AND MANY DARTMOUTH YESTERDAYS

A Wayward Freshman Some recollections of John Ledyard, "that wondrous Adventurer," as an undergraduate

In 1821, the Rev. Jared Sparks, thengathering material for his celebrated Life of John Ledyard, enlisted the aid of hisfriend Richard Bartlett of Concord,N. H., in obtaining biographical information, and, in particular, facts relating toLedyard's period as a Dartmouth undergraduate. On receiving this plea for assistance, Bartlett, a member of the College's Class of 1815, immediately set towork, having notices inserted in thenewspapers and sending out, also, lettersto individuals who might possess personal knowledge pertinent to Sparks'sstudy.

One of those to whom Richard Bartlett wrote was James Wheelock of Hanover, youngest and only surviving sonof Dartmouth's founder. Attorney Wheelock responded promptly:

Hanover Novr 12. 1821 —

DEAR SIR

Yours of the 6th inst' I have received, and very gladly give you what little information I am able on the subject refer,d to — No records were kept of the students who entered Dart: College, at the time John Ledyard was a member; however I well remember him, for we were classmates —

Our Class entered in the year 1772, & graduated in 1776; but whether, Ledyard entered the freshman, or sophimore year, I dont now, with certainty, recollect, tho' I am inclined to think the former; nor, do I remember how long he continued here, whether two, or, only one year — As a scholar while he was here, according to my best recollection, he was respectable, tho he did not excel — He was gentlemanly, & had an independance & singularity in his manners, his dress, & appearance that commanded the particular notice & attention of his fellow students — I remember when he first came, he came in a sulkey the first carriage of the kind ever on Dartmouth plain, which then, considering the wilderness, the new & almost impassable state of the roads, want of bridges &c displayed in him a fortitude, & something of that spirit of enterprize, for which his after life was so highly distinguished — While he was here he did not keep school — indeed, at that early period of the settlement, of this part of the country, there were not, (excepting Moors school connected with the College) any schools in this region —

The story of his making a canoe, & descen[d]ing the river in it, to Hartford, is true — I well remember his making it, & his getting the assistance of his fellow students therein — and that while he was engaged in the work, he, unfortunately, cut his leg, of which he was so lame for several days as to occasion a suspension of his enterprize — He finally completed & went in it, down the river to Hartford; not, however, without drawing Bellows, & I dont know but some other, falls; for these he could not run but at the extreme hazard of his life; but even this hazard he almost, tho' unintentionally, ran— for, as was said, before his arrival at the falls, his mind was so abstracted, either by sleep, reading, or intense thought, that his bark got almost to the very fall, before he thought of his perilous situation, at which moment he was alarmed, suddenly, by the noise of the water, & this, but just seasonably for him, with his greatest exertion, [permitted him] to save himself from that iminent danger —

I am the only person in the place who was living here while I was a member of College, or that can, probably, give any information concerning him — Judge Sherburne of Portsmouth, & Gen1 Ebenezer Mattoon of Amherst (Mass) were both of the same class — they perhaps, (though I hardly think it likely) may give you some further information; nothing, however, can either of us give, but what must be swallow,d up in the after displays of enterprize & genius in that wondrous Adventurer

I am Sir, respectfully yours &c — JA,S WHEELOCK

In forwarding the above letter, Richard Bartlett advised the Rev. Mr. Sparkson November twenty-third, "I have written to Judge Sherburne & shall, doubtless, receive an answer, but, I presume,no additional facts. It is possible, however, that he may remember the time ofLedyard's entering & leaving College.Gen1 Mattoon, I understand, is dead."

