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

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19-36 The Peg Board V l ELEAZER GRANTS SIGNATURE This was taken from an old document in the possession of Mr. Austin D. H aight. Here Grant appears as one ofthe original subscribers to a fund, for the enelion ofa boy's school which was established in New Lebanon over a hundred years ago. The school is no longer in existence. . 15

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The Peg Board 1936 up stairs, as though she had been a dead beast, and then thrust her into a room, where she sat down and cried like a child. The mob immediately surrounded the doors, and refused to let any of the Believers enter, though many of the Brethren and Sisters strove hard to get in. But Father William boldly insisted on going in, declaring that she was his sister, therefore he had a right, and would go in to her. The mob still obstinately opposed it, but, at length, he, and two of the Sisters, found their way in, and went up stairs to Mother. Soon after this, Mother Ann and Father William put their heads out at the window, and sung to the Believers without, who danced with great powers. In the mean time, Grant, and his wicked court, consulted among themselves, to know in what manner they should proceed, and having settled the point, Mother was brought back again. Elder James, during the whole time of trial had been kept under guard, in a room, in a house where Grant's Court was sitting, he was also called in, and a suit was now entered against them for a breach of the peace. They were accused of making dis- turbance, and breaking people of their rest, by singing and shouting along the road, at a late hour of the night. Grant inquired of them if they did not pass by such a man's house, Cnaming the manj to which Elder James replied, I 'never saw that man in my life, that I know of, but I sung and served God a great deal. Grant again asked if they did not pass by such a man's house, fnaming another manj, and received the same answer. Thus he inquired, concerning one house and another, but received invariably the same answer. Grant then made a pretense of binding them over to the County Court, and said they must be taken to jail, or get bondsmen for their appearance. David and George immediately offered themselves as bondsmen, and were accepted. The bondsmen then said, The prisoners are ours, and we have a right to take them where we please. It appears, however, that Grant did not give them up to their bondsmen, but they all went out, and Mother and Hannah Kendall and Lucy Wood got into their carriage. The Brethren, who were the bondsmen, considering themselves as having the right, attempted to lead the carriage, but were prevented by the mob, who had determined on taking the carriage themselves. Grant came to the door and addressed them thus, As a magistrate of the state of New York, I desire that there be no mobs, nor riots, and then added, Lay hands sudden- ly on no man. These words he repeated several times, laying a peculiar emphasis on the last words, no man. He then went back into the house, and was seen no more that day. This speech was evidently intended as a cloak, to cover his own hypocrisy, while it held out a license to the mob, to abuse Mother at their pleasure, seeing she was a woman. This was evidently well understood by the mob, for they took hold with increased zeal, and separated Mother from the body of Believers, and would not suffer them to come near her, but drove on, with great violence, toward Albany, still keeping the Be- lievers back, and threatening and abusing every one who attempted to go forward. Many of them were inhumanly beaten, some of those on horseback, besides being beaten them- selves, had their horses beaten with such violence that they several times nearly fell down. Thus they drove on about seven miles, over a rough and muddy road, over stones and stumps, seeking the roughest places in the road for Mother's carriage, which, together with many severe strokes, which she received from her drivers, greatly increased the fatigue and sufferings she had already endured. And, though several families of the Believers lived on the road, the mob would not suffer Mother to stop for any refreshments, although it was near sunset, and she had eaten nothing that day, except a few mouthfuls which she had obtained of Grant's wife, at the intercession of some of the Sisters. At length, about dusk, they arrived at a tavern on the road, and the Landlord, whose name was Ranny, hearing the tumult, and understanding the cause, came out, and with great authority of spirit, and keen severity of language, reprimanded the mob for such shameful abuse, toward an innocent and civil people, and boldly threatened them with the utmost rigor of the law, if they did not immediately disperse. This severe rebuke and bold threat from Ranny, greatly embarrassed the mob, and concluding they were near the 14

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The Peg Board 1936 boundary line of the town, and night coming on, they said that all who belonged to N iska- yuna, might pass on, but those who belonged to New Lebanon, should go back. The Brethren, however, would not consent to this, but determined to cleave to Mother. After much wrangling, and some blows from the mob, they left the Believers, a few rods west of Ranny's, and near to Charles McCarthy's-a poor man, who lived in a little log-house, where the most of them retired, and took shelter for the night, Mother was very much ex- hausted, and passed the night under great distress and sufferingsl' Concerning Ranny, or Rany as the name is spelled elsewhere by the Shakers, no additional information seems obtainable. He may have been the bartender at Bigelow's Tavern, which stood on the Albany road not far from the Rensselaer County line. Charles McCarthy was doubtless a near relative of Patrick McCarty, the first settler in New Lebanon who is known by name, for the houses of the two men were situated in the same place or at least very close to each other, and the difference in the spelling of the name was clearly accidental. Some of the Believers slept on the floor of Charles McCarthy's log cabin, others in an old log barn. When morning came they held a religious meeting and then refreshed themselves with food brought to them by their friends. In the afternoon they went back as far as Nathan Far- rington's along the same road they had followed the day before: Mother and her persecuted little flock, passed the fore part of the day in serving God and comforting one another. In the afternoon they returned back to Nathan Farrington's where they spent the remainder of the day, and the following night. After they arrived there, Mother said, I feel now as though I could take some rest, and appeared in a measure, comfortable, considering the shocking scene of suffering and abuse which she had passed through the preceding day. But the enemies' of the work could never be at rest while Mother was within their reach. In the dusk of the evening, about thirty or forty heathenish creatures of the baser sort, collected around the house, in a mobbish manner. This collection consisted chiefly of a company of fellows from the town of Chatham, who, from the savageness of their manners, were styled the Indian Club. These ruH-ians demanded, in very rough and abusive language, to see the old woman. Nathan inquired what they wanted of her? They answered, She is an old witch, and she shall not stay here. Nathan replied, She is a woman of God, and you shall not see her in such a manner. On hearing the tumult, and perceiving that a mob had gathered, Mother wept, and said, This comes suddenly upon me, what shall I do? I do not feel as though I could endure any more! The mob threw clubs' and stones at the house, and threatened to break down the doors. Nathan boldly commanded them to desist, and threatened them with the penalty of the law if they attempted to break into the house. This, for a moment, seemed to check their rage, Nathan expostulated with them, and endeavored to show them the wickedness and folly of such conduct, and said, 'I have lived, as a neighbor with you a number of years, in peace, but now, because I have joined the people of God, according to my faith, and confessed my sins, as you ought to do, you come here to break into my house, and abuse my family. But the mob, being determined to break into the house, set reason and humanity at defiance, and with horrid oaths and blasphemies, continued to throw stones and clubs. The house being new, and unfinished, and one of the passages fastened up with loose boards they, at length, succeeded in forcing the boards down, and carried them into the street, but were still prevented from entering the house, by Brethren, who stood in the passage. Mother, who was at this time in the upper part of the house, sent for John Farrington, and said to him, John, can't you go and send these creatures off? Yea, Mother, repli- ed John. Go, said she, and shame them, tell them it is a shame for men to be around 16. From the 1888 edition of the Testimonies, pp. 149 ff. 17. Patrick McCarty is named and the position of his house is indicated in the original grant of August 4, 1743 through which Stesrhen Bayard und' others received part of the present territory of New Lebanon from George IV. See the Psp Buard Vol. 8, No. 2, April 19 5. 16