Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-03-16
SOME PAPERS OF RARE INTEREST
By the Eminent Historian, Benson J..
Looming, LII, ID.

We begin the publication, on our first
page today, of series of very valuable
and interesting papers from the pen of the
venerable historian and eminent American
citizen, Benson J. LOSING, LID. These
papers, which are entitled Hours with
Men and Women Of the Revolution " are
entirely original and their subject matter,
in narrative and conversational form, brings
Us into contact with real men and women
Of the revolutionary time who witnessed or
we're u part of the events which they de
scribe
Mr. LOSING was born only fourteen years
after Washington died From his boyhood
he possessed an intense interest in all mat
tiers Of American historical research Many
years ago IA casual incident in his life in
Connecticut urged him, with an irrepressi-
ble desire, to seek memories of the great
conflict for freedom and independence
wherever they might exist, and before it
should be too late to make pilgrimage to
the dwellings of living men and women
who were actors in the stirring events Of
the long past, and hear from their lips the
story of their experiences and recolections
in the birth time of our republic, and record
them for the benefit Of his countrvmen
Whereupon he undertook Il pilgrimage Of
| many months, embracing nearly 5000 miles
of travel, in the thirteen original states of
the Union and in Canada to all dwellings
of living men and women and places of in
terest associated with the events that mark
ell the founding Of this republic" How
well he accomplished his purposes and ma
turei his studies and Investigations, his
celebrated Field Book of the Revolution"
/ Mt larrf h.. N.lI 81
storehouse of recorded incidents and OBJ
iects that he gathered and preserved, there
is much that could not be used in detail in
his published works, and it is from this
storehouse that the material for these arti-
| cles il drawn.
The papers, which are copyrighted, will
| be Published in ten weekly instalments
The opening one, it will be seen, relates a
conversation with an active and well-pre-
served man of 3d. who, as a boy of H.,
| played the fife at the Battle of Lexington,
this "Reminiscences being one of the first
gathered by Mr., LOSING when he set out
on the journey referred to. Next week we
shall be introduced 10 two old time residents
of Philadelphia, who will tell in a quaint
way about the great seal Of the United
States, where the design came from and
how it came to he adopted by Congress
! IN later articles OF the series we shall he IN
troduced TO the last survivor of Washing
ton, who participated in the great events (:
we shall see the last of Sumter's men, listen
to Washington last surviving bondwoman,
and he introduced 10 the last surviving belle
Of the Revolution. Mr.. LOSING will also
tell us of Montcalm's errand boy, of the
captive child of Wyoming, of the patriotic
widow of the Cougaree and the cicerone of
Iiconderoga and in one of the closing pa
| pers he will present an interesting cOmmu-
nication concerning the famous and heroic
| Flora Macdonald, whose husband, the Scot
fish General, Donald Macdonald, fought on
the wrong side,
The whole series is replete with matter
of historical interest never before published.
/ The literary style is picturesque and pleas
ing, arresting at once hereader's attention,
and We believe the papers will he found in
! every way among the most attractive and
] valuable ever presented to Vermont realars