testimonies from shaker autobiographies, biographies and testimonies, 1806–1907

8/13/2019 Testimonies from Shaker Autobiographies, Biographies and Testimonies, 18061907

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193

JANE E. S. BLANCHARD

Jane E. S. Blanchard, Jane E. S. Blanchard o New Eneld, A Sketch o her Expe-rience Previous to 1868, in Autobiography o the Saints, trans. Alonzo Hollister,OClWHi VI:B-37, pp. 30717. According to Hollisters note, his copy was takenrom an earlier copy made by Catherine Van Houten, a New Lebanon Shaker.

Jane Elizabeth Snow Blanchard, a Shaker at Eneld, New Hampshire, was bornon 12 March 1825 in Norwich, New York. Her parents put her out to earn herown living at the age o nine, and she endured our years o overwork beoreseeing them again and being rescued. Afer she recovered rom erysipelas, shehad a visionary dream, and against the advice o everyone she met, she made her

way to the Shakers on 3 May 1843, when she was eighteen years old. Tere shestayed. Te US census enumerated her among the Shakers until 1900, workingas a knitter, seamstress and nurse.


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195

Jane E. S. Blanchard, Enfield, New Hampshire(1868)

Jane E. S. Blanchard o New Eneld,A sketch o her experience Previous to 1868

And he shall send his Angels, & shall gather together his Elect rom the ourwinds.

I lived with my parents untill nine years o age. Tey were very kind to me. MyMother taught me to pray night & morning, which inspired my young mind

with many religious impressions. She also taught me to be kind to my brothers& sisters, & never tell a lie; i I did, God would not love me, & I should certainly

go to hell. She told me i I did wrong I must pray to God to orgive me & helpme do better in the uture. My parents were very punctual to have their childrenattend meetings every sabbath when the weather was suitable.

2. At the age o nine years, they put me out to live, untill I was 18. Te olksI went to live with, promised my parents they would send me to school that Imight learn to write, so as to be able to send them a letter once in a while. Butinstead o that, they kept me at home to do the work. Tey kept 10 or 12 cowsa good part o the time, & 14 hogs, & made butter & cheese to sell. As they hadno hired hands, & the man was gone rom home most o the time, I had to workoutdoors, & in.

3. I went on in this way nearly 4 years, when a lady came there on a visit, &tarried about a ortnight. I observed that she watched me around, and would

ofen ask me i I was tired, & i I would like to see my ather & Mother. I told herI would, but it was so ar I could not go. Te lady soon returned to her home, &spread the news about my hard usage. She told her neighbors that I worked hardoutdoors & in, & she thot it was wicked.

4. It was not long beore my parents heard o it & came to see me. When theyarrived where I was, they ound me very sick. Tey told / me they had come to takeme home, but did not know as I would live to get there; & still they did not eel as


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196 Shaker Autobiographies, Biographies and estimonies, 18061907: Volume 3

though they could return without me. I gladly consented to go, & a joyul time itwas or me, amidst all my affl iction, to once more arise & go to my athers house.

5. I tarried there untill I was well, & able to do enough to support me. Ten Iwas ready to leave home again. Mother charged me to be careul o my health & not go beyond my strength, but do what I was able. She advised me to attendmeetings as ofen as I could.

6. At 16 years o age, I began to think more about my soul what wouldbecome o me afer death, &c. I greatly eared lest I should go to some wicked

place. One night, beore retiring to rest, I kneeled & prayed earnestly that i therewas any way out o sin, it might be made known to me. Afer I laid my head onmy pillow & closed my eyes, I saw something in the orm o a head. It whisperedin a low voice Are you willing that I should lay my head by the side o yours? I

paused a moment & then answered, I you are willing to you may.7. It remained silent or a ew minutes, & then whispered, Will you go with

me? I replied, I cannot, or I cannot y. It whispered louder, Will you go withme? You can i you try. Dont you want to go. I said I would go. It started & I ol-lowed. It was as white as snow, & went through the air like a eather. We went overmountains, hills, & woods untill at length, we came to a large building, & enteredinto a small hall, & then into a small room, where there did not seem to be much.

8. We then commenced going up stairs, & afer ascending our ights, weentered a large room, where the oor was as white as snow. Tere were benches/ on the sides o the room. I seated mysel & viewed the room all over. It was

white & beautiul, & a chandelier hung in the center. Soon a large company opersons entered, who seemed all o a height. A part o them stood in the centero the room & sung powerully, while a larger part o them ew around the roomso swif that I could hardly see them. I never saw anything as heavenly beore. Ielt as though I was in heaven in reality. Tey were clothed in white rom headto oot, & were all o a height they ew around the room like spirits, & turnedlike tops. Some spoke very lengthy, rm & solemn.

9. While I was in deep thot to know what I was there or, this spirit or head,as it appeared to me, came & asked i I would like to be there. I replied that I

would, but could not be like those who were there. It told me I could i I wantedto, but I would have to go back & get ready, or my time had not come. O whata eeling came over me at the thots o going back. I burst into tears & elt as

though my heart would break.10. It started & I ollowed, over brush & ence, mud & mire, untill I reached

my athers house. When I awoke, I was on my bed in my own room. I tried tocollect my scattered senses. I thot that i I could only see where I had been, I

would give worlds, were they mine to give. When I was alone, I meditated &cried to God, that i there was any place on earth like that which I had seen, thatI might live to see it; greatly desiring to know what my vision meant.


