Sally Wister
Encyclopedia
Sarah Wister (July 20, 1761 – April 21, 1804) was a girl living in Pennsylvania during the American Revolution
. She is principally known as the author of Sally Wister's Journal, a first-hand account of life in the nearby countryside during the British occupation of Philadelphia
in 1777–78, when she was sixteen.
, who had emigrated from Baden
to join his brother in Philadelphia in 1727. John Wister adopted the Quaker faith and became a successful wine merchant and landowner; he built the house now known as Grumblethorpe
in Germantown as a summer home in 1744. His second wife was Anna Catherine Rubenkam, of Wanfried
, Germany. They had one son, Daniel (1738/9–1805). Daniel Wister married Lowry Jones (d. 1804), of Philadelphia, daughter of Susanna Evans and Owen Jones (Sr.), of Wynnewood
, Lower Merion
. Lowery Jones was the granddaughter of Gainor Owen and Jonathan Jones and the great-granddaughter of Mary Wynne (daughter of Dr. Thomas Wynne
) and Dr. Edward Jones. Sally was their first child.
Not much is known of Sally Wister’s early life. She attended a girls’ school run by Quaker philanthropist Anthony Benezet
. Her writings show some knowledge of French and Latin, and she was clearly familiar with the literature of her time, particularly poetry, and especially Alexander Pope
, to judge from her writing. It was at the Benezet school that young Sally met Deborah (Debby) Norris (1761–1839). She was also friends with Polly Fishbourne, Sally Jones, Anna Rawle, Peggy Rawle, and Sally Burge. The girls formed a “social circle” and exchanged numerous letters during the summers.
, the British army occupied New York and much of New Jersey
. In 1777, the army moved to take Philadelphia
, the capital and principal city of the Thirteen Colonies
. With the city threatened, many Philadelphians fled. Daniel Wister’s family of seven fled to the North Wales, Pennsylvania
(Gwynedd Township), home of Hannah Foulke, a widow whose son had married a sister of Lowry Wister and whom Sally knew as "Aunt Hanna[h]" The main house is located a few hundred metres east of Wissahickon Creek
near Penllyn station
; the Foulkes’ mill stood nearby. It is uncertain when the Wisters arrived, but it was probably late 1776; they were certainly there by early 1777. Sally kept up correspondence with at least Debby Norris and a few others.
Two weeks after the Battle of Brandywine
, on September 25, 1777, when the fall of Philadelphia (and disruption of mail) was imminent, Sally Wister, then aged sixteen, began keeping “a sort of journal of the time that may expire”, which took the form of letters to Deborah Norris, as letters would no longer reach her. She hoped that the letters would give her friend “pleasure” “some time hence” (As it turned out, Norris did not see the letters written to her for many years, after Sally Wister had died.)
The letters, written Quaker-style, use numbers for the days of the week (Sunday is “First Day”, etc.), and show the thoughts, hopes, and fears of a sixteen-year-old in wartime. She sometimes wears womanly clothes, awkwardly preferring “the girlish dress”; other times, she revels in her budding womanhood. The journal covers nine months, a span of time that included the capture of Philadelphia
, the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga
, the encampment at Valley Forge
, the Conway Cabal
, and the eventual British evacuation of Philadelphia. The battles of Germantown
, Whitemarsh
, and Barren Hill
were fought relatively close to North Wales, but the Wisters remained safe, although there were moments of trepidation. Sally hears gunfire on December 7, and her next journal entry begins “Rejoice with us, my dear. The British have return’d to the city. Charming news this.”
While they avoided battles, the inhabitants of the Foulke farm saw many troop movements, and a substantial number of Continental army officers were billeted in the house, or visited those who were. Visitors included General William Smallwood
, commander of the Maryland troops (who made the house his headquarters), Colonel James Wood of Virginia, and Major Aaron Ogden
of New Jersey. All three of these later became governors of their home states.
