Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-11-19

the first anniversary of the landing on Plymouth
Rock. During the first terrible winter of 1620-21
nearly half Of the Mayfower company had died.
But the fall Of 1921 had assured them of an
abundant harvest. Moreover, the Fortune had
arrived in November with thirty-fve more col
onists. So there was every reason why Gov.
William Bradford should set apart a day for
thanksgiving
The Puritans who arrived in force beginning
with 1880, apparently adopted the Thanksgiving
Day Of the Pilgrims. Or possibly they evolved a
Thanksgiving Day of their own. Anyway the
Puritans at Watertown had a Thanksgiving Day
celebration In 1884 The famous Cotton Mather in
his "Magnalia Christi Americana; Or, The Ecclesi-
astical History of New-England" has chapter on
the life of the Rev. John Sherman 1613-S5),
A. B., A. NJ. (Trinity Cambridge who arrived in
Watertown in the summer of 1884 in which he
says
So much was religion the first sought Of the
first come into this country, that they solemnly
offered up their praises unto Him that "inhabits
the praises of Israel" before they had provided
habitations wherein to offer those praises. A Day
of Thanksgiving was now kept by the Christians
of new, here called Water-town under tree;
on which Thanksgiving Mr.. Sherman preached his
first sermon, as an assistant unto Mr.. Philips:
there being present many other divines who won
dered exceedingly to hear subject so accurately
and excelleRtly handled by one that had never
before performed any such public exercise.
Cotton Mather, it will be noted makes no men,
ton of Thanksgiving feast following the public
exercises under tree" 1t is to be hoped that
the famous divine a bit Observation-Disclosures
the Puritans of WATERFOWL must have been
obliged to be satisfied with "a feast of reason and
flow of SOUL" Incidentally it is interesting to
note that in all human probability President
COolidges greatgreat reatgreat great greatgrea
grandfather one of the congregation that lis
tened to that Thanksgiving sermon.
The first national observance Of Thanksgiving
Day took place 100 years after the first ceebra-
ton at Plymouth. 1t is generally stated that the
first national observance was November 90, 1885,
in accordance with a proclamation by President
Washington That, however, is an historical error.
In the proceedings of the Second Continental
Congress it is recorded that September 10, 1881
ION motion of Mr.. Sherman, seconded by John
Witherspoon OF New Jersey, it was resolved that
Thursday, December 81, 1871, be appointed as a
Day of Public Thanksgiving throughout the
United States and that committee be appointed
to prepare and report a proclamation suitable to
the occasion" The committee appointed con-
sisted of Mr.. Sherman, Mr. Wtherspoon, Joseph
Montgomery and James Mitchell Varnum. The
proclamation reported October 26, 1871, recites
among other things that the year is one in which
"the confederation of the United States has been
completed" and Gin which, after the success of
allies by sea, General of First Rank, with his
whole army, has been captured by the allied
forces under the direction Of our Commander in
Chief"
In the first session of the first congress- organized
April 3, 1889, we find Mr. Sherman one OF a COM
mittee Of three to request President Washington
ito recommend to the people a day of public
thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by
acknowledging with grateful hearts the many
signal favors of Almighty God, especially by
affording an opportunity peaceably to establish
a Constitution of Government for their safety and
happiness" 1t was in accordance with this request
that President Washington by proclamation set
apart November &C. 1889, as a day of public
thanksgiving.
The "Mr. Sherman" in both cases was Roger