PAPERS RELATING TO THE SIX NATIONS
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Luke 1 with Col 0 Philips—you may possibly imagine that a person who has had such remarkableSallys of Intemperance could not make a serious clergyman but I give you my Honor and I am sureyou’l believe me that for 14 Months past I have totally abstained from Wine and Spirits finding uponrepeated Trial that there is something in my Constitution that at present will not bear it.
Be so good as to let me hear from you as soon as you conveniently can upon this mostinteresting Subject in which the Happiness and Usefulness of Thousands yet unborn may somuch depend.
I am with the utmost Sincerity & Truth Rev d & Dear Sir
Your most Obedient & most humble Servant
Rev d M r Miles Cooper. H. Babcock 2
REV. MR. ANDREWS TO SIR WM. JOHNSON.
Sir, My Health has really suffered so much of late from constant Confinement to a School, &from my Attention to the Mission, that I have, by the Advice of D r Constable, been obliged tomake an Excursion abroad for the Recovery of it. A principal Inducement to undertake this, wasthe Arrival of a Clergyman at Schenectady , 3 who kindly offered to supply my Place, shou’d I absentmyself. The care of the School I have committed to a Person of Capacity.
1 Rev. Luke Babcock was the youngest son of Chief Justice Babcock, of Rhode Island ; he was born about 1738. Hegraduated at Tale College in 1755, and afterwards commenced the study ot divinity. In 1771, the Rev. Luke Babcock wasrecommended by the clergy of New-York, being lately ordained by the Bishop of London as a proper person for a Missionary,and Col. Philipsehaving requested that the mission of Philipsburgh, formerly filled by the Rev. Harry Munro, should berenewed, they accordingly appointed Rev. Luke Babcock to the mission. King’s Coll. N. Y. conferred the degree of A. M,on him in 1774. On the breaking out of the revolution, his papers were examined, and because he answered affirmatively tothe question, whether he considered himself bound by his oath of allegiance to the King, he was deemed an enemy to theliberties of America , and ordered to Hartford, where he was detained from October, 1776, to February, 1777. Under thistreatment his health gave way, and he was ordered to remove within the lines of the King’s army, “ He got home in a ragingfever and delirious,” and died on the 18th of February, 1777, extremely regretted. “ Indeed, (says Mr. Seabury) I knownot a more excellent man, and I fear his loss, especially in that mission, will scarcely be made up.” “ He was not only (addsMr. Inglis) exemplary in his life and assiduous in his pastoral duty, but distinguished by his steady loyalty and warmattachment to the constitution in Church and State.” His remains were deposited in the family vault of the Van Cortlandts.By his wife, Grace Isaacs, a cousin of Judge Isaacs of New-IIaven, he left two sons, Cortlandt and Frederick; the latter was thefather of the late Mrs W. L. Morris, of Yonkers . He also left one daughter, Henrietta, who married a Mr, Richard Saltonstal,of New-York . There is a fine portrait of the Rev Luke Babcock in the possession of Mrs. Babcock, of St. Marks Place, N.V. He is represented in gown and bands, his head reclining on his right arm, which rests upon a book. There is somethingextremely calm and placid in his countenance, corresponding with his benevolent mind. Bolton.
2 Col. Henry Babcock, eldest brother of the Rev. Luke B., was born in 1736, entered Yale College at the age of twelve,and took his degree when sixteen years old. At the age of eighteen he was Captain of an independent company of infantry,and at nineteen marched to Albany, thence to Lake George , where he formed part of the force under Col. 'Williams, whichwas defeated by Baron Dieskau. He was promoted to the rank of Major in the following year; at the age of twenty-one w r asLieutenant-Colonel, and next year Colonel of the R. I. regiment. In 1758 he marched 500 men with the army againstTiconderoga, where he had 110 men killed and wounded. He himself received a musket hall in the knee. He was afterwardsat the capture of the same fort by Gen. Amherst. In 1761, he went to England, where he spent a year, and soon after hisreturn married and settled at Stonington , Conn., and commenced the practice of the law. [It seems by the above letter, hewas desirous to enter orders. We find him afterwards engaged in the Lake Superior copper speculations.] When therevolution broke out, he joined the whig party, and in 1776 was appointed by the Legislature commander of the forces atNewport. He was a man of fine person, accomplished manners, commanding voice, and an eloquent speaker. Updike.
3 Rev. John Doughty (a.) This gentleman who is supposed to have belonged to Westchester , graduated at King’s (nowColumbia) College in 1770, after which he went to England where he was ordained for the church at Peekskill . He
a In the Society ’s abstracts the name is spelt “ Doty,” we suppose from the pronunciation. It is printed “ Doughty” in the Catalogue of
Columbia Coll.
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