Sally and some of the other girls enjoy flirtations with some of the younger officers and, in league with some, play a trick on another. She appears to be falling in love with one of the soldiers, Major William Stoddert, a nephew of Gen. Smallwood who is “about nineteen”. After a few weeks, the soldiers receive orders to march; Sally is “very sorry” and Stoddert “looks dull”. Stoddert returns a month later, ill with a cold and fever; he is nursed back to health and leaves again, but soon returns, “not relishing the idea of sleeping on the banks of the Schuylkill”. However, he does not stay long, and when he leaves, Sally observes “we shall not, I fancy, see him again for months, perhaps years”.
In between these periods of excitement were stretches of boredom. On December 20, Sally observes “I shall hang up my pen till something offers worth relating.” Her next entry is not until February. Winter passes uneventfully. As it draws to a close, Sally and a friend go to look over the remains of the nearby army camp, which she describes as “ragged” and “ruinous”. Thereafter, she skips from March to May, both for “scarcity of paper” and “hardly anything” of news. With the advancing season come rumors of an imminent evacuation of Philadelphia (and unwanted attention from another officer). On June 19 comes word that the occupying army has indeed left; the Continentals depart in pursuit, and Sally, “think[ing] of nothing but returning to Philadelphia”, concludes her journal.
in Germantown
. Sally Wister lived there the rest of her life, dying April 21, 1804. Her later life was withdrawn, and she was “much occupied with religious matters”. As far as is known, she never saw Major Stoddert again, and she died unmarried. Benjamin Rush
noted her death in the Philadelphia Gazette, lauding her “prudence, virtue, piety, and eminent acquirements”.
Although a number of the soldiers noted in the journal did not survive the war, William Stoddert did, although “much indispos’d” as of 1780. He returned to Maryland, married another woman named Sally, and died “from the lingering effects of the hardships of camp life” in 1793.
The letters constituting the journal, 48 pages in all, remained at the Wister house until about 1830, years after their author’s death, when her brother, Charles Wister, loaned them to Debby Norris, by then Deborah (Mrs. George
) Logan of Stenton
. The journal as a whole was not widely published until 1902, although excerpts were published earlier or in restricted circulation.
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. She is principally known as the author of Sally Wister's Journal, a first-hand account of life in the nearby countryside during the British occupation of Philadelphia
Philadelphia campaign
The Philadelphia campaign was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress...
in 1777–78, when she was sixteen.
Family and early life
Sarah (Sally) Wister was born July 20, 1761, in the house of her paternal grandfather in Philadelphia. Her grandfather was John Wister, son of Hans Caspar Wüster (1671–1726) and younger brother of Caspar Wistar the elderCaspar Wistar (glassmaker)
Caspar Wistar was a German-born glassmaker and landowner in Pennsylvania. He was the grandfather of Caspar Wistar, the physician and anatomist after whom the genus Wisteria is named.-Biography:...
, who had emigrated from Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
to join his brother in Philadelphia in 1727. John Wister adopted the Quaker faith and became a successful wine merchant and landowner; he built the house now known as Grumblethorpe
Grumblethorpe
Grumblethorpe, in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the home of the Wister family. It was built as a summer residence in 1744 by Philadelphia merchant and wine importer John Wister. It eventually became the family's year-round residence when they withdrew from the city during the Yellow...
in Germantown as a summer home in 1744. His second wife was Anna Catherine Rubenkam, of Wanfried
Wanfried
Wanfried is a town in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in northeasternmost Hesse, Germany. It is classified as a Landstadt, a designation given in Germany to a municipality that is officially a town , but whose population is below 5,000. It literally means “country town”.-Location:The town lies right on the...
, Germany. They had one son, Daniel (1738/9–1805). Daniel Wister married Lowry Jones (d. 1804), of Philadelphia, daughter of Susanna Evans and Owen Jones (Sr.), of Wynnewood
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania is a suburban community located outside of Philadelphia in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania and Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Wynnewood was named in 1691 for Dr. Thomas Wynne, William Penn's physician and the first Speaker of the Pennsylvania General...
, Lower Merion
Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and part of the Pennsylvania Main Line. As of the 2010 census, the township had a total population of 57,825...
