USA > Maryland > Annual report of the Society for the History of the Germans in Maryland, 1st-6th, Vol. 1-6 > Part 2
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It was also resolved at this meeting, after a prolonged and exhaustive debate, that whilst the German and English lan- guages should be entitled to equal rights in all other matters,
* Includes also all the officers of the Society.
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the minutes of this Society should be kept in the English language.
The first "corresponding members"-viz .: Hon. Anton Eickhoff, of Washington, D. C .; Mr. H. J. Rattermann, of Cin- cinnati, Ohio, and Mr. W. Rapp, of Chicago, Illinois-were elected. To these were added, during the year, Revs. W. Louis Schneider, of Washington, D. C., and F. W. E. Peschau, of Wilmington, N. C.
Twenty-three new members were added at the next monthly meeting ; a seal of very appropriate design, submitted by Prof. Charles F. Raddatz, was adopted, and a number of books and historical documents received as donations. Col. Frederick Raine, United States Consul-General at Berlin, conveyed his congratulations through Mr. Edward F. Leyh, whilst Mr. Basil Sollers became the pioneer of original contributors of the Society by reading and presenting an essay on Jonathan Hagar, the founder of Hagerstown, Md.
From this very interesting paper it appears that, induced by the liberal terms offered to new settlers by Lord Baltimore, and the reported richness of the land, Jonathan Hagar came over with others from Germany some years previous to 1739. Settling in what is now Washington County, he obtained on December 16th, 1739, a patent for 200 acres, which he called " Hagar's Choice." In 1740 he married Elisabeth Kerschner. In 1753 he obtained a patent for 1780 acres of land, which he named " Hagar's Delight." In 1765 he possessed a tract of 2488 acres. In 1762 Jonathan Hagar laid out a town, on land belonging to him, which he named " Elizabeth " Town, after his wife. This town consisted, in 1770, already of more than one hundred comfortable buildings. In 1771 Jonathan Hagar was elected a delegate to the General Assembly of the Province, the first German who entered into politics in Maryland. Being, however, after a close contest, declared ineligible on account of being only a naturalized subject, Mr. Hagar was not per- mitted to hold his seat. The House of Delegates, however, so speedily (within eight days) changed or improved the ob- noxious law, that Mr. Hagar, being during the same time
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re-elected, was enabled to take his seat before the close of the term.
Mr. Hagar was elected a second time in 1773, and again met with objections of a legal character, which were as speedily removed as those on the former occasion, and served with 'distinction to the end of the session. -
November 6th, 1775, Mr. Hagar was accidentally killed, in his sixty-first ycar, at a sawmill near Hagar's mill, by a large piece of timber rolling upon and crushing him. The timber was being sawed for the German Reformed Church, which Mr. Hagar was very active in building. Mr. Hagar also conveyed three lots in Elizabethtown for the erection of an Evangelical Lutheran Church. His strong religious conviction is also typified by his entry in his family Bible at the death of his wife : " We lived together until the 16th of April, 1765. Then it pleased the Lord to call her, after severe suffering, out of this world. What God does is well done," etc.
Contrary to the founder's will, the town which he had named after his wife, through popular inclination eventually was called by his own name -viz. : Hager's-town - which was finally, by an act of Legislature in 1813, made its legal name.
Through the kindness of Mr. B. Sollers this valuable docu- ment has, by request, become the property of the Society.
The next original paper read before the Society was a description of the "Ziegler-Boss Homestead," on S. Bond street, by Mrs. Albert Leakin .Sioussat. This property, bought by John Ziegler in 1778, at his death became the common prop- erty of his daughter Sarah and her lawful husband, Adam Boss. The latter had emigrated to America with his parents in 1764, at the age of seven years. He volunteered as the substitute of his father, and as such served in the ranks of the American Army during the Revolutionary War, being present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. His seventh son, George, who was then (at the time of the above meeting) still living in the old homestead, now more than ninety years old, was one of the defenders of Baltimore City in 1814. A num- ber of interesting relics belonging to Mr. Boss were shown,
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among them copies of a German newspaper published in Baltimore as early as 1799. Mr. Boss subsequently related to the Secretary of the Society that in his early childhood he had attended a German parochial school in this city. He has, since the above was read, gone to his long rest.
