Anti Rent Meetings; A Visit From Sister Twichel
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Friday, June 28, 1844: This afternoon I and my son John F went with my two wheel carriage up to Hastings Village to an anti-rent meeting. Gregory and Doctor Boughton and Wm Potter addressed the meeting. When I returned home I called to brother Simeon Wylie’s and fetched my wife home. Today sister Hannah Twichel from Cincinnati, Ohio, came on a visit.
Saturday: Today I finished building over my hog pen, and I rode to Mrs Murphey’s and carried Miss Fanny Roberts 20 pounds of wool to make into flannel cloth or blankets to the halves and I borrowed eighty dollars of said Fanny Roberts and gave my note.
Monday, July 1: On this morning brother Simeon Wylie put his horse before my two wheel carriage and we started for West Sand Lake Village to a mass meeting of Anti-Rent but we only got about three miles to the widow Carpenters and the rain drove us home again. Today we cut and drew timber to build a barrack. This afternoon at five o’clock I went with my two wheel carriage and carried my wife to Pittsfield in company with brother Simeon Wylie and wife and sister Hannah Twichel. We all went to brother F. Jay Wylie’s. On the way it rained. We stopped to Butler’s Tavern and I paid three cents for sugar peppermint for my wife’s cough. We got there a little before sunset.
Wednesday: On this forenoon we all returned home from Pittsfield from brother F. Jay Wylie’s. Today we framed the barracks partly.
Thursday, July 4: This afternoon I hewed posts for gates and towards night I took my one horse wagon and carried sister Twichel to brother Simeon’s and fetched my daughter Charlotte home from there and this afternoon my two sons went onto Pool Hill to the Independence Jubilee.
Friday: This forenoon Geo P hoed for Simeon Wylie Jr. in the way of changing works, and Simeon helped us frame on the barracks the other day and this afternoon. Geo P. went to Joel Goodriches raising a barn. Today the widow cousin Verona Holcomb visited us and her two youngest sons and stayed all night. Today I and my son worked drying hay and tended to some other work.
Saturday: I went to the Presbyterian meeting house to an anti-rent meeting. While I was to the anti-rent meeting there appeared a company of the Aborigines or what is called North American Savages to lay claim to their land or defend the rights of the soil not to be pressed down with tax or rent.