The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-29
SIR WILLIAM JOHNsON's WIFE.
MIR. Buell. Expia ins and Defends. sliSst'
Ing Reference to PaPknian.


To TIE EDITOR OF The sux-SI: II Is not
my custom TO reply to criticisms upon my
books But The SUN Ia an exception. from
my point Of view: partly because OF the high
character Of its literary reviews and party
| because OF extremely pleasant personal re-
lations dating back nearly thirty years In
the issue OF June -. current. your reviewer
in a brief notice OF my Life Of Sr William
Johnson" Just published by Appletons
after describing the book as "a eulogy rather
than biography, remarks: When he can
pause in his footnotes to revile Francis Park
man. he surely might find room to give chap
ter and verse for his contr adictory assertions
The matter referred to Is a footnote on
PIP. 46 and II OF the book. In that footnote
had no intention to "revile Francis Park
| man." All did-or all l tried to do-wns
to call attention to the fact that Mr.. Parkman
in his "Montcalm and Wolfe" (vol l.. p. 29sl
had gone out Of his way TO revile a good and
honest woman.
After description OF Mount johnson.
Parkman says Here presided for many
years Dutch or German wench. whom he
lJohnsonl afterward married"
This statement | describe In the footnote
as not only painfully ll-natured. but grossly
Inaccurate.
The facts are as follows: William johnson
had neighbor named Phillips. who had as
| "bound-scryant" comely German girl, named
Katharine Weisenburg. She had been
| bound out at IA to serve seven years When
johnson saw and fancied her she was about
| 10. johnson offered to buy her indentures
for the two years or so they had yet to run.
| Phillips at first refused. johnson offered
| him 10 guineas and said that il he did not
| take that he would take the girl anyhow.
adding that If Phillips interfercd he would
make him rue it, Phillips. thinking that
the sum Of 10 guineas was better than n diff
AN,,lt ~.
| Old and as stalwart a man as there was in
the Colonies Welded This was in May.
1879. according to tho Johnson papers. as
printed in Canada by Sir John Johnson
The evidence Of immediate marriage Is
as follows:
| In Halseys odd New York Frontier, +"
tp 1879 may be found the statement that
the Mohawk Valley. by the uprising patriots
behind na1 hi at the ), family Bible which son:
OF Sir William. was lesiii mate, ' ''.''"
The . evidence . referred to BY Mr IIalsey
or }ba a in hTt Bbe
and Katharine Weiscnburg were married
w MAX Reid in his History of the Mohawk
Valley. saws the ceremony was performed
BY the Rev. Mr. Barclay in Queen Annes
SsRn nnh aSn. at tG d not eye from War
rensbIsh to Mount johnson until! four years
after his marriage with katharine Wcisen-
the fall of l74j Parkman says that she
nresISded f for many years" at Noun, johnson
Jehnsonil anally marr T ddfh her. ""' '""' "'
The truth is. she had been married to John
son four years when they moved from War
sided" there only two Years. instead OF Park
mans many years" This was the evidence
*hS% Nothns ~a.
farther, from me than an intention to re
The family Bible referred to by Mr. Halsey
shs NET :; ys%5 4 6riskaSy' but rs SiSs W..
johnson wrote to Capt Folman. who then
, i've LIS e onondasn asking q il he knew where
sHa ne s Sir 40 JoR ana
Capt Formar had been personal friends in
the GGSnn days The knew where
"; Whine 4, /. was in Eis possession Cart
record and be took the first opportuni h Of
| forwarding the Bible to Sir John, who was
then living at Montreal ,, a.,
terna srandfather and his copy as on the
| johnson family record came ultimately into
among his collection Of Colonial papers at
neer rife In I, did not deem it worth while to
Of SPACES nohns my ' su oond
not consistently decline so square chal-
lenge Of authority as that embraced in THE
o
Your reviewer also says hat the confusion
! as to titles into which he plunges imme-
eiately will rouse suspicious about his his
torical accuracy"
This seems almost gratuitous. since ] dis
tinctly explain on page II as to Admiral
Warren and on page IS as to Sir Will am
johnson that | apply their titles somewhat
prematurely for the sake Of convenience and
uniformity. and to avoid. rather than create
confusion"
There are a few errors in the book-ap-
noyinC, rather than important. On page 10
| HnTranshnsb fiiafu
west Of the mouth Of Schohare Creek" &c.
| should have said east OF the mouth" &c.
Schoharie Creek was the western boundary
Of the Warren grant. On page PAS, writing
Of the Indian village on the SusQuehRnna
called Cunahunta: say in parenthes es, NOW
Oneonta)." II should read "tnow Nineveh)."
On page, 2a7. quoting Ezra Buells descrip-
ton Of old Seneca Castle In l78S. make him
say that il stood about sixty rods from the
lake" Seneca Lake.. What he said was,
! did not copy this myself, but left it
to an assist ant. who omitted the words over
a mile: On page ~ | speak of Mrs. Grant
wife OF Captain tafterward GeneraN Grant Of
the British Army. then stationed AT Albany
I75ll las having painted a portrait of Solo
mon" Van Rensselaer,. ] should have said
stephen Van Rensselaer, He was the seventh
PATRON. .ArGrsTCs c. BUELL..
PHILADELPHIA, June 20.