The third original paper before the Society was by Charles J. Wiener, Esq., on Augustine Hermann, in the November meeting. Augustine Hermann, born of Protestant parents, in Prague, in Bohemia, about the year 1623, having received a careful education, and after having passed with his parents through severe afflictions on account of political and religious persecutions, emigrated to New Amsterdam (New York) about the year 1643. Already in 1649 he occupied a promi- nent political position. In 1650, as the records of the old Dutch church corner of Fulton and William streets prove, he was married to Miss Jannekin Verlett, the sister of a rich merchant, and also a relative of the Governor of New Amster- dam, Peter Stuyvesant. Notwithstanding his relationship to the latter, he was imprisoned by his order on the charge of treason, having with others sent a protest against the Gov- ernor's tyrannical methods to the authorities of the United Netherlands. The difficulties, however, were settled satis- factorily to both parties. After his release Mr. Hermann purchased Staten Island, together with some lands in New Jersey, from the Indians, and established a trading-post at the mouth of the Schuylkill River. During an absence from home, the Indians invaded and totally destroyed his Staten Island settlement. In the fall of 1659 he was delegated by the Governor of New Amsterdam to the Governor of the State of Maryland concerning certain border troubles. Having attended to this matter, but with little success, he visited Jamestown, in Virginia, and learning of certain boundary troubles between Virginia and Maryland, he wrote to Lord Baltimore, who was then residing in England, during the summer of 1660, proposing to make an exact map of the pro- prietary possessions, if His Lordship would be pleased to give him a certain tract of land as an inheritance to his posterity,
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and the privilege of a manor. He thus succeeded in becoming the owner of some 5000 acres of land, to which he subsequently added another large tract by purchase from the Indians.
Thus, as early as 1661-scarcely 27 years after the first settlement of Maryland-Augustine Hermann settled in the colony with his people. His land was patented to him in 1663 under the name "Bohemia Manor." This tract lies in Cecil County, on the Elk River, and contains nearly 20,000 acres. The Legislature of Maryland, by the first act of the kind passed by any of the Colonies, formally naturalized Her- mann and his family as citizens of the Province in 1664. In 1670 he published his map of Maryland. It was sent to England and there engraved by the famous engraver, William Faithorne. It is said that the King pronounced it the best map he had ever seen. Two copies of the original edition are still in existence, one in the Greenville Royal Library of Eng- land, and the other in the State Archives of Richmond, Va.
Hermann was evidently a man of wealth and lived "in style." He became the personal friend and trusted follower of Lord Baltimore; he was with him during his conference with William Penn concerning the boundary line of Maryland and Pennsylvania. The names Port Herman, Saint Augustine, Great and Little Bohemian Rivers, in Kent and Cecil Counties, still, and will continue to, testify the influence which this man exercised.
The writer was unable to give date or place of Mr. Her- mann's death. One of his sons remained in New York ; another son left Maryland for the Barbadoes; whilst a third son, Caspar, in 1689, was one of the signers of a petition for the restoration of Lord Baltimore's government, and was known in other important transactions. Three daughters of Mr. Hermann were honorably connected in marriage, one in Boston, one in Philadelphia, and one in New York, who in 1670 moved to Maryland, and was naturalized by an Act of the Legislature. Her descendants are still among the most honored citizens of the State.
This interesting paper also became the property of the Society by the courtesy of its author.
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A number of impromptu but interesting addresses were delivered by different members at the several meetings through the year. Notable among these was that of the Rev. F. W. E. Peschau, one of the corresponding members, who honored the Society with his presence at the June meeting, and among other items related some very important historical facts of German settlers in North and South Carolina and Tennessee. It was a German who, more than one hundred years ago, after many hardships, furnished the first map of the two former States, whilst in the latter State they became conspicuous for their fighting qualities in the wars with the Indians.
The report of the Secretary's visit to a German religious colony in Franklin County, Pa., founded by a Mr. Schnee- berger in 1750, proved an interesting item in the October meeting.
A number of other interesting subjects that were reported and discussed in these meetings have, of necessity, to be passed over in silence in this report.
In August the Society participated in the unveiling exercises of the De Kalb statue, which took place on the 16th of that month, at Annapolis.
The Secretary, at the request of the Society, endeavored to secure and preserve for future use a list of the early German immigrants who had landed in the harbor of Baltimore; but discovering that all lists prior to the year 1846 had, through some unknown cause, disappeared, the Society hence con- cluded that the matter had thus lost importance and should not be further prosecuted.
