The Cogswells in America - citizen hylbom blog

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MARIA COGSWELL.
[945]
(SitntalOQltal.
Maria" Cogswell, (Samuel^, jFtimes^, Sdmitc/', Soinuel^, yi'/'/r.
j^c//!/'}. daughter of Lieut. Samuel'"' ^
[ 480 and Mary (Backus) Cogswell,
was born Au.s;. 15, 1790, in Lansingburg, N. Y. She married, Oct. 29,
1 8 10, //i»L Dcvig/as Whcilcr Sloanc, son of Gen. Samuel and 01i\'e
(Douglas) Sloane. He was born May 9, 1785, in Williamstown, Mass.,
where they resided. Mr. Sloane died Sept. 15, 1839, '1 New Albany,
Ind. Mrs. Sloane died Jan. 9, 1870, in New York City.
THEIK CHU.DRFl.V WERE:
Elizabeth., b. Sept. 27, iSi l. She died in early life. May 1 1, 1S3S.
Ma)ia, b. Aug. 15, 1813; m. Nov. 29. i>;3;. Parker Handy, Esq.; d. Sept. 3, 1843.
Doug/as Ci>^s7cc-l/. b. May 10, 1S15. He died in early manhood, Dec. 28, 1836.
Harriet Doui^his. b. April 23. 1817. She died in early life. Aug. 12. 1835.
Susan, b. July 13, 1819: m. May I, 1839. \Ionathan Gillette ; m. Oct. 26, 1S74, -7/iw.
] I 'illiav! J. Baeon.
Catherine S.. b. May 29, 1S21 ; m. May i, \%\\. Joseph F. Kirklaneij d. Aug-. 24, 1843.
Henry Hiibl'anl, b. Dec. 27, 1825. He died in infancy, Dec. 28. 1823.
Cornelia Kirkland. b. Feb. 21, 1827; m. May i, 1S45, Parker Handy, Esq.
J3fo(jrapf)tcaL
"Mari.4 Cogswell was the only daughter of Samuel and Mary {Backus)
CogsweU. Her father was a merchant, residing in the town of Lansingburg,
Rensselaer Co., N. Y. While yet an infant, having seen scarcely more than a
week of life, a terrible tragedy, the result of what we call accident, but which
was purely a mysterious and inscrutable i^rovidence, the unintentional discharge
of a loaded gun. in the hand of an intimate and valued friend, in a moment
bereaved .Maria of a loving father, and prematurely made her mother a deeply
afflicted widow. The suddenness of the blow, under the trying circumstances
in which it occurred, almost bereft the young mother of reason. But the force
of a nature of singular strength and fortitude, and sustained by the power of
an unquestioning faith in the goodness of a covenant-keeping (Jod, carried
her through the trying ordeal. After two years, the hand of the widow was
sought and won by an early lover. Rev. Erenezer Fitch, the first President
of Williams College. He became to Maria a most tender and loving parent,
supplying as far as it was possible by gentle ministrations and assiduous
culture and instructions, the place of her natural father. Under such care
and cultivation, Maria developed not only a singularly graceful and beautiful
person, but a graceful and vigorous intellect, choosing instinctively the most
instructive as well as the most elevating and inspiring authors of the day, and
drawing not from the too often shallow fountains, which distinguish much of