Dr. Charles Clinton and his Patient, Mrs. Nathaniel Campbell

Dr. Clinton and his Daybook were described in a previous post.

He lived very close to many of the Hanover Campbells.  As discussed in a previous post, he treated the son of Daniel Campbell in August of 1778.  Daniel's family lived three miles up the road.

On March 31, 1781 he makes the following entry in his Daybook:

"Nathaniel Campbell's wife   variol: insit (Paid 13 June 1781)
Rx Pil: preparation No. x ā gr.iv. pulvis cap. unam m&v quotidic"

It appears that Nathaniel's wife was inoculated by Dr. Clinton with the variola virus (small pox).  Inoculation was taking place throughout the town.  On February 12, 1781 Dr. Clinton referred to the "patients in Inoculation at the Henry McNeely's..."  On March 14, 1781 he made the same comment about the patients at Colonel McClaughry's, Genl. James Clinton's, and at Jonathan Burnett's.  The very next day he was visiting "the patients at Samuel Boyd's."

In the 1779 tax Assessment of Hanover, Nathaniel Campbell is listed right next to Samuel Campbell, his older brother.  Nathaniel does not own any land, so he is presumably a tenant on Samuel's land.

From the 1793 deed (and from other records) we know Mrs. Nathaniel Campbell's first name was Phoebe.  Her gravestone in Otisville, NY says she was born in 1737.  She was 44 years old when she received the inoculation.  It is hard to believe she had lived that many years and had not been exposed to the virus.

Her daughter, Rhoda, was nineteen.  There is no mention of her or Nathaniel being inoculated.  They presumably had already been exposed to the virus and remained in the house while Phoebe endured the multi-week inoculation protocol.

The follow-up visits made by Dr. Clinton were terse.  We can assume the procedure was a success.

"April 2, 1781  Mrs. Campbell viz. from thence sep."
...
"April 4, 1781 Mrs. Campbell in Inoculation vis: repd."
...
"April 23, 1781 Nathaniel Campbell's wife sep: Cathart. Pulv. Jallop ʒfs max"

The last entry includes a prescription for a cathartic (Accelerates defecation.  Purging was thought to be healthy.)  He prescribed a half of a drachma (1/16th ounce) of powdered Jalop.  The Jalop is a plant whose roots were often the cathartic or purgative of choice.

Two years later, Nathaniel and Phoebe's daughter would be married in the Goodwill Church.  Over those two years, Continental soldiers had made the nearby New Windsor area their last encampment.  Their presence was undoubtedly felt by the residents of nearby Hanover (now Montgomery).  By November 13 when Rhoda wed, just about all of the soldiers had been discharged and had left the area.  On November 25th, George Washington, would march with his forces into New York City.  It was the first time in seven years that the Americans had entered the city.  The nation celebrated, New Yorkers celebrated, and the Campbells celebrated.

The map below shows the close proximity of Dr. Clinton, the Goodwill Church, and the property of Samuel Campbell where Nathaniel's family lived.

1798 Map of Town of Montgomery shows relative locations of Dr. Clinton, Goodwill Church, and Samuel Campbell farm where Nathaniel Campbell was a tenant.

By 1790, James and Rhoda Ketcham had moved west into what would become the Town of Deerpark.  It is presumed from the size of their household in the 1790 and 1800 census that Rhoda's parents moved with them.

Phoebe and Nathaniel died in 1809 and 1813 respectively and were buried in Deerpark.  Due to  changes in Town boundaries the burial site in Otisville is now in the Town of Mount Hope.  Presumably Phoebe and Nathaniel lived with their only child and her family until the day they died.