The biographer, it is clear, in himselfmaking acknowledgment to James Wheelock for his helpful recollections, raisedfurther questions of the Hanover lawyer,for in January the latter wrote again, thistime direct to Jared Sparks:

Hanover (N H) 29. 1822 -

SIR

I am sorry that I have not been able sooner to acknowledge the receipt of your polite letter of Ist1st and that now, I can give you no more information on the subject of your enquiry — A few incidents in addition to what I mentioned in my letter to Mr Bartlett, refer,d to by you, concerning John Ledyard my class-mate I can mention — One is — While he was here, being fond of dramatic exercises he procured to be acted the tragedy of Cato, & that in it, he himself personated old Syphax the Numidian prince — The singularity of his dress on the occasion I cant particularize, further than that, he wore a long artificial grey beard — but his part, particularly, afforded much amusement

— Another circumstance that made a lasting impression on my youthful mind at that time, is, — As among other oddities in his dress he usually went, even in the winter season, with an open collar;

on a certain morning in the winter, extremely cold, & without a fire in the room, as we were at recitation before the Tutor, one of the class unobserved by Ledyard took a cold frosty iron wedge & ran it down his back, between the shirt & skin — at which Ledyard screamed out in a loud voice, "come come W - Kis theD ... I in you"[*]

Another circumstance, that may appear more characteristic of the man, that I remember, is, — That at a time in the dead of winter, when there was quite a depth of snow on the ground, this Ledyard procured a party, of which I was one, to go with him to the summit of a neighbouring mountain, & there to pass the night — My father the President of the College who then wished to train me up for a missionary among the Indians, & being willing we should be inured to some of the fatigues of a savage life, did not object — accordingly, soon after noon we started, with Ledyard our leader, through snow, and the thicket of the swamp & forest & ascended the mountain, the summit of which we reached, only, in time before dark, to build a fire, & prepare for the wintry night — a sleepless night it was — The next morning we left our dreary lodging place & came home; which we reached about noon, having been gone about 24 hours; all of us, unless it might be Ledyard, well satisfied not to take such another jaunt

When I entered College, & was first acquainted with Ledyard, I was quite young, only 14 years old — a right age to be impressed with such -like circumstances as I have mentioned in this, & in my letter to Mr Bartlett — but too young to scrutinize the peculiarities of his mind, or to remember any thing peculiar in the employment of his time

I have tried, but cant recollect the cause of his leaving College at the time he did; which, since writing Mr Bartlett, I find, was in the second year of his being here — I think probably, however, it was, that he was too restless to be long in any one place, and that his mind was not adapted to close application, & that he could not patiently submit to the restraints, nor comply with the strict & uniform regulations of a College government —

Could I furnish you with any further information to aid in displaying the character of that extraordinary man, I would do it with great pleasure —

I am Reverend Sir with much respect your very obedt servant JA,S WHEELOCK

Two months later found Richard Bartlett informing Sparks, under date ofMarch 22, 1822:

"I long inc[e] applied to Judge Sherburne for a history of the brief Collegelife of Ledyard, but never received anyreply. Last month I conversed with himin Portsmouth on the subject & foundhim sufficiently talkative, yet I could notextort from him a positive promise tofurnish a written narrative. He says thatL _ and he were the most intimatefriends, although there was some disparity in their ages, & that L _ on leavingCollege gave him all his books, of whichhe owned a considerable number. MrWheelock, if I remember, assigned poverty as the cause of L's leaving College,but Judge S. denies that, & says it wassome misunderstanding with the President, & that L's high unbending spiritcould not brook the authority, which thePres' attempted to exercise over him.[...]I am told that Nath1 Adams Esqof Portsmouth was a classmate or College acquaintance of L. — I shall writeto him for information —"

On April twelfth Bartlett wrote oncemore, this time to announce that he hadreceived a letter from Nathaniel Adams(Dartmouth 1775), though it contained,he declared, but little information. Hegave, nonetheless, the following extract:

"We were a short time contemporariesat college, he was a year or two afterme & tarried there only a short time.The reason of his leaving college I donot now recollect. He was of a middlingstature, rather thick set. His hair waswhite, not of the silvery cast as it commonly is when the effect of age, but of aslight yellow tinge. His manners weresingular, & he early discovered his disposition for a wandering life.[...]"

