The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-09-17

Hiy cOHHtry, not against her" With Til,
lie applied for II commission from Gen
eral Washington, and received it. He
was one of the most devoted soldiers in
the Revolutionary war. He armed his
own servants and slaves, and bearing his
own expenses, as well as giving money
to the Government, he continued at
the head of brave regiment until his
country was freed from a foreign des-
potism- At the battle of Fort Ann he
was wounded in the thigh by a musket
ball, which led to his death in 1916.
Mrs. Van Rensselaer,, then has these
three great epOehs in her life: a sweet.
blushing maiden-possessed of more
than usual charns-for a period of
twenty-One years; a wife twenty years,
during which time she associated al
ways with tine greatest and best of her
country; then for fifty-nine long, long
years she has been n widow, living on
the previous memories of the husband
of her youth and love; for of her own
choice has she remained a widow.
Twice has she received offers of mar
riage, such as few have received, and
fewer still refused-one of these being
no less than President, to whom she
said: ''NO, one husband, and one set
Of teeth, ought to be enough for any
woman" l wonder how / would feel if
any young woman, or widow, said that
to me. But must not moralize yet.
Some time after the death of her hus-
band, her house was burned, and then
she lost many important papers, rela-
tive to his business affairs. AT the same
time she lost the papers which supplied
the link her husband sustained toward
the Government; thus her pension has
been less than it would otherwise have
been; but during all these years she has
regularly received 800 per annum, and
about sixteen years ago she received
$1,000, in consideration of the way in
which she had been overlooked.
Then Mrs. Van Rensselaer, has had
four sons and one daughter. The daugh-
ter died when a young woman. One of
her sons, living near Cincinnati, Ohio,
is man of much Importance among
Free Masons, having had all the honors
of the Order conferred upon him. One
of her sons was n naval officer, under
Commodore Hull. He seems to have
been a brave man, by the many incl
dents narrated of him. On one ocea-
sion, along with the Commodore, they
were out on the Mediterranean, after pi-
rates. When in Constantinople, the
Sultan, after some trouble, ordered all
the harbors closed. Vessels could nei-
ther enter or leave not even that
carrying the American flag. To Com
mOdore Hull this was very annoying,
and not less so to Van Rensselaer,. The
officer entreated leave from his General,
to go and see the Sultan, which leave
was granted with some hesitancy. But
he gained an interview with the Sultan,
persuaded him that they were in no way
hostile to him or his interests, and that
they wished permission to go. At last
he gave his consent, embodied in a pa
per which he caused to be prepared, and
to which was affixed the royal seal. BY
presenting this parchment, written in
the Turkish language, the ports were
thrown open to all the American ships.
This paper is still in the possession of
Mrs. Van Rensselaer,, and can be seen at
any time at Randolph. This brave Of
fieer was killed in desperate engage-
ment on Lake Erie, near Detroit. in the |
War of 1914. His mother was in Cleve-
land at the time Of his death, and his |
remains were brought there and buried. |
She still retains the sash and belt which |
he wore, stained all over with his blood,
and that speaks of his bravery still,
though shed so long ago.
What strange memories all these |
things awaken in my mind, limit,d tho |
my knowledge of American history wasi
But how many more it must have awoke |
IN hers? Many pleasant evenings has
she spent with Jefferson, Van Buren,,
Clay, etc. of the first she speaks
very highly. She well remembers his
powdered hair, his knee breeebes, and
ipeaks in glowing terms of his gal |
antry, the last rays of that glorious
of which Chaneer sings, and
Don QuixOte ridicules. Such women as
Mrs. Hamilton, the lady of fashion and
he lady of culture, were her friends,
md a great blank was felt in her life |
ghen Mrs. Hamilton left to meet her
murdered husband in another world. q
Often has she seen Aaron Burr, and |
heard him say: my punishment il
greater than can bear"
But what struck me with greatest
'orce, and seemed most singular to me,
was the little incident which brought us
] had been preaching in a
strange chureh-and one to which /
lad been invited a. pastor-and at the
;lose of the sermon paper was put In
ny hand, which read thus:
g Tie old lady who will hold the child
or christening is one hundred years old, \
ind wishes to stand as its God-mother,
md give it her full name. You will |
therefore repeat the three names:
'NA8CY GERTRUDE VAN RRNsSELARR.
So / stepped down from the pulpit TO
where she was sitting. Quietly she
arose, took the child in her arms, leaned
forward to catch each word that was
aid. The whole congregation was as
,iIent as If an angel stood before them.
was so overcome myself / could say
almost nothing. II seems TO IDe now
hat ] said something about her intro
iueing her great great grandehild TO the
sod whom she had known herself, and
served so long, and something about
life having two ends-One a. it comes
nto time, and the other as it enters
sternity-and that now we seemed to
see them both. But what j did really
;ay in all. / know not; what l should
nave said. know not. 1t may be ques-
.ioned whether such an incident ever
before, or may ever occur
again. It seemed also as IL an angels
,vLisnar MIGHT have been heard when |