength a little."

It is not necessary to dwell upon the last part' of the journey, which the magnet of home made as rapid as Dr. Brown's strength allowed. As they approached the end of the journey the weather was hot and exhausting, compelling delay. The last two entries in the dairy suggest Dr. Brown's weakness and the joy of homecoming.

"June 21. Rode 17 miles. Excessive heat. Put up at 11 A.M. on account of extreme heat. Stopt at Mr. Woods, Lebanon only 6 miles from our beloved home.

22. Rode 6 miles, reached our .beloved home, found our dear children and friends well. O, may we have hearts to praise the Lord for all his goodness to us on this very long tour. Wonderful are his ways."

When it was learned at Hanover that President Brown was so near the students wished to go out to meet him to escort him home, "but though he was affected to- tears he declined the honor, saying that he had need of pall bearers rather than a triumphal procession, and coming to his home prepared to die." The hopes which Mrs. Brown had cherished were soon turned to mourning, for his death occured a little more than a month after his return, on July 27, 1820.

FRANCIS BROWN Third President of Dartmouth College 1815-20

On the Wolfeboro Road near Moose Mountain

PROFESSOR