Over two years later the Rev. JaredSparks, continuing to pursue his research,was still hoping to turn up further detailsof John Ledyard at the college, as wellas more information about his ultimatedeparture down the Connecticut. Thus,another of Sparks's Dartmouth friends,George Ticknor (Class of 1807), was commissioned to press additional inquiries;and during his summer visit to Hanoverin 1824, Ticknor, accordingly, reportedon what he had been able to discover:

Hanover Aug. 7. 1824.

MY DEAR SIR,

Your kind letter came four days ago, and I should have answered it earlier or written to you before its arrival; but, I have hardly finished the inquiries about Ledyard, which you desired I should make. The result, to be sure is small — totum nil — or pretty nearly so; but, what it is, I am very happy to send you, in proof of my diligence & good will. —

At Walpole nothing is known. I could hear of only two persons, that were alive & near Walpole, when Ledyard came down the river; & I went to see both of them. Bellows, the present Sheriff of the Co. was only nine years old, however, in 1773 & so remembers nothing in the case. Judge Burt, the other, who lives just beyond the falls on the Vt. side, they all agreed, must know whatever is to be known, & I, therefore, went to him with better hopes; but was again disappointed. He told me, he moved to the village, two miles below the falls, in 1761 & that he established himself at the falls in Dec. 1772 — that some boating & a good deal of lumbering was done on the river before '70, — & that large sticks of timber were occasionally raised on wheels & dragged round the falls as early as that, — & that Ledyard's canoe, if it were 100 feet long, might well have been carried round the falls, by the same process. He, however, knew nothing about it. And ne[i]ther of them could direct me to a third person for information; so that I was forced to give up the chase, as the scent would lay no further.

Here, I have been out to Mr. Wheelock's place. But he went into the upper part of Vermont about a fortnight ago, & will not return while I remain. I can, however, I suspect, answer your question, as well as he could. Old Dr Wheelock came here & began to cut down trees in 1770. His family, I take it, all entered college that year, as much as they ever did, for things were then in so rude a state, that no ceremonies were observed, beyond assembling all the settlers night & morning in his log hut to hear prayers. The next year houses were built & things went on with a little form; but, I apprehend the time of one person's arrival here to study would argue nothing concerning the arrival of any other.

I have looked over all the Secretary's documents of the earliest period; but John Ledyard's name occurs nowhere. In the Treasury department, however, there are two old day books or blotters, which were kept to record whatever was delivered to the young men here or to any body else, out of a magazine kept by old Dr W. for the common necessities, as well as to charge tuition, room rent &c to the poor students. Nothing can give a more sensible impression, than these books, of the half civilized state of things here at the foundation of the college, &, therefore, though there is nothing particula[r] or uncommon in the charges made from time [to] time against Ledyard yet, I tho't I would copy them for your amusement.

The first book begins in Dec. 1771; but, as there is no charge against Ledyard 'till April 23. 1772, I doubt whether he was here much before that time, for he could hardly live a week, as you will see without resorting to the only place where the articles of life and necessary subsistence were to be had —

1772 Apr. 23 — 6 sheets paper £0.0.4 28 1 quire paper 0.1.0 May 1. 1 yd. ferreting 0.0.1½ 13 Part of a piece of diaper for breeches 0.7.0 " 1 Skein thread 0.0.2 16 1 hdkf 0.3.0 26 ½ doz pipes 0 0.5 June 8 2 doz nails 0.0.3 9. Discount with B. Woodward 0.6.0 19. 2 pair linen hose 0.12.0 22. Paper ink powder 0.1.0 23. 2 yds. camlet 0.5.4 1½ yds. dowlas* 0.3.0 24. cake chocolate 0.1.0 25 1 doz. quills 0.0.3 26 2½ lbs sugar 0.1.6. June 26. 1 yard tape 0.0.1 " skein silk 0.0.10 July 2 Linen hose 0.6.0 7. 8 yds. linen 2.4.0 4 hanks thread 0.0.8 12. Disct. with J. Payne 0.5.0 20 Discount with P. Field 0.9.0 23. Cash paid him 0.1.2½ Aug. 3. Pair Indian Mocassins 0.5.0 " Discountwith J.Brattle 0.3.0 15 Skein of silk 0.0.9. 21. 20½ weeks of board at 5/6. 5.12.3 Tuition 1½ quarters at 16/ 1.4.0 Study room same time 0.6.0 Books......... 0.0.6.