Whilst the regular monthly meetings at first took place on the third Tuesday of the month, they were, by a change of Constitution in October, fixed on the second Tuesday of the month. During the months of July, August and September the meetings were omitted.
The donations of valuable books and interesting documents to the Society by members and friends were :
I. Book of Record, containing printed Constitution, donated by Mr. Christian Ax.
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2. History of York County, Pa., donated by Mr. W. L. Small, of York, Pa.
3. An old passport, donated by Dr. L. H. Steiner.
4. Copies of German Correspondents from 1842-43, by Louis P. Hennighausen, Esq.
5. A volume of original poems, by Mr. H. A. Rattermann.
6. Programme of the unveiling ceremonies of the De Kalb statue.
7. Facsimile of first newspaper printed in America, by Rev. F. Ph. Hennighausen.
8. Essay on Jonathan Hagar, by Mr. Basil Sollers.
9. Essay on Augustine Hermann, by Ch. J. Wiener, Esq.
10. German Almanac of 1797, printed in Germantown, by Mr. Basil Sollers.
11. Official Programme of Sesqui-Centennial Celebration of Baltimore City, by Mr. Edward F. Leyh.
12. Issue of German Correspondent containing a full report of above celebration, by Rev. F. Ph. Hennighausen.
13. Official Programme of the 50th Anniversary of the Balti- more Liederkranz, by Louis P. Hennighausen, Esq.
The Society, besides subscribing to the German-American Magazine, published by Mr. H. A. Rattermann, of Cincinnati, Ohio, purchased during the year for the use of its members the following books :
1. " The German Soldier in the Wars of the United States," by J. G. Rosengarten.
2. " In der neuen Heimath," by Hon. A. Eickhoff.
3. " Das deutsche Element in America," by G. Koerner.
4. " Die Deutschen im Staate Neu York," by F. Kapp.
5. " Bilder aus der Geschichte Pennsylvaniens," by O. Sei- densticker.
6. " Zeisberger's Diary." 2 Vols.
7. " Die alte Zeit," by H. L. Fischer.
8. "Kurzweil und Zeitvertreib," by H. L. Fischer.
9. " Harbaugh's Harfe," by Harbaugh.
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The membership of the Society during the year increased to seventy-two, one of whom, Dr. W. S. Landsberg, one of the founders and most interested friends of the Society, died in April; whilst one member resigned in the last meeting, leaving at the close of the year a membership of seventy.
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LIST OF OFFICERS AND MEMBERS. .
President, REV. JOHN G. MORRIS, D. D., LL. D.
Vice-Presidents, L. P. HENNIGHAUSEN, Esq., and CHAS. WEBER, Jr. Secretary, REV. FRED. PH. HENNIGHAUSEN, D. D. Treasurer, ED. NIEMANN.
.
Executive Committee
(All the Officers included) :
DR. LEWIS H. STEINER, Chairman.
MR. EDWARD F. LEYI,
PROF. CHAS. F. RADDATZ,
MR. HENRY BECKER, DR. CHAS. C. BOMBAUGH.
Rev. H. Scheib, Christian Ax,
J. A. Heldmann, M. D.,
John C. Hemmeter, M. D., Jacob Plack, N. G. Numsen,
H. A. Schroeder,
Wm. N. Numsen,
George Savage, Esq.,
Chas. J. Wiener, Esq.,
Wm. F. Frick, Herman Schoecke,
Valentine Scheer,
Col. Henry C. Tieck, Basil Sollers,
Wm. Knabe, Ernst Knabe,
John H. Smith, M. D., Ernst Hoen,
Philip Aug. Albrecht,
G. W. Lehman, Ph. D., Prof. E. Deichmann,
Dr. Julius Goebel,
John Uhrig, Emil Schmidtborn,
Major R. T. Allison,
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Hon. Harry Welles Rusk, Edg. H. Gans, Esq.,
George J. Bechtel,
Eberhard Hayen,
Dr. Wm. S. Landsberg,
Edward Wischmeyer,
Ernst Schmeisser,
Ferdinand Reinhard, M. D.,
August Vogeler,
Geo. Wm. Sattler,
Henry Lantz,
Geo. Bunnecke,
Herman von Kapff,
Geo. Bauernschmidt,
Lewis Dohme, H. G. Hilken,
Fred. C. Kniese,
Chas. G. Blumhardt,
Dr. Emil Bessels,
Geo. A. von Lingen,
Wm. E. Eckhardt,
Chas. Ruhstrat,
Gustav Gieske,
George Wm. Gail,
F. Matthieu, M. D., Wm. E. Schloegel.
FRED. PH. HENNIGHAUSEN,
Secretary.