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Blanchard, A Sketch of her Experience Previous to 1868 197

11. I tried to be very religious, & attended meetings at every opportunity Icould get, but could not nd anything which satised me I could not nd any

who lived a more sinless lie than I did. I attended Advent meetings every nightor a week. Tey believed that our bodies would arise in the resurrection thatthe graves would open, & the dry bones come together, & all would be caught upin the air. / I could not nd anything there to satisy me. I had a great desire tond a way out o sin, that I might realize true happiness here on earth.

12. In the year 1843, I was very sick. My parents watched over me with the great-est care, thinking my time on earth was short, or the doctor had given me up todie. My ather, one day when absent rom home, took up a newspaper & read thatbrandy & salt was a sure remedy or erysipelas. I tried the medicine & in a short timebegan to recover. About two months rom the commencement o my sickness, I wasable to be about the house, but not considered able to go out o doors.

13. At this time, George Adams1came & wanted me to go & stay with hiswie & children, while he went on a journey. She had told him he should not gounless I would come & stay with her, while he was absent. Said she would notbe araid i I was there, as she was acquainted with me. Mother did not eel asthough she could let me go, or ear that I might have a relapse & die at last. Hesaid he would carry me on a bed; & put buffalos & blankets around me that Imight go sae. He urged so strongly that my parents at last consented, & aidedme in getting ready. I went & staid three weeks.

14. Te evening afer George returned rom his journey, we were all ready to

hear about it, & it was very interesting to me, or he talked about the Shakers, asubject quite new to me, or I had never heard o such a people beore. It took mywhole attention. He said that when he was a boy he lived with John Lyon, 2& ashe was doing something one day, while playing with the boys, that John did notapprove o, he caught him by the arm & shook him as a dog would a woodchuck.I told him I supposed he deserved it. He said he did, and more than that, or he

was so wild that he could not stay.15. I tried to nd out / how they lived & what they believed in, so he went

on to tell me, & made out a very nice story. At last he said, they are a very strangepeople; they do not believe in a married lie. I exclaimed Well! that is just the lieI want to live & I mean to go there & see them. Said he, oh you silly woman! You

would not be willing to live as the Shakers do. I thot to mysel, I would like to see

them at any rate, but said no more that night.16. I went to bed but could not sleep. My mind was troubled, & I knew not

what to do. I thot I would go home & tell my Mother what my eelings were,that I had heard o a people called Shakers & wanted to go & see them. But allthe while something was whispering in my ear, dont you go home, but go to theShakers, or i your Mother knows it, you will never get there. I tried to shakethis Spirit rom me, & started or home. Te woman went a ew rods with me.


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17. All the time we were talking, something kept whispering in my ear Do goto the Shakers; you will be sorry i you dont. I tried still harder to believe it wasoolish or me to think o such a thing. As I walked along I was suddenly stoppedas though some one held me by the arm. Te woman took hold o me & askedme i I was aint. I could not speak I elt cold & the water dropped off my ace.I elt as though the spirits had got me ast, saying Go to the Shakers & we willhelp you on your way.

18. As soon as I could speak, I told the woman I would like to go back & staythat night, i she was willing, or I should start or the Shakers the next morning,& should get there beore another night. She said she would like to have me staybut did not believe I meant as I said. I told her it was the truth, that I should goi my lie was spared. Te next morning, the 3rdo May 1843, I started on my

journey with a small bundle in my hand. I cannot describe my eelings, exceptthat I elt determined to go on, let come what might. /

I knew nothing o the way, only by inquiring o every one I met, & theywere but ew, or the roads were so muddy there was but little travel. I met aman in a carriage who asked how ar I was going. I told him my place o destina-tion was the Eneld Shakers, & asked him which road to take. He asked i I wasgoing there to live. I told him I did not know whether I should or not. I was notacquainted with them. Well, said he; they are the meanest people on earth theydrown their children tie them to a tree & whip them, &c. What is your name?I replied, Elizabeth Snow that was my middle name.

20. He said Get a place here or I will carry you home. I am going to yourathers I came rom there this morning am well acquainted with your Sisters Come, you get in here & I will carry you home. No sir; I choose to walk, & i

you will just inorm me which road to take, that is all I ask o you. Well i youwill go, I suppose that is the road. I was glad to start on my way but was araid hehad directed me wrong. I travelled nearly two miles when I met a man on oot,& asked him the way. He told me I was right.

21. I hastened along untill I came to where a bridge had been carried awayin consequence o a great rain. I had to go back nearly a mile to get on the rightroad. In going back, which was in the direction o home, I began to eel somediscouraged, & sat down upon a log & wept bitterly. I began to think it was a

judgment upon me, because my parents did not know where I was. I eared I

should cause them much trouble, because I was sick when I lef home. I knew myather would inquire or me, & O what could I do?