This account, which looks not a little like Falstalf's tavern reckoning Sack 2/6, Bread 1d½. - marks, the time of his arrival here, at the first week in April 1772, for otherwise, half a quarters board, tuition &c would not have been charged. At the same date (Aug. 21.) he is credited

By his horse to Lebanon in Con. 1.7.0 from which, I infer, he came on horse back & that his horse was ridden back by some of the College people to Lebanon, for which he is credited. He is also credited, same date,

By Services in writing 0.6.0 By discount with Mr. Bailey 0.13.6. He now seems to have settled his accounts & taken a long vacation, for he does not appear on the books again, till

Dec. 1. 53A yds. green baize 0.17.3. 4. 1 doz. candles 0.0.9 9. cake soap 0.0.10 10. Load wood 0.2.0 18. 1 yd. wire 0.0.2. " small cord _2_0 2 Blankets 1.4.0 26. 2 yds. wire 0.0.4 1773. Jany. 8. Sheet press paper 0.0.4 12. doz. candles 0.0.9 making silk hdkf. 0.0.3 washing breeches 4 times 0.2.0 - waistcoat 3 times 0.1.0. Jan. 13. Pair Leather Gloves 0.2.0. 30. Ms lb candles 0.04½ Feb. 10. knee buckles 0.3.0 12. 3 candles 0.0.2½ 14. 1 yd. wire 0.0 2. 17. 1 lb Tobacco 0.0 9 2 penknifes dela to ye Indians 0.2.0 17. 7 yds. Linen 0.14.0 1 pr. blk stockings 0.4.6. 20. Cr. same returned 0.4.6 26. Two pr. stockings 0.8.0 27 ½ lb candles 0.04½ March 11. 1 lb. sugar 0.0.10. 17. Ink Pot 0.1.0 18. 3 candles 0.0.2½ 22. Coffee Pot 0.3.0 25. Load wood 0.2.0 30 ½ lb candles 0.0.4½ Apr. 6. 2½ yds. Tyke [what?] 0.3.4. 20. Board from March 1. is 7½ weeks at 5/6........... 1.19.3 Tuition 1 qr. 0.17.0 Study room 0.4.0 use of blanket one year 0.2.0 Cr. By two blankets returned 1.0.0 " " ½ lb candles returned 0.0.4½

He now seems to have settled up his accounts & gone off, for I can find no further trace of him. This, too, I think is the time when you supposed he went down the river.

I find two other hints about Ledyard in this place, & only two — Thos' Walcutt, was living here with him, as I find by charges in these same books; & if you have not seen him, we can, probably, get something from him, for he is quite a Mr. Oldbuck. My other hint is, that Pres. Allen of Brunswick found among the old Wheelock Papers a letter from Ledyard to the elder President, complaining of his treatment while here, in quite a vituperative tone.

I wish I could have collected more for you about the early years & adventures of your romantick personage; but, this is all & as Dr Johnson says, no man likes to have his all despised, be it ever so little. Take it, then, as it is, & if you will but look at it, magnified through the medium of my good will & earnest endeavours, you will see it much larger than it seems to me.[...]

August 8.

