Margaret Van Horn Dwight

“ Family tradition adds a personal touch in relating that her home was a center of hospitality and that she herself was active and very vivacious.
The journal of the rough wagon trip to Ohio in 1810 was evidently kept by Margaret Dwight in fulfilment of a promise to her cousin, Elizabeth Woolsey, to whom it was sent as soon as the journey was over. A good many years later the journal was given to a son of the author, and the original is now in the possession of a granddaughter, Miss Katharine Reynolds Wishart of Waterford, Pennsylvania. ”

“ We have had better roads to day, but only came 10 miles— Last night we had good beds, but were oblig'd to sleep in the room with the Dr & his father-Mr & Mrs W- of course, as we have determin'd not to sleep out of their room again— The landlord & his wife were extremely clever- they gave us a great many apples & some cherry bounce- Such treatment, after being refus'd even the privilege of getting any victuals,- as we were the night before, was very welcome— The landlord has been a waggoner-"Only look at that now"-A clever waggoner! ”

“ One misfortune follows another, and I fear we shall never reach our journey's end— Yesterday we came about 3 miles— After coming down an awful hill, we were oblig'd to cross a creek; but before we quite came to it, the horses got mired, & we expected every moment one of them would die-but Erastus held his head out of water, while Mr W-was attempting to unharness them, & Mrs W- & Susan were on the bank, calling for help— I sat by, to see the horse breathe his last ”

“ We pass'd through Reading yesterday which is one of the largest & prettiest towns I have seen-We stopt about 2 hours in the town, & I improved my time in walking about to see it- I went into the stores enquiring for a scissor case- Almost every one could talk english- but I believe the greatest part of them were dutch people- As soon as we left Reading, we cross'd the Schuylkill- It was not deeper than the Lehi, & we rode thro' it in our waggon. ”

“ I did not imagine parting with any friend could be so distressing as I found leaving your Mama. I did not know till then, how much I loved her & could I at that moment have retraced my steps! but it was too late to repent— Deacon Wolcott & his wife are very kind, obliging, people, & Miss Wolcott is a very pleasant companion, I do not know what I should do without her. ”

“ Mr W is I believe a very pious good man, but not naturally pleasant temper'd- religion however, has corrected it in a great degree, but not wholly overcome it- Mrs W- is an amiable sweet temper'd woman, as I ever saw ”

“ Wednesday morn- I have not spent so pleasant an evening this long time as the last- Will you believe me, when I tell you we heard some waggoners conversing upon religious subjects- instead of swearing & cursing- One is an Irish waggoner, & appears to be sensible, well inform'd man- & what is more, has read his bible- 2 clever waggoners! I think I will never condemn a whole race again- I can now, even believe it possible to find a clever Dutchman in Pennsylvania. ”

“ The death of her father in 1796, and the subsequent marriage of her mother, was probably the reason for Margaret Dwight being taken by her grandmother, Mary Edwards Dwight, a daughter of Jonathan Edwards, who trained her as her own child in her family in Northampton. The death of her grandmother, February 7, 1807, was the occasion of her going to live in New Haven in the family of her aunt, Elizabeth Dwight, who had married William Walton Woolsey, and whose son was President Theodore Woolsey.
Three years later, in 1810, Margaret Dwight left New Haven to go to her cousins in Warren, Ohio. ”

“ Mr W. made several attempts to dispel & by kind words & phebeish [A] looks but without success; he appears to be a very fond husband. We stopt to eat oats at a Tavern in Fairfield, West Farms, an old Lady came into the room where Miss W. (whose name, by the way, is Susan, not Hannah, Sally, or Abby) & we were sitting. "Well! Gals where are you going?" "To New Connecticut" "You bant tho- To New Connecticut? Why what a long journey! do you ever expect to get there? How far is it?" "Near 600 miles" "Well Gals, you Gals & your husbands with you?" ”

“ About sunset, we left the baker's & came down to the Creek, but found it was impossible to get over the waggon, & the road was so intolerable between the place we had left & the creek, that we could not go back, & what to do, it took a long time to determine; but at length Mr W concluded we had better come over to a dirty tavern this side, & let Erastus sleep in the wagon— The stream runs so fast, that we did not dare cross it alone, as there was nothing but a log to cross on ”

“ Monday morn- We have now I think met with as bad as can befal us— Never, never did I pass such a night—— We could get no bed & for a long time expected to be oblig'd to set up all night- but we could get no room nor fire to stay by, & the landlady was so kind as to give up her bed to us ”

“ We came but 9 or 10 miles to day, & are now near the 6th Mountain- in a tavern fill'd with half drunken noisy waggoners— One of them lies singing directly before the fire; proposing just now to call for a song from the young ladies—— I can neither think nor write he makes so much noise with his love songs ”

“ Jennyauter-P—Wednesday 2 oclock P M-between 2 brothers——
This morning we cross'd the first mountain call'd first brother, & are in an inn between the first & second brother; the latter we are soon to ascend-The first m-n is 31⁄2 miles over,- better road than we expected- but bad enough to tire the horses almost to death- We met & were overtaken by a number of people— We all walk'd the whole distance over- I did not stop at all to rest till I reach'd the top- I was then oblig'd to wait for some of them to overtake me, as I had outwalk'd them all. ”