22. I started or home, but soon ound I could not walk. My whole body wasso weak I could hardly stand. What can this / mean? thot I. Am I being punishedor my sins? Nay, this was but a trial o my aith. I began to pray to my heav-enly Father, & all good Spirits to tell me what to do. I did not pray as one young

woman did who told the Lord she did not call upon him very ofen that he


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might as well hear her wants, as to hear others who prayed ofener. I knew He haddelivered my soul rom trouble many times, & believed Him to be merciul still.

23. I prayed earnestly to know which way to go. Soon I heard a voice saying Goto the Shakers, then you can walk; I will help you. I came to mysel a little & startedon, & ound I could walk with a good deal o strength. But as there had been a reshet,the woods were muddy trees were blown down, or torn up by the roots some layacross the road some I had to crawl under & some over. I had to walk on logs, overbrush & on walls & ences in order to get along the best I could.

24. I stopped at only one house to get some water; where was a woman withour children around her teasing or bread. She said their ather had gone to getthem some ood. I had two small cakes which I divided around they thankedme, & it was soon devoured. I did not think nor eel as though I should ever

want anything mysel, nor know how ar I should have to go. But I put my trustin God, believing his promise would be ullled. Tey shall run & not be weary they shall walk & not aint.

25. When within two miles o the Shakers, I came to a place where two roadsmet, & did not know which to take. At a tavern near the road, there were somany people, I did not like to inquire, or ear they would know I was a stran-ger. It looked as though there were woods all around, & not knowing how arI would have to go, I did not know but I would meet with trouble. I went to ahouse that I saw up back o the / tavern, but I ound it uninhabited, so I movedon as ast as I could, untill I lost sight o the tavern. I then crossed a large eld &

wet my eet or the rst time. I soon reentered the main road, but whether rightor wrong, was yet to be decided.26. Arrived at a small building called the Square House, I met a boy on horse-

back; I asked him how ar it was to the Shakers. He said the next buildings Iwould come to, were the ones. I quickened my pace & soon arrived at the soughtor destination. Every thing was calm, & still as the hour o death. I knocked on adoor untill my knuckles were lame, & no one bade me enter. Sure enough, I thotI, no living mortal is here.

27. What could I do? Could I think the Spirits had deceived me, & led methis thorny path to a deserted place? Again my heart swelled with grie, or I eltas though I could walk no urther. I reentered the road & started or the church,

when I heard a door open, & looking around I saw two girls standing there. I went

back & asked i I could stay there over night, as I was very weary. Tey took me in.28. I inquired where the amily were, to which they replied, out picking the

wool. I thot that was strange, as it was the third o May, but said nothing as I sup-posed they wished not to tell me. Tey asked me i I had dined, & on learning that Ihad not, a very inviting meal was soon made ready or me, but my appetite was very

poor, I began to think I was ar rom home, & my parents did not know where I was.


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29. While in this sorrowul mood & looking out at the window, I saw theBrethren & Sisters coming rom the chh. Tey looked as i they had been to auneral instead o picking wool, but I soon learned they had been / to the Chh.to attend the reading o the Holy Roll.3Tat evening a number o the sisterscame in where I was, among whom was Amanda C.4who exclaimed with sur-

prise Why Jane Blanchard; where in the world did you come rom, & how cameyou here? She & I ormerly lived together in Hanover, & I did not know that shewas here untill she called me by name. I was obliged to explain or I had calledmysel Elizabeth Snow, which was my middle name, & the one I answered to, orear my ather would nd me.

29. Amanda tried to comort me & I began to eel some better, but only ora little while. As soon as I went to bed the sorrows began to creep over me again.I could not sleep. When all became still, & appeared to be asleep, I got up verystill & went down stairs into the room where I had staid during the day. No oneknew that I was there untill morning. O the sorrows o that night. I walked theoor in deep sorrows o heart. It seemed that there was no sorrow like my sor-row. Surely I have become acquainted with grie. Away rom my parents, amonga strange people whom I knew not, I still cherished the thot that He who hadcalled me was sure.

30. I prayed to my heavenly Father & all the good Spirits that they wouldmake known to me my duty, & enable me to conquer the will within my ownheart; or I began to eel that there was something or me i I could only know

what it was & how to get it. Soon I heard the joyul news o the gospel. Tenthot I, My Redeemer liveth. He heard my prayr when I was weak, And sent myood prepared; Te waters bubbled at my eet And thus my lie was spared.

31. Amanda opened the testimony to me, & made it as plain as a.b.c. But Ithot I could not coness my lie. It was two or three days / beore I made up mymind; but afer I had begun, I could nd no stopping place short o opening my

whole lie beore the witnesses o God. Ah! thot I this is the people I saw in myvision. I was convinced o this beyond a doubt. But the end was not yet.

32. You will doubtless recollect the Spirit asked me in my vision i I wouldlike to be there; to which I answered I would. Te Spirit that told me I must goback & get ready. And sure enough, afer tarrying a ew days, it was thot properor me to return to my natural kindred & make a nal settlement, in order to

gain a just relation with the people o God. Tis, to me was heart rending.33. But with undaunted courage which I was determined to maintain, I went

in company with one brother & two sisters, expecting to meet bitter reproaches.On our arrival my ather came to the door, & I spoke & called him ather, sayingthat I was as ever his daughter. I believe this astonished him as much as thoughone at that time had risen rom the dead to address him; or I was dressed inshaker clothes, which you may depend, looked very ugly to him.


