General Isaac Maltby was born Nov. 10, 1767 at Northford, Conn. He was graduated at Yale College in 1786. He was a son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Fowler Maltby, his wife, and a grandson of Daniel (2). He was a student of divinity with Dr. Smalley of New Britain, Conn., and was admitted to the church there July 12, 1789, and licensed to preach the same year by New Haven, East. He married, Nov. 10, 1790, at Hatfield, Mass., Lucinda Murray, the only child of Seth Murray, who was a Brigadier-General in the Hampshire Militia in the time of the Revolutionary War, and be was persuaded by his father-in-law to settle in Hatfield. General Isaac and his wife resided most of their lives in her paternal mansion and their twelve children were all born in the same house where their mother was born. The house still stands on the Main Street at the turn of the Northampton road. (See photograph.) Gen. Isaac Maltby served throughout the War of 1812 and was a distinguished soldier and scholar. His commissions are in the possession of his granddaughter, Mrs. Frederick E. Foster.
General Isaac Maltby served as served as representative from Hatfield in the Massachusetts Legislature in 1809-10. He was the author of three books on military science, viz.: "Elements of War," "Military Tactics" and "Court Martial."
In 1803 he was appointed major in the militia. He took an active part in proceedings that were instituted vs. Gen'l Benj. Lincoln when he was collector of the port of Boston. In 1812 he was chosen Presidential Elector at a period in American History when the Electoral College was composed of notable men and when it was intended to select deliberately the President of the United States. In 1813 he was made Brigadier-General of Mass. Militia with headquarters in Boston, his son, Seth Murray Maltby, being paymaster in the same brigade with the rank of major. In 1816 he was again elected to the legislature and in 1818 he removed to Waterloo, Seneca County, New York, where he died the following year (1819).
The New Eng. Hist. and Gen. Reg. (1865), Vol. XIX., p. 338, has an article headed: "Reminiscences Connected with the War of 1812." It commences as follows: "In the summer of 1814 many portions of the militia of Massachusetts were called into actual service for the defence of the seaboard, especially in and near Boston. . . . Another brigade of the volunteer militia, organized and placed under the command of Brigadier-General Isaac Maltby, of Hatfield. . . . " (p.339). "The regiment went into camp at Cambridge for a few days, but was soon removed to a place called Commercial Point, Dorchester, where were better accommodations.
"At Commercial Point, the regiment was drilled daily in the manual exercise, marching, wheeling, etc. It was reviewed twice at a place called Cedar Point, and on Boston Common by Governor Strong, Adjutant General Brooks, Generals Cobb, Mattoon, Whiton, Maltby, Blair and others, General Bobb remarking. 'That regiment knows enough and ought to go home and let the ignorant come and learn.'" A remark which must have been satisfying, as a will earned tribute, to Gen. Isaac Maltby.
His brother, Rev. Jonathon Maltby, speaks of him "as an eminent teacher of music."
NOTE.--It was the good fortune of the compiler to see a passport through the lines signed by Gen. Isaac Maltby, a document among many Maltby papers which have become the property of a dealer in antiques.
A letter from Rev. Jonathon Maltby to his brother, General Isaac Maltby, of Hatfield, Mass., dated "New Haven, June 20, 1812." is of sufficient interest to descendants to publish in abstract form:
"Dear Brother--
"You will remember that on the 12th of July, 1796, I announced to you the affecting death of our much hond Father--you are now daily expecting to hear of the death of his aged consort, our dear mother. But, Sir, the ways of unerring God are not the ways of erring man. . . . it is not the hoary headed mother, but her youngest child, our dear Brother Stephen!
"On Monday evening, 22d Inst., at 12 o'clock the lamp of life was extinguished--after a week's illness. . . A mother, a wife and her fatherless children, three Brothers and an only Sister mourn with heatfelt sorrow the sudden death," etc.
N. B.--This was Col. Stephen Maltby, great, great-grandfathe of the compiler, who, by the kindness of Mrs. Higby, owns this ancient letter.
General Isaac (4) descended from Benjamin (3), Daniel (2), William (1).
The letter which follows was contributed by Mrs. F.E. Foster and is well worthy of insertion in these pages.
Copy of letter from the
Honl. George Thatcher, of Supreme Court,
to
J. Hill, Esq.
Biddeford, 11th Feb'y 1810.
My Dear Sir,
I have just read Genl Maltby's Report Published in the Palladium on our Foreign Relations & the Conduct of our National Administration in relation to the famous pretended insult. The Report I fully approve: & to reject it or in anything to weaken it would be treason against good sense & sound policy, & it would be more criminal than to have pardoned Luke Day in the time of Shyes insurrection. Therefore I tell you now, as I told you at that time "do anything but pardon Luke Day." If you reject those Resolutions, you must not return to Biddeford.
Who is this Genl Maltby? His Report argues good. If I am not mistaken he made a very energetic Report & Speech on some great national question last Winter.* I like him. If you have any acquaintance with him make my respects to him & tell him he is right in his notions. Encourage his heart & strengthen his hands to fight the Lord's battles. We have no news here. Everybody that possesses common sense here gives over all expectations of finding Robert Smith's insult. They say it is all a matter of juggling to impose a little while on the credulity of Republicans, but the spell is wearing off. Keep up a good tone in your proceedings. There is nothing gained by giving way to the Devel. Yield an inch and he will take an ell.
GEORGE THATCHER.
To Jonathan Hill, Esq.
* Refers to the proceedings against Smith.
An account of General Isaac Maltby would be incomplete were some mention not made of a few of his descendants who are, or should be, well known to the public today.
The fourth child of General Isaac Maltby was Maria Maltby, who married Thomas Cutting Love of New York. Their oldest daughter, Madame Cary (Julia Love) has recently died at her home in Buffalo, New York. Madame Cary was a remarkable woman of rare individuality and charm. The following extracts concerning her life are taken from the Buffalo Courier and the Buffalo News, of October 9th and 10th, 1915: "In the passing of Mme. Cary (Julia Love), Buffalo loses a beautiful woman--beautiful in the highest sense of the term--one with all the graces of mind and heart and femininity, a typical gentlewoman, whose loveliness was compelling. Devoted to home, she was always the center of a large family circle, who gave her unmeasured love and atention.
But outside of her kinspeople there were many to whom Mme. Cary was known, for in her younger days she was the acknowledged leader of Buffalo society, and still with the passing of the years, this fine gentlewoman held sway, even though Buffalo society is made of many circles. No charity ball, the climax of each season's gaiety, has seemed complete without the presence of Mme. Cary, the grande dame in her shimmering ivory satins and rare laces, and her advent was alsays marked by a hum of interest and a steady stream of friends to pay court to her in her box. And a rarely lovely picture she made in her sweet dignity, product of the elegant training of past generations, with a spirit of unquenched youth. Though old in years, as they are counted, Mme. Cary was as young as the youngest and loved to be surrounded by youth and beauty, and to youth and beauty she was ever a stately queen, to whom it was a happiness to pay court.
Every afternoon at 3 o'clock Mme. Cary was wont to take her daily drive, and, in the parks, her passing was always marked with interest by those who knew her, and by those who saw only a lovely old lady, just stepped from a bower of lavender and flowers to enjoy an outing in the sunlight.