Darrow School - Shaker Post Yearbook (New Lebanon, NY)

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1936 The Peg Board to keep them back, but in vain. They seized and hurled us out of doors, one after an- other, with the utmost violence. I was thrown out and beaten so that my flesh was black and blue in spots all over me. Many others of the brethren and sisters shared the same fate. Several doors were broken to pieces, the ceiled partition of the little room where Mother had retired, was torn down flat to the Hoorg and she was hauled out and thrown into the carriage without any ceremony. Two of the young sisters followed her and sprung into the carriage. Q55 THE PRESENT-MEETING HOUSE This building stands on the site ofGearge Dano'w's house While the sisters were being driven from the house, the brethren were being handled even more roughly. The edition of the Testimonies printed in 1888 tells how they were treated and continues the story: They seized the brethren, one after another, and dragged them out with theamost savage violence. Richard Spier was three times thrown out of a back door, which was very high from the ground. Some were drawn out by the hair of their heads, some were taken by four or five men, one at each arm and leg, and pitched headforemost, with great violence, into a mud puddle near the door, some had their clothes badly torn. After a conflict of fifteen or twenty minutes, the mob succeeded in getting into the house. Mother, at this time, was in a back bedroom, separated from .the rest of the people by a ceiled partition. The ruiiians strove to enter the room where she was, but were kept back by the Brethren who guarded the door, after a considerable struggle they succeeded in tearing down the ceiling of the room, seized Mother Ann by her feet, and dragged her in a shame- ful manner, through the parlor and kitchen, to the door. Eliab Harlowe had made ready Mother's carriage, before the action commenced, and sat in it, before the door, where he had a fair view of the scene. Mother was pitched, head- ll Testimonies concerning the Character and Ministry of Mother Ann Lee, Albany 1827, p. 27. 11

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The Peg Board 1936 All such charges are fiatly contradicted by the testimonies of many Shakers who were closely associated with Ann Lee during her ministry in America and of some who were present with her on the day of the attack. And the unprejudiced student of history will at the outset be inclined to put more faith in what the Shakers aliirmg for if Mother Ann was a woman of bad character, why did men like Joseph Meacham and Samuel Johnson-men of education and intelligence who were leaders in their respective churches-not only become her disciples, but even endure mob violence for her sake? The Shakers themselves admit that once, at least, they disturbed the unbelievers by their enthusiastic singingg' but no such minor offence could possibly justify the treatment they received, and as for the more serious charges, it seems reasonably clear that they were merely utrumped up as an excuse for driving Ann Lee out of town. That Mother Ann was assailed by a mob at the house of George Darrow, that she was hauled before a magistrate, that she furnished bondsmen to guarantee her appearance before the county court, and that she was then driven by the same mob to the Rensselaer Countyline, all the sources agree. In matters of minor detail the Shaker account may contain exaggerations, but even by the most skeptical it may certainly be considered more trustworthy than any such billingsgate as that handed down by the accusers. Let us then tell the story of what happened by using ex- tensive quotations from the vivid, coherent, and complete narrative of the Shakers. On Saturday, August 23, 1783 Ann Lee with some of her followers reached the house of John Bishop in New Lebanonf They were on their way back to Niskayuna after an absence of two years, in which time they had visited many New England towns. In the course of the ensuing week they were not molested by their enemies, but a storm of opposition to them was gathering. The last day of August they spent in Stephentown, where signs of open hostility began to appear, a number of young people jesting at them and mocking them. On the first day of September they returned to New Lebanon and stopped at Isaac Harlowe's. There until very late at night they were engaged in their characteristic religious exercises. Towards dawn Mother Ann, accompanied by the elders and some of the sisters, proceeded to George Darrow's house, which occupied the spot where the Shaker meeting house, now part of the Lebanon School, stands today. Shortly after daybreak a mob attacked them. The mob was composed of two parties which had advanced on George Darrow's house from opposite directions. The first act of its leaders was to arrest the owner, George Darrow, and also David Meacham, charging that they had abused David Meacham's own daughterf The two men prepared to follow their captors to the residence of the magistrate, Eleazer Grantg but be- fore leaving, Darrow put his property under the protection of his brother David, ' who lived just across the road. Meanwhile the friends of Mother Ann were also gathering and entering the house to protect her. Darrow and 'Meacham having been marched away, the mob began to assail the doors ofthe house in order to lay hands on Ann Lee, but here let us turn to the statement of an eye witness, Rachel Spencer: A I was very early in the morning employed in the kitchen, with a number of the sisters, in preparing breakfast and putting the house in orderg and we had nearly finished our work when the mob came. The house was at that time clean and decent, and all was still and quiet, when suddenly we were beset on every side by a large gang of unprincipled wretches in mob array. The principal rooms below were nearly filled with the brethren and sisters, who endeavored to keep the mob out, but regardless of remonstrances or en- treaties, they rushed in like furious tigers. A number of them burst into the kitchen and furiously assaulted the sisters who were collected there. We strove with all our strength 7. Testimonies of the Life, Character, Revelations and Doctrines of M other Arm Lee, Albany, 1888, p. 143. 8. John Bishop's house was incorporated in one end of the South Family's dwelling house in New Lebanon. This building stands on the old road to Pittsfield not very far from the Lebanon School. See the illustration in Anna White and Leila S. Taylor, Shaksrism Ita Meaning and Message, opposite page 73. 9. See Testimonies of the Life, Character, Revelations and Doctrines of Mother Ann Lee and the Elders with Her, Albany 1888, p. 145. 10. David Darrow had formerly been a lieutenant in the American army. 10