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34. I asked him i he could keep us over night. He said (in rather an under-tone) that he would take care o the horses, but said nothing urther then. SoonI was in the presence o my Mother & sisters, & when inorming them that Ihad made my choice to spend the remainder o my days with the Shakers, such ahouse o mourning I never beore saw. My sisters elt so bad they could not stayin the house, & went away to the neighbors untill I was ready to go, when theyreturned just in time to bid me arewell orever. [See Rev.1.7. Matt.24.30] /

35. My only brother who was dearer to me than lie, entreated me not to takethis step. Here was my aith to be proved. Tere was no going back. Te wordso my Savior were resh beore me. Except ye orsake ather, Mother, brothers &sisters, husband & wie, houses & lands, & your own lie also, (meaning my ownsel will,) ye cannot be my disciple. Here was my determination red. I could notorget the tribulation I had suffered or my poor lost soul.

36. Te world was nothing but vanity to me now. I could take no morepleasure living with my parents. I rent the ties o natural affection which costme many tears, & turned my ace Zionward. I bid adieu to natures charms, or

which I eel thankul, & can say in truth & sincerity, Go to the ames all carnalenjoyments Which yield to my hungering soul no support.

37. I was 18 years o age when the gospel rst reached my ears. o me it wasGood news & Glad tidings. Salvation to my sin sick soul. My treasure is here my home & all my interest. Here are my gospel relations whom I love aboveevery other. As the Lord liveth & as my soul liveth, I will never leave thee nor

orsake thee. For here I nd an hundred old o the blessings o lie, with theassurance o lie Eternal in the world to come.38. Farewell to all my dear young companions.

From a riend & lover o the gospel Jane Blanchard


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203

MARIE WHEELER

Marie Wheeler, A Biographical Sketch (c. 1870), in Copies o Letters and OtherWritings, OClWHi VI:B-55, pp. 14755.1

Marie Wheeler was born in the early 1840s, during the economic depressionthat ollowed the Panic o 1837. Very young when her mother brought her andher brother to the Shakers, Wheeler had an unnamed uncle who may have beena Shaker too. Wheelers mother and brother lef the society, but her own desireor spiritual development kept her with the Shakers, where she suppressed hernatural affection or her brother so thoroughly that she did not visit him whenhe was dying. In this respect, she carried Shaker views on severing kin ties to anextreme; even at the New Lebanon Church Family, Believers were allowed to

visit ailing relatives.

Notes1. Marie Wheeler is not listed in the Cathcart index, but another source says that Ann

Maria Wheeler (b. 1843) was admitted at Union Village in 1846, and Maria Wheelerwas indentured to learn the trade o seamstress at the age o nine in 1852. Maria lef in1854, but was listed in the 1860 and 1870 censuses at Union Village, and lef again in1879. Warren County, Ohio Shakers, Union Village, 18051920, vol. 2, p. 3589.


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205

Marie Wheeler, A Biographical Sketch (c. 1870)

A Biographical Sketch.

You asked me to give a little account o how I became associated with Believers.As I can say so little to the point that can possibly interest any one I hardly knowhow to reply.

o begin with, I am not one o ortunes avorites. My mother was poor. Howshe became so or that she was ever anything else, I do not know. O her expe-rience I know very little, save that neglect lef her homeless, & she came to theShakers here. She had two children my brother and mysel. My brother wasabout our years old, and I was a ew months old. No one thought to see me a

woman in this lie. Her aged brother ofen tells me, that when he rst saw me,he would not have given a chew o tobacco or me. I guess he valued his tobacco

a little above par.Te Great Giver o lie had pland a jewel in that homely casket knowing that

it was good that it should receive some polish here. It was too crude or Spiritarchetecture. /

When I was seven months old, my mother gave me into the care o a blackSister, who was employed as a nurse, or care taker o children in the Gatheringorder. Tis was a sore trial to mother, as she was unused to colored people; buta kinder mother I could not have had. I was blind, at least hal the time until I

was ve years old. She must necessarily have been greatly incommoded by sucha charge. I thought her black ace prettier than any save that o my mother, & Iloved her truly & ever shall: Her name was Rachel Lee.1(She lived until I was 13

years old, & died o cancer. She said she had nursed 106 children her rst &

her last were the only colored children.)I was removed to the Second Order when three years old, & another Rachel

received me Rachel Galoway.2So good & so selsacricing was this motherSpirit that my eyes ll with tears when memory pictures her dear ace to me. Idwell upon those days o uninterrupted sweetness and innocency with an almost

jealous affection. She was indeed an angel o peace. Bright & sure was her Evan-gel here; but her health / was delicate & she gave up her charge; and Eldress


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Emily took us. When I was nine years old Rachel died. Her parting words to mewere, Be a peacemaker, there is no sacrice to great to make or peace. You are justthe age I was when I resolved to be a good Believer. But though she passed away Inever thought she lef me, but guarded me through childhood & perilous youth-hood. Much do I think I owe to her tender motherly care. Many o my actions weremeasured to her pleasure, as I ever elt her approving smile or chiding sigh.