. Lowery Jones was the granddaughter of Gainor Owen and Jonathan Jones and the great-granddaughter of Mary Wynne (daughter of Dr. Thomas Wynne
Thomas Wynne
Dr. Thomas Wynne was personal physician of William Penn and one of the original settlers of Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania. Born in Ysceifiog, Wales, where his family dated back seventeen generations to Owain Gwynedd,...
) and Dr. Edward Jones. Sally was their first child.
Not much is known of Sally Wister’s early life. She attended a girls’ school run by Quaker philanthropist Anthony Benezet
Anthony Benezet
Anthony Benezet, or Antoine Bénézet , was a French-born American educator and abolitionist.-Biography:Anthony Benezet was born in Saint-Quentin, France, on 31 January 1713. His family were Huguenots. Because of the persecution of Protestants after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685,...
. Her writings show some knowledge of French and Latin, and she was clearly familiar with the literature of her time, particularly poetry, and especially Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
, to judge from her writing. It was at the Benezet school that young Sally met Deborah (Debby) Norris (1761–1839). She was also friends with Polly Fishbourne, Sally Jones, Anna Rawle, Peggy Rawle, and Sally Burge. The girls formed a “social circle” and exchanged numerous letters during the summers.
Flight and the Journal
In 1776, during the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the British army occupied New York and much of New Jersey
New York and New Jersey campaign
The New York and New Jersey campaign was a series of battles for control of New York City and the state of New Jersey in the American Revolutionary War between British forces under General Sir William Howe and the Continental Army under General George Washington in 1776 and the winter months of 1777...
. In 1777, the army moved to take Philadelphia
Philadelphia campaign
The Philadelphia campaign was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress...
, the capital and principal city of the Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
. With the city threatened, many Philadelphians fled. Daniel Wister’s family of seven fled to the North Wales, Pennsylvania
North Wales, Pennsylvania
North Wales is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is one of the three historic population centers that make up the North Penn Valley...
(Gwynedd Township), home of Hannah Foulke, a widow whose son had married a sister of Lowry Wister and whom Sally knew as "Aunt Hanna[h]" The main house is located a few hundred metres east of Wissahickon Creek
Wissahickon Creek
Wissahickon Creek is a stream in southeastern Pennsylvania. Rising in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, it runs about 23 miles passing through and dividing Northwest Philadelphia before emptying into the Schuylkill River at Philadelphia...
near Penllyn station
Penllyn (SEPTA station)
Penllyn is a station along the SEPTA Doylestown Line. The station, located at the intersection of Old Penllyn Pike and Pen-Ambler Road, includes a 43-space parking lot. This station is served by the Lansdale/Doylestown Line. Penllyn station was built in 1930 by the Reading Railroad.-External...
; the Foulkes’ mill stood nearby. It is uncertain when the Wisters arrived, but it was probably late 1776; they were certainly there by early 1777. Sally kept up correspondence with at least Debby Norris and a few others.
Two weeks after the Battle of Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
, on September 25, 1777, when the fall of Philadelphia (and disruption of mail) was imminent, Sally Wister, then aged sixteen, began keeping “a sort of journal of the time that may expire”, which took the form of letters to Deborah Norris, as letters would no longer reach her. She hoped that the letters would give her friend “pleasure” “some time hence” (As it turned out, Norris did not see the letters written to her for many years, after Sally Wister had died.)
The letters, written Quaker-style, use numbers for the days of the week (Sunday is “First Day”, etc.), and show the thoughts, hopes, and fears of a sixteen-year-old in wartime. She sometimes wears womanly clothes, awkwardly preferring “the girlish dress”; other times, she revels in her budding womanhood. The journal covers nine months, a span of time that included the capture of Philadelphia
Philadelphia campaign
The Philadelphia campaign was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress...
, the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
, the encampment at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
, the Conway Cabal
Conway Cabal
The Conway Cabal refers to a series of events in late 1777 and early 1778 suggesting that George Washington be replaced as commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. It was named after Brigadier General Thomas Conway, whose letters criticizing Washington were forwarded...
, and the eventual British evacuation of Philadelphia. The battles of Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
, Whitemarsh
Battle of White Marsh
The Battle of White Marsh or Battle of Edge Hill was a battle of the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought December 5–8, 1777, in the area surrounding Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania...
