On Christmas day, 1829, I was married to Anne[Hampton, a colored girl then living in the
vicinity of our
residence. The
ceremony was performed at Fort Edward, by Timothy Eddy, Esq., a
magistrate of that town, and still a
prominent citizen of the place. She had resided a long time at Sandy Hill, with Mr. Baird,
proprietor of the Eagle Tavern, and also in the family of Rev. Alexander Proudfit, of Salem. This gentleman for many years had presided over the Presbyterian
society at the
latter place, and was widely
distinguished for his learning and
piety. Anne still holds in
grateful remembrance the
exceeding kindness and the
excellent counsels of that good man. She is not
able to
determine the
exact line of her
descent, but the blood of three races mingles in her veins. It is
difficult to tell whether the red, white, or black predominates. The
union of them all, however, in her
origin, has given her a
singular but pleasing
expression, such as is
rarely to be seen. Though somewhat resembling, yet she cannot properly be styled a quadroon, a class to which, I have omitted to
mention, my mother belonged.