I never quite outgrew the inuence that pervaded the village when I wassmall, Mothers work was still not nished, & there I learned, all unconsciouso its priceless value, respect or all spiritual gifs, which has stood by me throughall this sceptical age.

My mother lef Believers3when I was 8 years old. At nine & ten I was begin-ning to comprehend the idea o a Spiritual Mother, which in my childish mind Irevered ar more than the Savior. I loved her, & pictured mysel / her child (howcould I, strange naughty child as I was with hardly a redeeming quality by whichto be reached?) You see I would not do at all or the heroine o a story book, orI was not naturally good, nor yet Spiritually so.

Te great & weighty subject o Conession bore down upon my spirit. I waspuzzled to understand how I was necessiated to have a witness, when I was con-essing to God; this seems to be a matter between God & mysel. No doubt everychild is thus exercised in their eelings. All the diffi cult passages I reserved or hisear only. I sought retired places, kneeling & conessing & praying or his pardon,by the hal hour at a time. But He would not hear me. I must wait & try it again.

I innocently thought engaged with someone else, since I had read Elijahs wither-ing remarks to the Prophets o Baal. I have since laughed at my contracted ideaso the Supreme God. But I did not give up the point until I understood that it

was impossible to be orgiven by conessing alone.Tese are the days in which I became acquainted with Believers, or in those

days I became a / believer in the undamental principles o the aith. Cones-sion beore Gods witnesses I had then in possession, the rst three principles obelievers Purity, Honesty & Peace. Many times I erred, yet I erred not rom

want o aith.When I was 13 years old my brother lef, when 16 my mother came to take me

away; but rmly I reused. My pride was touched, but a better reason heldme. A week previous I had resolved to decide the all important question or lie. I

had worked a week upon this higher work, called it good & determined to engagein it or lie. I had actually conessed my sins, & almost or the rst time, as Ishould. Tis weeks travel I magnied greatly and succeeded in convincing myselthat it would require a lietime to do the same, i I lost the advantage o this.

Here I never doubted the divine strength & guidance o my aithul Rachel,as no human help or advice dare be given me. But my mother lef peaceably, &


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Wheeler, A Biographical Sketch 207

or three more years I glided along lies pathway as easily as I could, with no out-ward trouble save my oolish affections or my mother.

Ten came another trial o my aith. / Mother deputed her husband to come& see i I could be induced to return with him to Cincinnatti; but I held myown. My brother succeeded these, here I can but point my nger upward, &return thanks.

Nineteen ound me struggling with natural affections more ercely than everbeore which struggles did not cease or several years. Legion was the appropri-ate name or the temptations that surrounded me. Victory I almost despaired oever attaining.

About three years ago I was merciully blessed with a new & deeper bap-tism than I had ever beore received; the ountains o inspiration seemed openabove me, & through this medium I received greater light than I ever beorehad received rom any source. Natural affections seemed coarse & Earthly notemployment or the holy & beautiul abode or which I was striving. Yet I hadnever seen an invisible Spirit, & my soul burned with the desire I daily elt, morethan necessary to convince me o all I had ever been taught to believe, but I

wanted to see. I prayed to our Mother or this gif, i or but once, promising toorego all natural sights that would be pleasing to the eye. /

Shortly afer this prayer & promise had been reported, my brother (who wasthen married & had one child a little girl) wrote to me, inorming me he contem-

plated returning to Believers. I saw immediately that he had written in a kind o

reckless mode something had driven him, which I devoutly hoped was convic-tion. I asked divine illumination on the subject beore I trusted mysel to reply.Indeed the idea o his returning to triffl e with a second privilege so bowed medown that I petitioned a Dictation or my reply. I wrote what I called a Scorcher,

warning him, ah! begging him to tarry where he was unless he came or the greatboon o Salvation. Previously he had never tolerated one word o advice romhis sister. Afer nishing it & reading to my Elders, I assayed to seal, but could notto do it. I laid it away, thinking the next day to mail it, sealed or unsealed.

In the evening I was alone in the room humming a tune carelessly, not think-ing particularly o any thing when suddenly I repeated aloud, Te Angel oconviction is abroad, & that His arrows may enter your heart is the sincere wisho your sister. It was plain enough or the most obtuse to understand. / A hand

was laid on my arm. I arose immediately took the unsealed letter rom the desk,& in a post-script wrote the message. What it cost me to do so, I alone know.Tere! what will he think? was my mental ejaculation. Tese words are inspi-ration, they come rom God, were immediately passed thro my lips, & I knewnot one word beore it was uttered. Oh! I groaned, how can I to my scepticalbrother? Oh! he will hate me. Go to your Elders then, I they will release youI will, was passed through my own lips. I arose rom my knees where this inu-


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209

SARAH BATES

Sarah Bates, Extract rom her Letter to the Ministry, 3 April 1870, in Copies o Let-

ters and Other Writings, OClWHi VI:B-55, pp. 7880.1

Sarah Bates (17921881) was a daughter o Shaker missionary Issachar Bates, andthe sister o New Lebanon Eldress Betsy Bates (hersel a member o the Ministry185269). Te Bates girls entered Shaker society at Watervliet, New York, afertheir ather joined and lef his amily there while he went west as a missionary.Sarah and her younger sister Betsy moved rom Watervliet to the New LebanonChurch Family in 1811. In addition to being one o the leading singers at NewLebanon and the creator o gif drawings, Sarah Bates served her society as a dea-coness, tailoress, and or more than thirty years a schoolteacher. She included theollowing text in a letter she wrote to the New Lebanon Ministry in 1870; it is lessa testimony than a testimonial to her good treatment by Believers.