BALTIMORE, MD., February, 1887.
Col. F. Raine, Rev. L. Vogtmann, Chas. Bein, Col. J. Thomas Scharf,
C. Bohn Slingluff, Esq., Christopher Lipps,
Werner Rieve, Samuel D. Schmucker, Esq., Frederick Pohlmeyer, Justus H. Danzeglock,
SECOND ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE .
SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF THE GERMANS
IN
MARYLAND,
WITH THE PAPERS READ AT ITS SESSIONS
1887-'88.
THEO. KROH & SONS, PRINTERS, BALTIMORE.
Zweiter Jahres-Bericht
des Sekretärs
der
Gesellschaft für die Geschichte der Deutschen
in Maryland, nebst Mitglieder-Verzeichniss.
enn der Rückblick auf das vergangene Jahr uns auch keine grossen Erfolge im Erstreben des uns vorgesteckten Zieles erblicken lässt, so haben wir dennoch Ursache zu glauben, dass unsere Bemühungen in dieser Richtung nicht ganz resultatlos geblieben sind. Die Veröffentlichung unseres ersten Jahresberichtes, welchem reichhaltige Auszüge verschiedener für diese Gesellschaft ausgearbeiteter Vorträge von historischem In- teresse beigefügt waren, scheint allgemeine Anerkennung gefun- den zu haben.
Die Theilnahme, welche die Tagesblätter unseren Versamm- lungen und den darin gepflogenen Verhandlungen erwiesen haben, berechtigt uns zu der Annahme, dass ein grösseres In- teresse für die Verdienste unserer deutschen Vorfahren um die Cultivirung, Befreiung und allgemeine Entwickelung dieses Lan- des erweckt worden ist, nicht nur in unserer unmittelbaren Umgebung, sondern in verschiedenen Gegenden der Vereinigten Staaten, ja selbst ausserhalb des Landes.
Unserem würdigen Vorsitzer gebührt der Dank des Vereins, sowohl für die gewissenhafte Erfüllung der mit solchem Amte verbundenen Pflichten, als auch für eine interessante Samni- lung von Reiseberichten und Beschreibungen über Amerika, veröffentlicht von deutschen Reisenden und Ansiedlern seit dem Jahre 1673.
A 5552
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Pastor B. Sadtler unterhielt die Juni - Versammlung durch Mittheilung persönlicher Erinnerungen deutscher Bürger und deutschen Gesellschaftlebens in Baltimore in den ersten De- cennien dieses Jahrhunderts.
Durch gelegentliche, höchst interessante Mittheilungen über Ursprung, Bedeutung und Veränderung einer Anzahl deutscher Familien-Namen, trug Herr Ed. F. Leyh nicht wenig zur Be- lehrung wie Unterhaltung der Mitglieder bei.
Der wichtigste Vortrag historischen Charakters war der aus Original- und anderen Quellen von Herrn Louis P. Hennighau- sen gesammelte Bericht über das Entstehen, den Charakter und die endliche Auflösung des sogenannten ,,Redemptionisten"- Systems. Da dieser wichtige Aufsatz lant Beschluss diesem Jahres-Bericht beigefügt werden soll, ist weitere Rücksichtnahme auf denselben hier überflüssig.
Der Verein wird es freundlich zu entschuldigen wissen, wenn der Sekretär sich erlaubt dem wahrscheinlichen Beschlusse der Mitglieder vorzugreifen, und dem oben erwähnten Vortrage den für den heutigen Abend von dem Ehrw. Herrn HI. Scheib in Aus- sicht gestellten historischen Bericht über die hiesige Zions-Kirche, hinzuzufügen, mit der Ueberzeugung, dass auch dieser Vortrag .ausser allem Zweifel von genugender Bedeutung gefunden werden wird, um zum Druck beordert zu werden.
