The Salem Witchcraft, the Planchette Mystery, and Modern Spiritualism: With Dr. Doddridge's DreamStowe, Harriet Beecher
History
The Salem Witchcraft, the Planchette Mystery, and Modern Spiritualism: With Dr. Doddridge's Dream
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
Spiritualism; Upham, Charles Wentworth, 1802-1875. Salem witchcraft; Witchcraft -- Massachusetts -- Salem
Of only one of the class of express accusers--of the "afflicted"--will
we speak; but not because she was the only one reclaimed. One bewildered
child we have described as remorseful, and brave in her remorse; and
others married as they would hardly have done if they had been among the
"profligate." Ann Putnam's case remains the most prominent, and the most
pathetic. She was twelve years old when the "circle" at Mr. Parris'
was formed. She had no check from her parents, but much countenance
and encouragement from her morbidly-disposed mother. She has the bad
distinction of having been the last of the witnesses to declare a
"vision" against a suspected person; but, on the other hand, she has the
honor, such as it is, of having striven to humble herself before the
memory of her victims. When she was nineteen her father died, and her
mother followed within a fortnight, leaving the poor girl, in bad health
and with scanty means, to take care of a family of children so large
that there were eight, if not more, dependent on her. No doubt she was
aided, and she did what she could; but she died worn out at the age of
thirty-six. Ten years before that date she made her peace with the
Church and society by offering a public confession in the meeting-house.
In order to show what it was that the accusers did admit, we must make
room for Ann Putnam's confession:
"'I desire to be humbled before God for that sad and humbling providence
that befell my father's family in the year about '92; that I, then
being in my childhood, should, by such a providence of God, be made the
instrument for the accusing of several persons of a grievous crime,
whereby their lives were taken away from them, whom now I have just
grounds and good reason to believe they were innocent persons; and that
it was a great delusion of Satan that deceived me in that sad time,
whereby I justly fear that I have been instrumental with others, though
ignorantly and unwittingly, to bring upon myself and this land the guilt
of innocent blood; though what was said or done by me against any person
I can truly and uprightly say, before God and man, I did it not out of
any anger, malice, or ill-will to any person, for I had no such thing
against one of them; but what I did was ignorantly, being deluded by
Satan. And particularly, as I was a chief instrument of accusing
Goodwife Nurse and her two sisters, I desire to lie in the dust, and
to be humbled for it, in that I was a cause, with others, of so sad a
calamity to them and their families; for which cause I desire to lie in
the dust, and earnestly beg forgiveness of God, and from all those unto
whom I have given just cause of sorrow and offense, whose relations were
taken away or accused. (Signed) Ann Putnam.'
"This confession was read before the congregation, together with her
relation, August 25, 1706; and she acknowledged it.
"J. GREEN, _Pastor_." (Vol. ii. p. 510.)
THE TRANSITION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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