Notes1. For more on the Bates amily, see C. Medlicott, Now By My Motion: Te Life Journey

of Issachar Bates, Soldier, Preacher, and Shaker on the American Frontier(Hanover, NH:University Press o New England, 2013).


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211

Autobiographical Letter of Sarah Bates to Ministry,New Lebanon, New York (1870)

It is now 69 years, since my natural ather orsook the world & strictly obeyedthe dictates o his enlightened soul. From that time I have been under the guardi-anship o protecting Angels & kind riends. He lived outside two years, settlinghis business, & trying to gather his amily In this time, we were not schooled aday. But were under the protection o our parents. /

In 1803, we moved to Watervliet. Tere, we had no kind o schooling; suchas letter learning. But the school o Christ, & the straight & narrow way thatleads to Lie. Tis, was plainly taught. Elder Ebenezer Cooley,1used to roar out,

with great power; the prophecies o the Prophet Joel; concerning the last days.Chap. 2nd, verse 28thand the ollowing. And all Scripture passages that wouldawaken a dead soul! Te powerul ministration, seemed to more like

peals o thunder, than anything I can describe. I heard more or less o this likedoctrine, in every meeting & in public discourses. Tis was the schooling o mychildhood & youth. I had a spelling book, primer & Bible. Tese, I studied at my

will. When I was 14 years & 8 months o age; I lef my mother, and was gatheredinto a amily. I had no athers care then. He was called to open the way o lie &salvation to other souls. He was my rst conessor. From this age to 18 years old,I lived in three different orders. Tis Peaceul home is the last. / Te emales thathave been my Elders & Eldresses, number 24 to 26. And now I can tes-tiy that I have been treated by all o the above number, like a Princess in a Palaceo Gold. I could not bring an accusation o word or deed against one o them.

I have seen the increase & waning o Zions numbers: and in all its phases, Inever one moment slacked my strong cord o love, to the pure way o Eternal Lie.

Dear riends, I have not written as a reporter, I leave the news or others. ButI hope; afer telling this long experience, I may be ound worthy to invoke purelove, blessing & prayers or me, in my decline. And be assured, as ar as in my

power lies, I shall never cease to pray that you may live long, & be comorted &strengthened, Soul & body, by riends on the earth & the powers above! Receive

with this my unwavering Love!


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213

CASSANDANA BREWSTER

Book o Remembrance, vol. 3, comp. Alonzo Hollister, OClWHi VII:B-109.

Cassandana Brewster was born in Pittsord, Vermont on 26 April 1792. Hergiven name was Sarah (or Sally). She joined the Shakers with her parents Joannaand Justus Brewster, and her siblings Justus Jr, Anthony and Dorothy. Te Brew-ster amilys rst Shaker home was at Watervliet, New York, where they movedin June 1803. Cassandana Brewster eventually moved to Hancock, Massachu-setts, on 9 March 1807. In 1819 she took the name Cassandana in homage toHancock Eldress Mother Cassandana Goodrich (17701848). She becameSecond Eldress in the Hancock Bishopric Ministry in 1835 under Goodrich,and succeeded her in 1848. In 1843 she contributed a testimony to PhilemonStewarts Sacred Roll. She was renowned as a tailoress, and continued working

with textiles until the end o her lie.Brewster never enjoyed good health, and an 1852 letter notes that she wasMuch affl icted with a bad Scroffulous sore under each arm.1In August o 1854she was josteled out o a wagon by which she was a good deal bruised, but isgetting some better.2In 1856 she asked to be released rom the Ministry due toher declining health; this request was granted on 25 March.3In August Brewstersought relie through salt water bathing at West Haven, Connecticut.4She livedthe rest o her lie at Hancock in the Church Family. She was described towardsthe end o her lie as A person o great tact and talent in business as well as aleader.5She died at the age o ninety-seven on 10 October 1883.

Te ollowing narrative provides one o the ew accounts o Shaker con-version rom an 1801 missionary journey made by Benjamin Seth Youngs and

Issachar Bates to Vermont. Te act that the story is told through the eyes o achild gives it a unique charm. Additionally, Brewsters description o her vision-ary, prophetic dream places her narrative squarely in a genre typical o religiousexperiences in rural New England around 1800.6


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Notes1. Hancock Ministry letter to Harvard Ministry, 22 October 1852, OClWHi, IV:A-10.2. Tomas Damon letter to Ministry, 1 August 1854, OClWHi, IV:A-20.3. Grove Wright letter to Ministry, 14 April 1856, OClWHi, IV:A-204. 12 August 1856, NOC, DM.5. Hancock Record, MPH.8000, p. 207.6. For a discussion o these types o dreams see: A. Kirschner, ending to Ediy, Astonish,

and Instruct, Published Narratives o Spiritual Dreams and Visions in the Early Repub-lic,Early American Studies, I :1 (Spring 2003), pp. 198229.