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The Peg Board 1936 long, into her carriage, Hannah Kendall and Lucy Wood followed, then gave her the reins, and as they were about to start, Mother spoke to Prudence Hammond, who brought her budget, and said, Prudence, keep along with us. They had not proceeded more than three or four rods, when the rufiians cut off both the reins of the bridle. Eliab then at- tempted to lead the beast, and proceeded six or eight rods further, when the mob sur- rounded the carriage, and beat him off, with many severe strokes, and undertook to lead the beast themselves, and drove on, very furiously, toward Grant's. Prudence Hammond, according to Mother's orders. kept close by the side of the carriage. A certain young man of the mob, observing her, exerted himself, very much to beat her off, and ride over her, but was not able, for Mother often repeated her order, Prudence, keep along with us, don't let your faith fail, which gave Prudence a degree of power which the world was not able to resist. At length, another young man said to his companions, These people have got a power that we know nothing about, it is the power of God that carries that woman along in such a manner. He then politely offered to take Prudence on behind him and carry her civilly. But, Mother cautioned her, saying, Prudence, don't be enticed by them, don't let your faith fail, and you will hold out to the end. So Prudence ran along on foot, still keeping close by the side of the carriage. Here let us interrupt the narrative and insert Prudence Hammond's own account of her experiences on that day. It was committed to writing in-Iune 1826: When Mother was taken from George Darrow's by the mob, and was so cruelly abused, I was there. By her direction I followed the carriage, and kept close by the side of it all the way to Grant's. Some of the wicked tried to beat me off and ride over me, ' but were not able. Mother often encouraged me to keep up, and not let my faith fail, and said, You will not be hurt. When she arrived at Grant's, the mob crowded around her. She requested them to stand off, but they refused. One man, in particular, was very rude and insolentf' But Prudence Hammond has carried us too far ahead and has omitted many incidents which occurred while the mob was progressing from George Darrow's to the house of the magistrate. The narrative, which was interrupted, continues as follows: In this manner they proceeded about sixty rods further, when they came to a narrow bridge, across a small rivulet, upon the side of a steep hill, which formed a dangerous pre- cipice. Here the inhuman wretches attempted to overset the carriage, but, were prevent- ed by Medad Curtiss, who, at that instant, saved the chair, but, in the struggle, Thomas Law, who was the most active in the business, fell down the precipice. Law was afterward heard to say, I should have finished the old woman, if it had not been for that devil of a Medad. 1' The bridge here mentioned has disappeared. The small rivulet, which, except in times of Hood is a mere trickle of water following a rocky channel down the side of a steep hill, passes under the road through a culvert. On the western side the road is now lined by a massive re- taining wall. The foot of this wall is only about ten feet below the surface of the road, but in the time of Ann Lee the drop to anything like level ground must have been considerably greater. From this place the Shakers were driven along to a spot where an interesting reminder of that day's work is still to be seen. By the side of the old roadway-long ago abandoned-is a large rock. Cut deeply into its face are the letters 7. W., the initials of Elder James Whittaker. Here Elder James was dragged from his horse by Thomas Law and thrown violently against the rock now marked with his initials: 12. See pages 146 and 147 of the 1888 Testimonies. 18. From the 1827 edition of the Testimonies, p. 53. 14. From the 1888 edition of the Testimonies, p. 147. 12