The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-11-23
THANKSGIVING BAY.
History Of the Day In Old Proclnmations-..
Puritan, Dutch, Patriotic.

tive periods during Which d DIVINE
bestowals of private and public bless
ings is gratefully recognized. Their
history in this part of America begins as
early as the year 1921. The peculiar
circumstances which led to the setting
of q period of thanksgiving by the Pill
grims are described by Edward Winslow
in u letter dated Plymouth, December
II, 1921. OF the 102 emigrants who
had landed on the 18th fold style) OF
December, 1920, on the bleak coast OF
Cape Cod bay, almost a hall OF that
number had sickness and died, and
nearly all of the remainder had physl-
cally suffered from restitution and the
rigors of the first winter in the new
country. The prudence and industry
of the few persons that were not dis,
abled we're so greatly blessed as to call
forth the thankfulness of the favored
people, "in a special manner"
"You shall understand that IN this
little time that a few of us have been
here we have built seven dwellings,
houses and four for the use OF the plan
tation, and have made preparations for
divers others. We set the last spring
some twenty acres of barley and peas;
and according to the manner of the In
dams, we MANFRED our ground with
behring's, or rather shads, which we
have in great abundance and take with
great ease at our doors. Our corn did
prove we'll; and, God be praised, we had
q good increase of Indian corn, and our
barley Indifferent good, but u peas
not worth the gathering, for we feared
they were too late sown. They came
up very we'll and b%lossomed, but the
Jul parched them in the blossom
"Onr harvest being gotten in, our
governor sent four men on q towing
that We might, after a special manner,
rejoice together after we had the fruit
of our labor. They, four, in one day
killed as much fowl as, with a little
help beside, served the company almost
a week. At that time, among other re-
creations, we exercised our arms, many
of the Indians coming among us, and
among the rest. their great king, Mas
sasoyt, with some ninety men, whom tor
three DAYS we entertained and feasted,
and they went out and killed five deer,
which they brought to the plantation
and bestowed on u governor and upon
the captain and others. And although
it be not always so plentiful as it was at
this time with US, yet, by the goodness
of God, we are so far from want that we
often wish you partakers of our plenty"
The great abundance of wild turkeys
Astounding in the neighboring forests
10 doubt supplied the Puritans with
the fowl sufficient for their hospitality.
The turkey which now is so highly
priced by the people Of tie United
States for Thanksgiving dinners may
have in this way obtained its peculiar
prominence among the viands OF the
table.
The people of New Netherland at o
very early date observed days of thanks
giving. Among the Dutch records at
the office of the secretary OF state are
preserved proclamations Of ~thanksglv-
ing days in 1916 and 1867 of the coun-
Gil of New Netherland. William Kieft
was governor in l645 of the colony, and
the Encouragement of the council. On
the thirty-fr of August, 1916, the
council, sitting at Fort Amsterdam New
York;,
Resolced in council to proclaim q gen.
eral thanksgiving, which thanksgiving
shall take place on the sixth OF Sep
TENDER next in all the Dutch and Eng
lish churches within the limits of New
Netherland.
The proclamation reads:
"WHEREAs, 1t hath pleased Almighty
God, in His unbounded clemency and
mercy, in addition to many previous
blessings, to suffer us to reach q long
wished-for peace with the Indians;
"Therefore is it deemed necessary to
proclaim the fact to all those Of New
Netherland, to the end that in all
= places within the aforesaid country
where Dutch and English churches are
{ established God Almighty may be
specially thanked, praised and blessed
!, on next Wednesday forenoon, being
8 The sixth of September, the text to bt
3 appropriate and the sermon to be ap
0 plicable tn sreto.
"Your reverence will please an
! nounce this matter to the congregation
next Sunday, so that they may hav'
notice. On which We rely"
e This proclamation. as set forth in tn
text, was issued on the ratification OF
treaty of peace between the Dutch ant
. the Indians. The forenoon of the da,
was set apart for the religious services
and it is likely the afternoon was glvel
e to social pleasures.
h The proclamation of Petrus Stuy
v vesant, or rather of the council of Ne'
i Netherland, in 1867, is longer than th
a one of 1916, and is more particular i
expressing what shall be the manner
the observance of the day and in TO,
bidding certain secular and worldly az
tivities and pleasures.
Or On the possession of New Netherlan
l. by the English, Edmund Andres bein
governor, the council sitting on June
a. 1875, ordered:
d "That Wednesday, We 23d OF tn
)" Instant month, be appointed througho1
u We government q day of Thanksgivln
~ aud Prayers to Almighty God for all H
~ Past Deliverances and blessings an
Present Mercies to US, and to pray J
continuance and Encresse thereof"
The surrender of General Burgoyr
to General Gates at Saratoga, in TT
I'd fall of TIT, induced the members
III the Continental Congress to take tt
following action on Friday, October 8
m 1777:
1T "Resolred, That q committee OF thr
be appointed to prepare q recommend
~ lion to the several States to set apart
20 dav for Thanksgiving fos the signal su
o cess lately obtained over the enemi
= of these United States"
rs The members chosen as that col
IL mittee were Samuel Adams, RichaI
H. Henry Lee and Daniel Roberdeau.
IS, On Saturday, November l, l777, Il
ma committee reported, and Thursday, Il
m 18th day of December, was set apart
ne O. dav of "solemn thanksgiving al
praise"
In compliance with the order OF Co
is cress the army at VsMey Forge du
Oh observed the day. IL General Was
ed ington's orderly book Of December
IL 1777, is this entry:
nd "To.morrow being the day set apa
bv the honorable Congress for pub
of thanksgiving and praise, and duty ca
ne ing us devoutly to express our gratet
lie. Acknowledgements to God for the ma
on fold blessings he has granted U.S., t
er. general directs that the army remain
its present quarters, and that the cha
lains perform divine service with tn
,an several corps and b1igades, and earne
~. " exhorts all officers and soldlt
mo whose absence is not indispensably NJ
for essary to attend with reverence t
no solemnitics of the day"
EN- "1oNG LIVE THE KIN OF FRANCE"
General Washington, on the rece
tty ton oil the intelligence of the tres