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215

Cassandana Brewster, Book of Remembrance,Hancock, Massachusetts (1870)

Eldress Dana Brewster o Hancock.

Was born in the town o Pittsord, V . in the year 1792. She was concientious,& attentive to religious conversation when she was quite young. She says, WhenI was 7 years old, I heard them talking in my Fathers Family about the Day o

Judgement, & it impressed my mind very seriously. Tat night, I dreamed thatmy Fathers amily were all standing out o doors, & I looked northward. Tere

was a great sheet o ame that rose very high & arched over, so that the end oit lapped the ground, & it licked up every thing clean where it went, even to thedry leaves. Every time it lapped over, it came a little nearer to where we stood. I

presently discovered that the rest were gone, & I was lef alone, eeling great ear.I saw a little to the south o me, a pile o lumber that looked like barrel staves. I

went & crawled in among them, hoping they would afford me a little protectionrom the re. As I was watching the operations o the re, thro the crevices, I sawa man standing. I could only see his eet & legs up to his knees, but I crawled out,

very glad to see some body there, & went & kneeled beore him, & clasped myarms around his legs, saying You wont leave me here, to burn up in the re; will

you? He stooped down & put a light into my hand, about the size o a commoncandle, & said ake this light, & be careul to always keep it burning, & you willbe sae. Will I be sae in the day o Judgement? said I. He replied Yea, you willbe sae in the Day o Judgement. I looked at my light, & then at him; & I lovedhim exceedingly. Again I looked at my Light, & then began to notice his dress. Icounted the buttons on his coat, & noticed his jacket which was ormed different

rom any I had ever seen: noticed that his shirt collar turned down, while all I hadever seen beore, did not: noticed the large, wide brim o his hat. I then looked atmy Light, & when I looked up again he was gone. Tis scared me so that I awoke.

I got up & dressed as soon as I could, & went down to see my Father &Mother1who had been up or some time. I told my dream & they made consid-erable account o it; my Mother stopped her work getting breakast to hear it, &my Father, who was quite a hand to notice such things, wrote it down.


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wo years afer this, when I was about 9 years old, as I was returning romSchool one afernoon, in company with my cousins, who lived on the oppositeside o the road to my Fathers, so that we attended School together, just as wecame to the top o a hill going north, I saw in a road, west o our house, two menon horseback, that looked to me just like Jesus Christ, & they were going towardsour house. I used always to keep out o the way, & out o the sight o company thatcame to our house; but this time I dropped my dinner pail, lef my cousins & ranhome as ast as I could, & told my Mother that Jesus Christ was coming. Ten Ihastened out o the house & ran to meet them. When I got there, they stoppedtheir horses, & Elder Benjamin2asked me i I knew where Justus Brewster 3lived?Said I, He lives right there in that house. Are you his little girl? said one,Ireplied that I was, & told them that my Father had gone to the own. Tey startedon & I went along by their side. I loved them so I did not know what to do.

Tey came to a place or watering horses & I said to them, You can turnin here to water your horses, My Father does. Tey turned in & I ran to thehouse & told my Mother Tey are coming here. I then ran back to the water-ing trough & by that time they had tied their horses. I took hold o one withone hand, & hold o the other with my other, & so walked between them to thehouse, eeling greatly delighted. As we were going up the steps, one o them saidto the other, Tis is a good omen. I did not know what omen meant, & I beganto ear I had been too orward, or had done something that displeased them. SoI kept it in my mind to ask my Mother, the meaning o the word omen, which

I did, as soon as I got a chance. She asked me why I wanted to know? I told her,one o the gentlemen said to the other as we were coming up the steps, Tis is agood omen. She saw I elt worried about it, as she explained it to me, then I eltbetter. It was Benjamin Youngs & Issacher Bates.4

Tey stopped a ew minutes, & then came out & mounted their horses &rode towards the own. When my Father came back I ran to meet him & toldhim they had been there. So he rode afer them & brot them back, & they staidover night. Te next day we had great times so I thot. Tey spent the day in con-

versation & had some Baptist ministers & others there conversing.I watched the two brethren very closely & swallowed every word they said.

My attention was so xed on them that I took no notice o anything else that wassaid or done. And I then received as real Faith according to my understanding as

I ever had, & have kept it ever since.Te second day, they appointed a meeting & preached, & so matters went

on. Te Sisters had not come & I knew nothing about the order o laboring,but ound I could always dance the easiest, next to the Elders. So when we hadmeeting & labored, I always took my place to labor next to them, & danced rightbetween them. Te interest o People was so great, that the house was ull othem & some looking in at the windows, but I did not care or that.


