New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-03
MRS. HANCOCK AND MIR. HANCOCK.
INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF THE GOVERNOR
From tho diary Of General william II. Sumner, quoted In

tho diary OF General William H. Qu"S~ -
The Magazine OF American History.
To-day, Thursday, Nov. 81, 1922 dined, at an
Informal dinner, with my respected friend S.ePn me,
Governor Hancock, havng married for her secone
husband Captain Scott since deceased Mrs hoohnr,
the wife of Judge Hooker of Springfield Mrs Ps,ne
and the members Of Mr. Codmans family were present;
Having often before had opportunities OF nearps ~.
the eventfnl periods OF our Revolution from 'noso
OF memory when came to relate them l DOW ~,
termned not to rest on my pillow I'LL had recoru'A
the points Of her most memorable conversations, .,o
Tho attention of Mrs. Scott was called 10 tne
period Of tho Lexington battle and she Observed
tho Congress sat- to the Rev Mr. Clark In Lexng or
to lodge, and that he and Mr.. Samuel Adams were nH
Clark asre Int b ngH she sa wa as OF Mr.
Mrs. Scott at this time was young malaeh ,s Sas
of the MAJ Of to %Ron The aunt Of the
ernor and the widow OF his uncle Thomas hanco9A
las lady-lihe woman IS ever Bostop ereu ss
served who was her particular friend and protectsss'
cher mother then being dead) was also at Lexlns.on,
at the same house. She observed that Dr. Maf aIn
sent out In tho evening that they mst rho
country, for Gneral Gage had ordered ioIce "
hSt sss TO the message and there
about 1o O'clock Mr. Hancock gave the alarm ,,
mediateiv and the Lexington bell was rung all night
and before light about $50 men collected Mt
IT, was all the night cleaning his gun ana swo d
and putting his accoutrements IN oru e estInr house
where the battle was. to fight with the men who were
collected but who, she says, were but psrea,y post
miserable order and it was with very great difficulty
that he was dissuaded from 1t by Mr. IIarR anu anu
sboulder' said TO him "That is not our business !:
we belong to the Cabinet" 1t was not tii Droh I'M,
day that It, Mr. I'm coHa &c himself against such
erfnI force but overcome By the entreates Oh nis
friends, who convinced him that me enemy ADAMS %Sp
indeed triumph, II they could get him ana Mt huams
in their power; and finding, by the INQUIRIES Oh
British officer fororunner Of the army VINO % a thsr
objects he wSh Mr. Adams, went over to- Woonrn
to the Rev Mr. Joness, think she said ne scntt
remained and saw the battle commence. mrs scott
says the British fred first, she is sure ms Wa ga
popt much contested at the time, and many deposos
were taken to prove the fast ina ns Rrsb bullets
whizzed by old Mrs. HancocRs head as she Vas S
looking out of the door and struck the barn she st
and she must take caro- Of herself Mrs. Scott was
at the chamber window looking at the fight she says
the house. One Of them, whose head ca Il was Vas
graled by ball, insisted on 1t that he was dead INC
FIRST was scared more than hurt. After the British
passed on towards Concord, the ladies received Letter
from Mr. informing them Where ere ne ana and eoms
over, and bfng the fine salmon that they had had
to aGS S,G ac they and
just sitting down to ear It, when Ia came a man
from Lexington whose house was upon W seo and i1 fm
at homeI as sOor as he saw the Brinsh bayosets s
gseng as they the 5 on he snS
Tho British coming the British are COMING 9Isms
my wfc's I'm etarnity now.' Mr. H. ana Mr. Auaii .
supposlng the British troops were at hand went INTO
the swamp and staid until the alarm was over; AL,
Upon their return to the house. Mrs SCOT tora
she She should return to him tomorrow. mo, madam
said no. you shall not return as long a. me- snrt
Of nFt'R rd%Sn sa sI: n Mr.
not under your control yet shall go In 10 my iatrp
tomorrow" for she said at that m S s ssru aunt as
she afterward became, would not let her 60 ohe u,u
go Boston for three years afterward Tor wnsn
~ tba
I'm Connecticut. and staid with Mr. Burr, the uncle OF
Aaron Burr who was there aaron she s ,a wa a.
him lest no should gain her affections and defeat her
purpose Of connecting her with her nephew Mr. BUR-,
She said. was a handsome young man OF very pretty
fortune but her aunt would not leave them moment
together and in August she married MI H. ana alter
ward they went on Philadelphia. to the congress- OF
which Mr.. H. was president at the time she married
him.
