Show SyLl1JLf3 z lYi4 f A r i SdVJYS RiL 2XR1Ll iIr61 GEN PHILIP SCHUYLERS WIFE y + e A Colonial Dame Who is Known Today as the Gentlewoman tcl 1 of the Revolution f j v > < > m < Z Y r q Catharine Sjhuyler the wife of General I Gen-eral Philip Shuyler was the gentlewoman gentle-woman of the revolution All that wealth culture social position and the education of the time could give were hers The only daughter of John Van i f Rensselaer the patroon of Green bush from her earliest years she had known the possession of wealth ando and-o the lavish generosity and hospitality which marked her fathers home left p their impress upon her Indeed her + father was known as too liberal a man even to collect the just dues from his tenants and the antirent struggles which almost convulsed New York in later years were by many traced dl rectly to the lavish bounty of the Van Ileiisselaer home which disbursed on every side not alvays wisely nor too well But generous as John Van Rens selaer < was to those who were dependent upon him his beautiful daughter Catherine Cath-erine received far more from him for all that he had was hers She shared In the management of his vast estates was taught to play the part of the lady Bountiful and was the idol of her father and the favorite In all the region She learned to speak fluently several languages beside her own and was accomplished I ac-complished in all the arts of the finer life And yet she was never spoiled She seemed to rive the lie to the current cur-rent proverb that wealth robs young people of power for all that money could give only increased her strength of character and generous disposition Refined cultured and yet strong she vas like a piece of finest steel which Is all the stronger because It has the highest temper HER HUSBAND E It was only natural that Philip Schuy x ler whose ancestors had dwelt for 100 years nearby at Albany should be drawn to this beautiful girl And when r they were married it seemed to be the union of what was best and truest in r all the region For Philip Schuyler was i one of the finest types at the gentleman the rough new world had yet produced Wealth he had but how he regarded money can be judged from the fact that l by the right of primogeniture he inherited 1 in-herited all the vast possessions of his h father but he at once divided his inheritance s in-heritance among his brothers and sisters t sis-ters although legally not one of them had any claim upon him His Towing power had already brought him Into r n hnno and when the young of a 1v flee with his noble presence strong mind and courteous manners brought the slender lovely girl to Albany as his wife the new home at once became the center of all that was best in the quaint Dutch town HER EXECUTIVE ABILITY Philip Sfehuyler was compelled to go abroad in 1760 and the beautiful mansion man-sion he was erecting was left uncompleted uncom-pleted But his wife was equal to the I emergency and at once assumed the direction di-rection of affairs Steadily the work went on Catharine Schuyler superintending I superin-tending all the details and it was not long before the noble dwelling was completed com-pleted As both husband and wife were I of Dutch descent the Dutch style predominated pre-dominated in the quaint building and when Philip returned it was to find the work done and his own unexpressed I < I wishes and tastes all understood and i translated into being by his wife The old house stood on the corner of State I 1 and Washington streets until a little after 1800 In it Mrs Schuyler was hos I tess to many of the leading officers and at one time 14 captive French officials were held there on parole How thoroughly I thor-oughly they appreciated the gentleness and kindness Mrs Schuyler we shall learn + farther on I HER DECISION OF CHARACTER Unlike Lucy Knox Catharine Schuy I ler had no social ambitions Her home her children and her friends were her all And perhaps just because she did not try to push herself Into public life I she was the more in demand The children chil-dren came rapidly with her home but she never allowed even her social duties to interfere with her duties as a mother There are two stories recorded record-ed however which show that with all her gracious and gentle manners she could act with decision and promptness when the occasion demanded Near Saratoga General Schuyler had a I handsome country residence In the time of Burgoynes invasion this was threatened and was as we know afterwards I after-wards burned by the order of the British Brit-ish general But when the word came that ruin threatened it as her husband was with the army she would trust no one to remove the furniture which was made up of many heirlooms of the families on both sides and orderip her carriage started herself for the country place to supervise the removal While she was there her husband sent her word that he wished all the wheat on his place to be burned to prevent it from falling into the possession posses-sion of the British With her own hands Mrs Schuyler set fire to the standing I wheat on her husbands place and then called upon all his tenants to follow her example and the cloud of smoke that soon came rolling in showed that her own example was not without influence in-fluence IN THE TIME OF TRIAL Philip Schuyler in spite of his gen I erous ways and true heart had made enemies The New England men were jealous of him and General Gates the petty little dandy was doing all in his power to supercede him For a time General Gates succeeded and Schuyler was relieved of his command but indignantly