The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-11-30
THANKSGIVING DAY.
History of the Day IN Old ProciamRtions---
Puritan, Dutch, Pntriotic.

History Of the Day in old Procinmntions--.
Puritan, dutch. Patriotic.
Thanksgiving days are sequents OF
past welfare. They become RETROSPECT.
tive periods during which the divine
bestowals of private and public bless
tngs is gratefully recognized Their
history in this part Of America begins as
early as the year 1921. The peculiar
circumstances which led 10 the setting
Of q period of thanksgiving by the Pill
grims are described by Edward Winslow
in a letter dated Plymouth, December
II, 1921. OF the 102 emigrants who
had landed on the 11th fold style) of
December, 1920, on the bleak coast of
Cape God bay, almost q half of that
number had sickness and died, and
nearly al Of the remainder had physi-
caily suffered from destitution and the
rigors of the first winter in the new
country. The prudence and industry
OF the few persons that were not dis
abled were 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 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
dians, we manured our ground with
herrings, or rather shads, which we
have in gfeab abundance and take with
great ease at our doors. Our corn did
prove we'll; and, God be praised, we had
a good increase of Indian corn, and our
barley Indifferent good, but our peas
not worth the gathering, for we feared
they were too late sown. They came
up very we'll and blossomed, but the
sun parched them in the blossom,
"Our harvest being gotten in, our
governor sent four men on fowling
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 for
three days we entertained and feasted,
and they went out and killed five deer,
which they brought to the plantation
and bestowed on our 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
abounding in the neighboring forests
no doubt supplied the Puritans with
the fowl sufficient for their hospitality.
The turkey which now is so highly
priced by the people of the 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
very early date observed days of thanks
giving. Among the Dutch records at
the Office of the secretary of state are
preserved proclamations of thanksgiv-
ing days in 1645 and 1867 of the coun-
Gil of New Netherland. William Kieft
was governor in 1645 of the colony, and
the director-genera of the council. On
the thirty-frst of August, 1916, the
council, sitting at Fort Amsterdam New
York;,
ReSolUed in council to proclaim a gen.
eral Thanksgiving, which thanksgiving
shall take place on the sixth of Sep
tember next in all the Dutch and Eng
hsh churches within the limits of New
Netherland.
The proclamation reads:
4" WHEREAS, It hath pleased Almighty
God, in His unbounded clemency and
mercy, in addition to many previous
blessings, to suffer us to reach a long
wished-for peace with the Indians;
Therefore is itdeemed 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
the sixth Of September, the text to be
appropriate and the sermon to be ap-
plicable tn sreto.
Your reverence will please an
nounce this matter to the congregation
next Sunday, so that they may have
notice. On which we rely"
This proclamation. as set forth in the
text, was issued on the ratification of a
treaty Of peace between the Dutch and
the Indians. The forenoon of the day
was set apart for the religious services,
and it is likely the afternoon was given
to social pleasures.
The proclamation of Petrus Stuy-
vesant, or rather of the council of New
Netherland, in 1867, is longer than the
one of l645, and is more particular in
expressing what shall be the manner of
the observance Of the day and in for
bidding certain secular and worldly ac-
tiVities and pleasures
On the possession Of New Netherll.nd
by the English, Edmund Andres being
governor, the council sitting on June 7,