THE PLANTERS' ADVOCATE AND SOUTHERN ADVERTISER
UPPER MARLBOROUGH, MARYLAND
jULY 5, 1854
JOHN S. SKINNER, Esq.
We
have received a biographical sketch of this distinguished son of Maryland, from
which we make some extracts below, together with the prospectus of a plan for
raising a monument to his memory, and for securing an annuity to his widow, who
is said to be in destitute circumstances. The important services which Mr.
Skinner rendered to the cause of agriculture in the State, as well as his
advocacy of the intellectual improvement of our citizens, constitute a powerful
appeal to their sympathy:
John
Stuart Skinner, (named after his uncle) was born on the 22nd day of February,
1788, and was reared upon his father's plantation. Often have we heard him
relate, with particular yet mournful dust, his juvenile labors and picking
cotton, or pulling blades, were journeying on a "tackey" with leather
to the shoemaker, yarn to the weaver, or cloth to the tailor. Tobacco in corn
were his father staple crops, but it was the old gentleman's rule to raze
everything used on his plantation, with the exception of iron, sugar and
coffee. The land thus became acquainted with the practical details of spinning,
weaving, canning, distilling, milling, and blacksmithing, all of which were
carried on at home. This impressed his mind, at an early age, with the axiom
that all industral[sic] pursuits inclined to cluster around the plow, and that
agriculture prospers as other occupations yield to its attraction. Among other
excellent works put into his hands by his father, was a pamphlet showing the
exhausting tendency of shallow plowing, written by a strong-minded Quaker,
named Moore. It first led him to regard agriculture as an intellectual pursuit,
replete with philosophy, and susceptible of being improved by the application
of science.
In the fall of 1813, Mr. Skinner
was ordered to remove his offices to Baltimore, and before he was fairly
established there, he was offered a purser's commissioned by the Sec. of the
Navy. This unexpected honor he at first declined, having no taste for a
nautical life, and supposing that any moment he would be liable to be order to
see. But he accepted, on being informed that the object of the government in
appointing him was to secure his services at Baltimore, where two sloops of war
and a flotilla of gunboats were fitted out. When the flotilla was equipped, the
expenditures were very heavy, as Commodore Barney was upward of 1000 men under
his command, but Mr. Skinner performed his arduous duties to the end of the
war, and for years afterward, to the entire satisfaction of the government, as
well as its counting officers. He was frequently detailed to act as a judge
advocate on courts-martial, and one the warm friendship of the gallant
defenders of our flagging that hour of peril.
At
the approach of the British forces upon Washington, Mr. Skinner Road 90 miles
in the night, and first announced to the government their March, after having
warned Commodore Barney, previously, of their hostile intentions. By way of
retaliation, the "redcoats" earned the valuable buildings on St.
Leonard's-creek estate, for which he never sought any reimbursement from
Government, although compensation was granted for property destroyed on a
neighboring plantation, at the same time, and by the same forces.
A
few weeks later, Mr. Skinner went down the bay on an official visit to Adm.
Cockburn, to negotiate for the exchange of some gentlemen who had been captured
from their plantations. He was accompanied [by] Francis S. Key, Esq., and they
of course sailed under a flag of truce. But on reaching the squadron, they found
the enemy on the point of sailing to attack Baltimore, and were politely
informed that they could not return until the city was taken. Meanwhile, they
would be welcome on board the flag–ship, or they could remain on board the
yacht in which they came, on "parole." Choosing the latter the
British commander took away their sales, and sent a card of sailors on board of
the yacht. Here Mr. Skinner, and his friend remain during the bombardment of
Fort McHenry, to the annoyance of their guard, who wish to dessert, but were
restrained by the "prisoners." The British not succeeding in their
attempt, the gentleman had their sales restored, and were permitted to return
to Baltimore, with apologies at their detention. Immediately on landing, they
went to the old "Fountain Inn," on Light street, where Mr. Key wrote
that justly-admired song, the "Star-Spangled Banner."— It was a
literal description of their feelings during the night of the bombardment, when
the rockets and the bombs betokened the assaults of the enemy, and of their
patriotic joy when in the gray light of early dawn they saw the starry ensign
and waving in proud defiance. Mr. Skinner, ere the song was completed, saw its
beauties, and obtaining Mr. Keyes permission to have it published, two copies
of it to the printing offices of the morning papers. Ere long, it resounds
through the public like a recovered echo of Thermopylæ — it's notes (like those of the Marsellaise
hymn in France) finding in accompaniment in the throbbing of every American
heart.
In
1816, (being still and for years after purser on the station,) Pres. Madison
appointed Mr. Skinner postmaster of Baltimore, then the third city in the
Union. This office, which was one of labor and of high responsibility, he held
for twenty-three years when he was removed by President Van Buren, in
accordance with his "system." Meanwhile he declined the territorial
judgeship from Mr. Madison, and the post of secretary of state of Arkansas from
his warm personal friend Mr. Munroe[sic] — Messrs. Adams and Jackson each honored
him with the appointment of visitor of the West Point Academy, and his
re-nomination as postmaster of Baltimore by the latter, just before his term
expired, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
Agriculture,
at this period, was at a low ebb in the Middle States. After the conflicting
armies of Europe wearied with the conflict had turned their swords into plough
shares, the prices of American bread-stuff naturally declined. — The soil was
becoming gradually exhausted, especially in Maryland, whose tobacco crops had
paid so many of the drafts for foreign supplies during the revolution. No other
Commonwealth in the world is so beneficially bounded and indented by navigable
water — or so abounds in calcareousand other rich fertilizing substances — where is so capable of easy culture and
recuperation. Yet in a few years after the silver-toned trumpet of peace echoed
along her shores, Maryland fell into an agricultural paralysis. Answer sons
grow up, they moved away to "wear out" in its turn the fertile
prairies of the West, and the old homestead mansions, often sadly out of
repair, restore me with old maiden daughters, many of them were so beautiful
and so excellent that no change could have improved them— save a change of
name.
An
ardent lover of his native State, and sensibly alive to her stagnant condition,
history Skinner had the sagacity to foresee that a continuation of this
position of things must be productive of consequences not only ruinous but
destructive. And able series of papers, signed "Arator," (from the
pen of Col. John Taylor, of Carolina,) that him to investigate the subject, and
the avidity with which these essays were red, the published in book form,
addition after addition, led him to conceive the idea of establishing an
agricultural paper. Happy thought! Every political party, every religious sect,
every prominent business locality use the mighty engine of civilization— but the
farmers, that immense majority of citizens, had no "organ." In
supplying this want, Mr. Skinner supplied the first germ of modern agriculture,
which thenceforth began to store up Phoenix-like, from the ashes of a wrong
popular judgment.
[1] Maryland
State Archives. "Planter's Advocate", July 5, 1854. Collection. MSA
SC 3415: msa_sc3415_scm3597-0115 [accessed
on the web at http://mdhistory.net/msa_sc3415/msa_sc3415_scm3597/html/msa_sc3415_scm3597-0115.html]
Transcribed by John Peter Thompson, July 3rd, 2014.
[2] Maryland
State Archives. "Planter's Advocate", July 5, 1854. Collection. MSA
SC 3415: msa_sc3415_scm3597-0115 [accessed
on the web at http://mdhistory.net/msa_sc3415/msa_sc3415_scm3597/html/msa_sc3415_scm3597-0115.html]
Transcribed by John Peter Thompson, July 3rd, 2014.
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