in-dignantly demanding an investigation he was acquitted and restored But It was only for a brief time as Gates I again succeeded and held the position which was Schuylers by every right Here the Influence of Catherine Schuy I ler came in With full confidence in the ability of her husband she added her words of comfort and helped to hold him steady in the line of duty Benedict Arnold under similar circumstances circum-stances found no help in the lighthearted light-hearted and lighter headed woman who was his wife and fell Philip Schuyler turned to his wife In his time of trial and his own generous heart was strengthened and upheld by her counsel coun-sel to play the man and wait Today the name of Schuyler Is venerated while that of Arnold is hated but who knows how much each of them owed his wife the one that he fell and the other that he rose Washington believed be-lieved in Schuyler all the time and his confidence was not misplaced for Philip Schuyler remained true to his country and her cause because he was true to himself and I think I can add true to his wife Until the struggle was ended he was the friend and counsellor of Washington and the trusted ally of the colonists ALEXANDER HAMILTONS VISITS In the winter of 1780 General Schuv ler spent some time with Washington a I at Morristown A house was assigned i himand there with a portion of his 1 family he remained several weeks Alexander Hamilton wand aid I w-and military secretary became very strongly attached to Catherine Schuy I lets daughter Elizabeth and spent i many evenings in their home One I night when he was returning to r camp he was halted by the sentinel who recognized him but demanded the countersign Young Hamiltons head I was so filled with the thoughts of Miss Schuyler that there was no room for nll k I anything else and he could not think of the necessary word The sentinel I thought he was being tested and remained I re-mained obstinate Hamilton could not the windows and firing at the rascals below In a moment the house was filled withihe ruffians but the plate in the dining room was their first object Suddenly Catharine Schuyler thought of her baby left in a room below each member of the family thinking some other had brought it In a moment the frantic mother all forgetful of herself started to go > below and rescue her baby but the generous sturdy hand interposed I in-terposed It would be death for her and the child too But her grown daughter Margaret slipped by them both and in a moment brought tM Infant still sleeping in safety to the room above and had frightened away the miscreants mis-creants who had mistaken her for a 1 G s I I II II 11 I I i I I III i I i I I I I I I LI I 1 I I h I Id I I I t I t I II I 11 L r t Ik I I Se f I V 11 r I f II 1 I i9iii s I + Iqr ii iII I 1r I 11 jj IIli l I Iq I I II i I u k I 1 I GEN BOTJBGOISr AT nIBS SCHYLERS pass without the countersign Suddenly Sudden-ly he recognized a boy to whom he had given the magic word so that he could play within and without the camp and calling him gained the desired word and entered But his forgetfulness was the source of endless jokes by Catherine Cather-ine Schuyler who was strongly attached I at-tached to young Hamilton and not long after cordially welcomed him asher as-her soninlaw MOMENT OF FORGETFULNESS After General Schuyler gave up his position he resided at Albany and was of great use to Washington in many ways At that time there was a disposition disposi-tion on the part of many of the tortes to kidnap prominent whigs and send them as prisoners to Canada and Philip Schuyler was to be one of the victims For a week or more the miscreants kept watch on his place but the general had been warned and was on his guard But at last the band made a quick onslaught one evening and the family rushed upstairs up-stairs the general standing by one of t I servant by declaring that armed men 1 I were then on the way from Albany j HOSTESS OFBURGOYNE At the time when Burzroyne surrendered I surren-dered he and his staff were received at I the home of General Schuyler by his j wife She entertained them as if they I were guests Burgoyne himself overcome over-come by her kindness > when he thought I of the destruction of their country place I I which had been done by his order tried I to murmur his thanks and apologies but Catharine Schuyler graciously passed hiswords by When he repeated I them to the general lie was told that such was thfe fortune war Twenty covers daily were laid for these I Quests and after their return to Enl En-l gland they sang thd praises of Philip huyler and his wife to all One of the guests was a Hessian and his child I speaking in German Jo his mother one I day asked Is this Jhe house papa was I to have when we came to America His mother flushed as she saw that I Mrs Schuyler understood the language and tried to apologize but again the perfect lady showed er breeding and the guest was made to feel at home The tory papers mad great sport of Mrs Schuyler for her loyalty to the colonies col-onies one paper declaring that she even Insisted upon 13 hairs being left upon her husbands bald pate so that she could twist them into one as the 13 colonies were to be one But Catharine Schuyler was content She could afford to look down and be benignant She died before her husband and her loss and that of his soninlaw Alexander Alex-ander Hamilton in his tragic affair with Burr so wore upon his heart that General Schuyler soon followed his wilt who Is still remembered as the gentlewoman ot the revolution for hers was the gentleness of power KVBRETT T TOMLJNSON |