Während des ersten Jahres seines Bestehens wurden dem Verein dreizehn Bände und Schriften historischen Inhalts durch Mitglieder und Freunde der Sache verehrt. Hierzu kamen noch im Laufe des vergangenen Jahres durch Geschenke :
1. Kalender von 1822-55, von Herrn Dr. L. II. Steiner.
2. Geschichte von General G. Washington, von Pastor M. L. Weems, in's deutsche übersetzt und publicirt im Jahre 1838.
3. Eine Anzahl deutscher Synodalberichte der Ref. Kirche. Beide von Herrn B. Sollers.
4. Kurzer Katechismus - Unterricht etc., gedruckt von Benj. Franklin im Jahre 1742, von Herrn Theo. Stablein.
5. Bericht der 100jährigen Kirchweih-Feier der ,,Otterbein“- Kirche, von Pastor W. Mittendorf.
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6. Geschichte des amerikanischen Freiheitskrieges von dem französischen Geschichtsschreiber Fr. Soule, 4 Bände, von Herrn G. W. Gail.
7. Bericht der 100jährigen Feier der Incorporation der Deut- schen Gesellschaft von Pennsylvania.
8. Der 27ste Jahresbericht des Deutschen Hospitals in Phila- delphia. Beide Dokumente von Pastor Dr. B. Sadtler.
9. Eine Anzahl Hefte des früher erschienenen „Deutschen Pioniers“, von General-Consul F. Raine.
10. ,,Die Freiheit“, internationales Organ deutscher Anar- chisten, von Pastor F. Ph. Hennighausen.
11. Etliche fünfzig Bände verschiedenen Inhalts durch Herrn Alfred Vorster in Leipzig.
12. Eine Karte von Baltimore und Umgegend.
13. Eine officielle Karte vom Staate Texas. Beides von Prof. C. F. Raddatz.
Die Gesellschaft bereicherte ihre Bibliothek durch Ankauf der ,,Hallischen Nachrichten“.
Die Eigenthümer der beiden täglichen deutschen Zeitungen : .,Der Deutsche Correspondent“ und „Das Baltimore Journal“, liefern der Gesellschaft die betreffenden Blätter unentgeltlich (mit Ausnahme des Trägerlohnes). Die Zeitungen werden für spätern Gebrauch in der Bibliothek aufbewahrt.
Am 20. März 1887 erlitt die Gesellschaft einen ebenso herben wie schmerzlichen Verlust durch den Tod des Herrn Christian Ax, eines der Gründer und thatigsten Mitglieder des Vereins.
Nachdem sein Scheiden von dieser Erde, wo er sich an so man- chem wohlthätigen Unternehmen lebhaft betheiligt hatte, dem Verein mit passenden Worten in der April -Versammlung ver- kündet worden war, beschloss derselbe, als ein Zeichen seiner hohen Achtung gegen den Geschiedenen, dass sich die Mai -Ver- sammlung als eine ,, Chr. Ax" Memorial-Versammlung constituire.
Ausser den Mitgliedern des Vereins hatte sich eine nicht geringe Zahl persönlicher Frennde des Geschiedenen auf allge- meine Einladung zu dieser Versammlung eingefunden; passende Beschlüsse wurden vorgelegt und nach Beendigung entsprechen- der Reden von Seiten der Mitglieder, einstimmig angenommen.
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Da die Verhandlungen dieser „,Memorial“-Versammlung nach dem Beschluss des Vereins dem Druck übergeben worden und im Erscheinen sind, so ist ein Weiteres darüber in diesem Berichte überflüssig.
Die Gesellschaft zählte am Schlusse des ersten Jahres 71 ac- tive und 5 correspondirende Mitglieder. 16 active und 1 corres- pondirendes Mitglied wurden im Laufe des Jahres aufgenommen. Ein Mitglied starb, fünf schieden aus, während die Namen von zwei Mitgliedern von der Liste gestrichen wurden, somit schliesst das Jahr mit 79 activen und 6 correspondirenden Mitgliedern.
Achtungsvoll,
F. PH. HENNIGHAUSEN, Sekretär.
Baltimore, Md., am 14. Februar 1888.
.
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Namenliste der Beamten und Mitglieder der
* Gesellschaft für die Geschichte der Deutschen in Maryland, -
Präsident: REV. JOHN G. MORRIS, D.D., L.L.D.
Vice-Präsidenten:
LOUIS P. HENNIGHAUSEN Esq.
PHIL A. ALBRECHT.
Sekretär: REV. FRIED. PH. IIENNIGHAUSEN, D.D.
Schatzmeister: ED. NIEMANN.
Executiv-Comite: (alle Beamten einbegriffen.) DR. LEWIS H. STEINER, Vorsitzer.
Eduard F. Leyh, Dr. Julius Göbel,
Prof. Karl F. Raddatz, Ernst Hoen.