Mrs Scott observed that she did not like Philadelphia
very much, though she had very goSa e h,sv no al
the time she there in picking up 20 DC
off for the officers appointed by no ke1s
clerk though all the business Of Congress was done
by the Presldenthe herself was for months s
With her scissors in trimming of the edges OF the DIS
Of credit issued by the Congress and signed by the
President and packing them mp In saddle pafs 10 oe
sent off to various quarters for the use Oh the army!
Nrs Scott spoke freely Of the character OF Mr..
Hancock. who was afterward Governor, and SAID ne
would always have has orders executed tnronsn n nc
no always kept open house, and spoke OF ms
nj Of The French officers and Others at the
time the French feet was In Boston The poor c1In,
turkeys every night after getting great dinner ana
the feathers sometimes too visible on he poultry
cure the cook directed turkey be roasted with the
feathers on This actually done; ana lne .ufhey
caught fire on the spit and the Iean % with Wn1 srest
noise and made stencil which annOysd sve.s VoEs
house but Mr. H. Who though S h
was successful and the poor cook was Obliged, noens
vocns to be careful of pin feathers ser afa s AMI m 40
they had $50 live turkeys, whioh were snuI ny ~
the coach house night and let out to feed IN ,ne
pasture, where the State House now Is, by DAY, ana
that two or three killed every plight VS. ..ou
She mentioned another instance OF M shat
used, day when confined upstairs Wn,'e chi i
were at dinner ne h StS b 9e rooms and
him II there not china plate on the table Ca.o
replied that It was only to put the cheese IN ne Oh
pewter plate and bring the china one up TO MN:
which Cato having done, he ordered him TO throw IL
massa, could not stir he would cheat him, and
threw the plate on to slanting bank OF grass, ana
cato thought not hearing It break, made Cato go
down and smash the plate against the wall
When tho French fleet was in Boston in ITS,
under Count DEstaing. Mr.. Hancock ordered
breakfast to be provided for thirty Of the officers,
whom he had invited. But the Count brought up
almost all the officers Of his feet. midshipmen In
cluded, and tho whole common. TO use Mr. SCOTS
expression, "was bedizzened with Lace Mr.. H.
sent word for her to get breakfast for 12O more ana
he obliged to prepare II a. they were coming IN
20 the house They spread twelve pounds OF butter
IN bread and to the guard on the common to milk
Ill the and bring her the milk. She sent 10 an
he nelghbors for CAKE but could not get much brought
nto the ROOM for the little mldshpmen were so vora
ous that they made prize of ii the servants passed
through the entry, and she was obliged 10 go oul anu
,dor Il to he put into buckets and covered with nap
Nns In this way It escaped capture. The French
men, she said ate voraciOusly and one OF them drank
seventeen cups of tea at the table. .,
The mldshpmen, She said made sad obstruction
With the fruit I'm the garden. The Count DEstaing,
lowevsr, politely said he would make Il up to her;
md told her she must come down TO the neet ana
)rlng all her friends with her; and true enough she
lid she says for She went down and carried party
II five hundred. They were all trans ported IN the
,oats OF the fleet and staid all day thc count was
IN elegant man: nc asked her to pull string 70 hre
gun which half frightened to death she DID, and found
hat She had given the signal for feu de Joe 10 the
leet the whole OF which Immediately commenced mr.,
~ all enyel smoke. stunned