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Brewster, Book of Remembrance 217

My Father & I many a time had meetings alone & danced together, MyMother did not set out untill a year afer. Tere was some talk o orming a Soci-ety there, but the Gif nally came or us to move to Watervliet.5Tere wereabout 30 o us that moved. It was considerable crossing to move & several ami-lies thot they could be Shakers & remain there, but they lost their Gif & ellback. One woman who wanted to come, had to stay on account o her husbandbeing unwilling she should come. She died in a short time, & people thot it

was because she had to stay. We came away rom there to Watervliet when Iwas about 11 years old, or in June 1803. Tere was Ralph Hodgsons6amily, &the Carters,7the Harwoods,8the Wells,9that had recently gathered & were all

young Believers, & we thot it was happy times. Joseph Hodgson10came to visithis uncle Ralph, about a year afer we moved or in 1804.11

Sampson Wood.12-Te way Believers came to visit us, was as ollows. Terewas a man Sampson Wood, who believed in Mother Anns Day.13He was deeplyin debt, & his amily was bitterly opposed, his wie particularly, & he applied toMother or counsel as to what he should do. Mother advised him to go & workat his trade, which was that o a blacksmith, & pay his debts, & what he couldearn more than that, let it go or the support o his amily; but to be sure & visitBelievers some where once a year. His amily lived about two miles rom us, &he used to come to our house to stay.

We did not know he was a Shaker; he never said anything about it. We knewhe went to see his riends once a year, but supposed they were his relations.

He was generally liked, & tho his dress was like other people o the world heappeared singular rom other people, & they said he worshipped different thatwas their manner o expressing it.

He learned me two songs when I was a little girl just large enough to standin the rocking chair & hold on to the pommels o the back & sing to him, & hedanced while the people were gone to meeting. Sometimes I would grow tired &sleepy; & he would say, Come, wake up and sing aster; & Oh! how he would

put into it. He was an old gray headed man & I used to love him very much, &called him Uncle Sampson. My Father was a leader among the Methodists. Hisreligion became dead & it distressed him very much. It was running low in hisSociety, & he held meetings at his house, but he could not raise the ervor.

As he walked the oor wringing his hands in labor upon it, Sampson said to

him, Bro. Brewster, I can tell you where there is a people that have got a religionthat will satisy you. Where are they Bro. Sampson? Tey live at New Leba-non14& the world call them Shakers. I am going there in a ew days, to make my

yearly visit, & i you will write a letter to them, I will take it down with me. MyFather replied, Tey never will come so ar as this to take any notice o me. Yeathey will said Sampson, i I tell them how it is, & you write a letter to them. So


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Notes to pages 179215 469

135. {two words illeg.}: Hollister has inserted period is where these words were struck out.136. {illeg.}: Hollister has inserted national quarrels here.

Ruth Scott estimony, as related by Freegif Wells

1. an older sister named Betsey: Eldress Betsy Stone (c.181470) may have been the wie oHenry Stone Sr (c.180652), who served the Canaan, New York, Shakers as a school-teacher, physician and herbalist.

2. near her age: Ruths sister may have been Julia Ann Scott, a basketmaker, deaconess andEldress, still living with the Shakers as later as 1915. She was two years younger thanRuth.

Blanchard, A Sketch o her Experience1. George Adams: evidently had lived with the Shakers as a child; see paragraph 14.2. John Lyon: (17801862) was our years old when he and his parents came to the Shakers.

He later became Elder o the Eneld North Family. See Incidents in the Early Lie oElder John Lyon (1861), reproduced in Volume 1.

3. Holy Roll: the vernacular name or Philemon Stewarts book,A Holy, Sacred, and DivineRoll and Book; om the Lord God o Heaven, to the Inhabitants o Earth (Canterbury,NH: Printed in the United Society, 1843).

4. Amanda C.:probably Amanda Curtis (b. c.1824), who was at the Eneld North Familyin 1843 and still lived as an Eneld Shaker in 1850, according to the US census.

Wheeler, Autobiographical Sketch

1. Rachel Lee: Te only Rachel Lee (180058) became a member at Union Village, Leba-non, Ohio, in 1829, was still there in 1841 and probably died there. Warren County,Ohio Shakers, Union Village, 18051920, vol. 2, ed. E. F. Van Houten and F. Cole (eds)(Lebanon, OH: Warren County Genealogical Society, 2003), p. 190.

2. Rachel Galoway: Rachel Galloway (181652) was admitted at Union Village in 1826,became a member in 1829, was at the Second Order in 1841 and died there. WarrenCounty, Ohio Shakers, Union Village, 18051920, vol. 1, ed. E. F. Van Houten and F.Cole (Lebanon, OH: Warren County Genealogical Society, 2003), p. 119.

3. My mother lef Believers: probably Margaret Wheeler (b. c.1818) who lef Union Villagein 1851. Warren County, Ohio Shakers, Union Village, 18051920, vol. 2, p. 359.

Autobiographical Letter o Sarah Bates

1. Elder Ebenezer Cooley: (17371817) headed New Lebanons Second Family, which was

in charge o the Watervliet gathering order, where the Bates amily may have entered thesociety.

Cassandana Brewster

1. Father & Mother:Justus Brewster (17611815) was born at Coventry, Connecticut.He was briey a member at Watervliet, New York beore joining the Second Family atHancock, Massachusetts. Joanna (Swif) Brewster (17711862) was a Hancock Shaker


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testimonies from shaker autobiographies, biographies and testimonies, 1806–1907

Documents