Rev. H. Scheib. J. A. Heldmann, M.D.
Karl Weber, Jr. Jacob Plack.
N. G. Numsen.
W. N. Numsen.
G. W. Lehman, Ph. D.
Georg W. Gail. Wm. Knabe. Ernst Knabe. John H. Smith, M. D. II. A. Schröder.
Georg Savage, Esq. Carl J. Wiener, Esq. S. D. Sinucker, Esq.
E. Fleischmann.
Rev. B. Sadtler, D.D.
Heinrich Vees.
Ch. C. Bombaugh, M. D. Moritz Hahn.
Herman Schöcke.
Hon. S. Wolf.
Prof. E. Schultz.
L. H. Nieman.
Generalconsul F. Raine. I. Lowenthal.
Heinrich Arens. Prof. O. Fuchs.
Ferd. Reinhard, M. D. Geo. W. Sattler.
Heinrich Lautz. Hermann von Kapff. Louis Dohme.
H. G. Hilken.
Dr. Emil Bessels. Gustav Gieska.
Geo. Bauernschmidt. Fried. C. Kniese.
K. G. Blumhardt. G. A. von Lingen. Karl Ruhstrat. F. Matthien, M. D. W. E. Schlögel. Prof. H. A. Wood. W. Schnauffer.
Prof. E. Deichmann.
Valentin Scheer.
Col. Heinrich C. Tieck. Basil Sollers.
Hon. Harry Welles Rusk. Wm. F. Frick.
Edg. II. Gans, Esq. Heinrich Becker.
George Bechtel. Eberhard Hayen. Eduard Wischmeyer. Ernst Schmeisser.
John Uhrig.
Emil Schmidtborn.
Rev. L. Vogtmann. Col. J. Th. Scharf. C. B. Slingluff, Esq. Christopher Lipps. Friedr. Pohlmeyer. J. II. Danzeglock.
Pastor W. Muss-Arnolt.
Robt. M. Rother.
A. H. Brinkmann. A.v.Hoff-Gossweiler, M.D.
Second Annual Report
OF THE
SECRETARY
OF THE
Society for the History &Germans in Maryland, AND
LIST OF MEMBERS.
N reviewing the history of the Society for the past year, we cannot boast, it is true, of any great progress toward the object set before us. We have, nevertheless, reason to believe, that our efforts in. the cause, have not been without some result for good. Our first annual report, containing the synopses of sev- eral valuable articles on historical subjects read before this Society, seems to have given general satisfaction. And judging from the considerate attention given to our meetings and their proceedings by the daily Press, we may feel encouraged to believe that a greater interest in the share our German ancestors bore in the cultivation, the liberation and the general development of our country has been awakened not only in our own immediate circle, but in many parts of the United States, and even beyond the borders of our land.
The Society owes thanks to our worthy Chairman for the fidelity with which he has discharged the duties of his office, and also for an interesting list of travels in, and descriptions of North America published by German visitors, as well as by German settlers as early as the year 1673, down to the present time.
Rev. B. Sadtler entertained the Society in the June meeting by the relation of personal reminiscences concerning German citi- zens and German society-life in the earlier part of the present century.
.
10 CK
Mr. Ed. F. Leyh contributed a full share toward the enter- tainment of the meetings by a series of instructive and in many cases humorous explanations concerning the origin, the meaning and the changing of a number of German family names.
The most important paper of a historical character that came before the Society was that compiled from original as well as other sources by Louis P. Hennighausen, Esq., treating of the origin, the character and the final abolishment of the so-called " Redemptioners " System.
As it has been resolved that this valuable paper shall be printed and published together with the annual report, any fur- ther comments upon it here would be superfluous.
You will pardon your Secretary for somewhat anticipating the probable action of the Society to-night, by adding to the above, the paper which has been announced for this meeting, and which will no doubt be found of sufficient value and interest to be added to the above ordered publication.
Up to the end of the last year the Society had been made the recipient of thirteen books and papers of historical value by donation.
To these were added during the closing year :
1. Almanacs, dating from 1822-55, by Dr. L. H. Steiner.
2. History of Gen'l G. Washington, by Rev. M. L. Weems, translated and published in the German language in 1838.
3. A number of German Ecclesiastical Reports of earlier dates. Both of these publications were donated by Mr. Basil Sollers.
4. " Kurzer Katechismus-Unterricht, etc.," printed by Benj. Franklin in 1742, by Mr. Theo. Staeblein.
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