FRIENDS’

REVIEW. 659

 

merce, so as to answer the witness of God with '

them with whom they are concerned?”

The subject of using tobacco had been acted
on in 1705, when an advice was issued against
its immoderate use, and Friends were admon-
ished in relation thereto.

(To be continued.)
eae
: For Friends’ Review.
NOTICES OF DAVID COOPER.
NO. XII.
Diary of his Journey to Rhode Island Resumed.

“On the 22d we expected to pass Croton
River at a bridge, it being the American lines,
where Col. Green (who commanded the Fort at
Red Bank) had been stationed.. He had been
very indulgent in allowing Friends to pass and
repass:. but two nights before this he was sur-
prised in his bed by Delaney, colonel of the
Refugees, and murdered ina most barbarous man-
ner, with many of hismen. The new comman-
der would not suffer us to pass;°so we had to
turn and go twenty miles round. In the course
of the day so many had joined us from various

arts as to increase our company to between
fifty and sixty Friends. Travelling between the
British and American lines had become so dan-
gerous, that. Friends chose for several to be to-
gether, but this company being so large, it
tended to alarm the people, and produced greater
sufferings than otherwise might have happened.
We reached Harrison’s purchase, near the white
Plains, and eight of us lodged at the widow
Field’s.* On the 23d a number of robbers went
from house to house, early in the morning, and
took Friends’ horses, saddles, &. About 20
were driven by the door while we were at break-
fast. They took the beasts of two women who
had come to join our company, but ours remain-
ed undiscovered. After riding a short distance,
we turned into a private road which led by a
nearer way, and the man at whose house we
turned off said that before we were out of sight
he saw about twenty of the robbers coming:
thus we again escaped, and riding through West
Chester to White Stone ferry, we crossed to Long
Island. At West Chester lay great numbers of
Refugees. We passed their guards peaceably,
liberty having been obtained of their command-
ing officer. It was supposed that above one
hundred Friends crossed here to attend the
Yearly Meeting.

‘‘ During the last two days, we passed through
a fine country almost uninhabited ; houses empty,

 

*This may have been the mother of our precious
friend Abigail Mott, afterwards wife of our honored
friend Richard Mott. A.M. was a woman of
strong mind and remarkable virtues. Few, if any,
could be found more exempt from fault or foible, and
few have attained to a higher place in the affections
of the good and wise, orto greater dignity as mothers
in Israel. ea

old grass of the last year’s growth covering the
fields, and the public roads grown up with grass.

It was an affecting sight, which filled my mind
with a gloomy horror not to be described, in re-
flecting upon the savage effects of inhuman war.
From the ferry we rode two miles to Flushing,
and lodged at the widow Thorn’s, and on the
24th attended their meeting, held at a private
house. Although many strangers were present
the room was not nearly filled; so reduced is
that meeting which was once regarded as the
largest in America. We rode to West-
bury and lodged at Samuel Way’s, and on the
25th (being the sixth of the week) attended the
Select Meeting. Next day commenced the
Yearly Meeting of business, which held until
Sixth day the Ist of 6th month. There were
many valuable Friends in attendance, and the
meeting was measurably favored: but in trans-
acting the affairs of the church there is room
for improvement in a deep feeling after the mind
of Truth, which keeps our own spirits from being
busy, and preserves in the harmonious labor for
Truth’s honor. I thought they were in a much
better situation than when I was there nine
years before. The cause of the Yearly Meeting
being held at Westbury, was, that since 1776
the British had used Friends’ Meeting House at
Flushing,forastore house. Friends here had been
for along time much tried with German soldiers
billeted upon them, which appeared likely to
continue. One friend, at whose house I lodged
three nights, had seventeen. During the Year-
ly Meeting my companion and I lodged one
night at Elias Hieks’ in Jericho, two at Henry
Post’s, one at John Willis’, and three at Thomas
Seaman’s. There were present from Philadel-
phia Yearly Meeting, Thomas Carrington, Wm.
Jackson, John Lloyd, George Churchman,
Warner Mifflin, Isaac Wilson, Jacob Lundy,
Sarah Hampton, Mary Pearsal, and D. C.

‘‘ The evening after the close of the meeting,
T. Carrington, G. Churchman, Warner Mifflin
and I, rode to Joseph Pearsal’s in Cow Neck.”

The case of difficulty which D. C. had been
helpful in settling in 1772, (see No. 7,) was in
reference to the acknowledgment of this Friend
and his wife for outgoing in marriage. They
were both reinstated, and, says D. C., “ they now
appeared hopeful and solid.” On Seventh day
they crossed the ferry, and lodged with Joseph
Castings, “‘an ancient Friend on Frog Neck.”
“This neighborhood being filled with Refugees,
when we turned out our horses in the evening,
there seemed little hope that we should see them
in the morning. When we arose next day, four
were gone out of sight. We meant to ride ten
miles to a meeting on our way to Rhode Island
Yearly Meeting, our time being very short to
‘reach it, but were now under the necessity of
staying the meeting at West Chester. This
afternoon two of our horses were found tied in

 

the woods, but those of George Churchman and