, and Barren Hill
Battle of Barren Hill
The Battle of Barren Hill was a minor engagement during the American Revolution. On May 20, 1778, a British force attempted to encircle a smaller Continental force under the Marquis de Lafayette...
were fought relatively close to North Wales, but the Wisters remained safe, although there were moments of trepidation. Sally hears gunfire on December 7, and her next journal entry begins “Rejoice with us, my dear. The British have return’d to the city. Charming news this.”
While they avoided battles, the inhabitants of the Foulke farm saw many troop movements, and a substantial number of Continental army officers were billeted in the house, or visited those who were. Visitors included General William Smallwood
William Smallwood
William Smallwood was an American planter, soldier and politician from Charles County, Maryland. He served in the American Revolutionary War, rising to the rank of major general...
, commander of the Maryland troops (who made the house his headquarters), Colonel James Wood of Virginia, and Major Aaron Ogden
Aaron Ogden
Aaron Ogden was a United States Senator and the 5th Governor of New Jersey.-Early life:Ogden was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey...
of New Jersey. All three of these later became governors of their home states.
Sally and some of the other girls enjoy flirtations with some of the younger officers and, in league with some, play a trick on another. She appears to be falling in love with one of the soldiers, Major William Stoddert, a nephew of Gen. Smallwood who is “about nineteen”. After a few weeks, the soldiers receive orders to march; Sally is “very sorry” and Stoddert “looks dull”. Stoddert returns a month later, ill with a cold and fever; he is nursed back to health and leaves again, but soon returns, “not relishing the idea of sleeping on the banks of the Schuylkill”. However, he does not stay long, and when he leaves, Sally observes “we shall not, I fancy, see him again for months, perhaps years”.
In between these periods of excitement were stretches of boredom. On December 20, Sally observes “I shall hang up my pen till something offers worth relating.” Her next entry is not until February. Winter passes uneventfully. As it draws to a close, Sally and a friend go to look over the remains of the nearby army camp, which she describes as “ragged” and “ruinous”. Thereafter, she skips from March to May, both for “scarcity of paper” and “hardly anything” of news. With the advancing season come rumors of an imminent evacuation of Philadelphia (and unwanted attention from another officer). On June 19 comes word that the occupying army has indeed left; the Continentals depart in pursuit, and Sally, “think[ing] of nothing but returning to Philadelphia”, concludes her journal.
Afterwards
Sally Wister returned home to Philadelphia in July 1778. Upon the death of her grandfather in 1789, her father took up residence in the family summer houseGrumblethorpe
Grumblethorpe, in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the home of the Wister family. It was built as a summer residence in 1744 by Philadelphia merchant and wine importer John Wister. It eventually became the family's year-round residence when they withdrew from the city during the Yellow...
in Germantown
Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...
. Sally Wister lived there the rest of her life, dying April 21, 1804. Her later life was withdrawn, and she was “much occupied with religious matters”. As far as is known, she never saw Major Stoddert again, and she died unmarried. Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a Christian Universalist, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
noted her death in the Philadelphia Gazette, lauding her “prudence, virtue, piety, and eminent acquirements”.
Although a number of the soldiers noted in the journal did not survive the war, William Stoddert did, although “much indispos’d” as of 1780. He returned to Maryland, married another woman named Sally, and died “from the lingering effects of the hardships of camp life” in 1793.
The letters constituting the journal, 48 pages in all, remained at the Wister house until about 1830, years after their author’s death, when her brother, Charles Wister, loaned them to Debby Norris, by then Deborah (Mrs. George
George Logan
George Logan was an American physician, farmer, legislator and politician from Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. He served in the Pennsylvania state legislature and represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate. He was a founder of the Democratic-Republican Societies in 1793...
) Logan of Stenton
Stenton (mansion)
Stenton, also known as the James Logan Home, was the country home of James Logan, colonial Mayor of Philadelphia and Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court....
. The journal as a whole was not widely published until 1902, although excerpts were published earlier or in restricted circulation.