Mr. Wheelock returned unexpectedly last night & has just been passing an hour with me, since church, to talk about Ledyard His recollections are obviously very distinct about him. Ledyard came here, he says, in the Spring of 1772 — travelled in a sulky brought with him calico for curtains & other materials to assist in theatrical exhibitions of which he was very fond. Cato was performed, Ledyard acting the part of Syphax & wearing a long false beard. He was much addicted to reading plays — dressed singularly — wore enormously large, loose Turkish breeches — never tied up his collar or had a neckcloth — did not study much — was not very tractable to college discipline, & was quite indignant because it fell to his lot, as a Freshman, to blow the conch-shell with which the students were summoned, for want of a bell. They both entered college in August 1772, when something like a class was formed & regular exercise[s] were held twice daily. Of the expedition, which Ledyard headed, & where a body of the students for a frolick encamped in the woods on a hill east of the College in mid winter, Mr. W. says he wrote you an account. The canoe was built or rather dug in the subsequent spring on a piece of ground now belonging to my sister. Ledyard cut him in the work & was laid up for several days. Several of his class assisted him from time to time, for the frolick's sake & saw him safely off. Mr. Wheelock says he heard, at the time, that Ledyard did not row or paddle but simply floated down the stream, employing himself in reading; & that he was so careless as nearly to have gone over Bellows' falls. — He seems to have had a very singular & marked character — once swore outright in the recitation room, when a trick was played him by one of his class; — & yet no notice was taken of it. His fellows liked him, & had a good deal of confidence] in him, though their sympathy, I suspect, was rather with his good nature than his thoughts. [...]

Yrs. always very truly GEO: TICKNOR.

Perhaps the closing word should bereserved for Ledyard himself.

Now preserved in the Dartmouth Archives is the original of his letter referredto by Ticknor as having been found byBowdoin's president, William Allen (who,through marriage to John Wheelock'sdaughter and from succeeding his father-in-law in the presidency of "DartmouthUniversity," came into possession ofmany of the Wheelock and early Collegepapers). Docketed on its cover in Eleaz.ar Wheelock's own hand as "FromJohn Ledyard / May 23. 1773. / SaucyEnough — ," the letter runs to seven pagesof indignant self-defense against observations that had been made by Wheelockregarding his conduct and character, aswell as certain aspersions and countercharges of his own directed at the President.

In drawing this vigorous missive to itsend, Ledyard suddenly declares, however:

— Doctl' I can no more, a few words & farewell. — So far as I know myself I came to your College under influences of the good kind — whether you Sr believe it or not, — the Auquaintance I have gaind there is dearer than I can possibly express! — farewel dear Dartm0 — delightfull repose for Innocence & true felicity — sweet society, love, & peace, — that you may flourish like the Bay tree, be like an Apple Tree in the midst of the Woods — of whose fruit I was so happy as to taste, but now no more — that you may flourish in immortal green — that you may be the Sinai to this Continent & give her examples of that kind of Education that the World knows not of — that you may surmout, yea far transcend the fondest hopes & sanguine desires of the nearest concern'd — that you may be Bless d indeed with that which is better than Corn & Wine — New Covnant increas — is certainly, tho' the weak yet constant & ardent supplication of your beloved tho' unfortunate Son., — Doctr my heart is chaste as new fallen Snow, farewell! — yea thro' Time & Eternity farewell' & may the God of Abraham Isaac & Jacob Bless you & yours.

— I am Hond & Reva Sr tho' sorely besett, yr obliged & dutifull young Servant JOHN LEDYARD

[*The prankster must have been either James Wheelock himself or his brother Eleazar (also a member of the Class of 1776), for Wheelock is the only name from among those of Ledyard's college contemporaries that would have had the first and last letters as cited.]

* "Dowlass, filthy dow lass, I say."

A conjectural portrait of Ledyard.

Ledyard's near mishap at Bellows Falls on the trip from Hanover to the sea, asdepicted in the biography, "Adventures of a Yankee," published in 1831.

This tablet on the river bank marks thespot where Ledyard hewed out his canoe.