In April of 1888, Mary Lockhart wrote to the The Historical Record, A Quarterly Publication Devoted Principally To The Early History of Wyoming Valley And Contiguous Territory, sharing her knowledge of Moses and his descendants. Her letter is presented below as it appeared in The Historical Record of 1888.
The Historical Record
Edited by F.C. Johnson
Vol. 2, July 1888, No. 3
Wilks-Barre, PA.
Press of The Wilkes-Barre Record
Van Campen's Descendants
Editor Record: I take pleasure in furnishing the Record with an extract from a letter bearing date April 27, 1888, from a descendant of Major Moses Van Campen, giving much information concerning his descendants, which may be of interest to your readers. The writer is Miss Mary Lockhart, of Almond, N.Y., a granddaughter. She says;
Moses Van Campen married Margaret McClure, the daughter of James McClure, a worthy citizen of Bloomsburg, Pa. The location where the town of Bloomsburg now stands was a part of the farm given her by her father. He had no sons to perpetuate his name, but had five daughters who all were women of unusual refinement of manners and of benevolence of heart. They were born in Pennsylvania (their home then was on the Fishing Greek) with the exception of the youngest daughter, who, I think, was born after their removal to the State of New York.
Mary Van Campen, the eldest daughter, my dear mother, more closely resembled her father than any of his other children. She married George Lockhart, who was of Scotch-Irish descent, a native of the north of Ireland, emigrating when about nine years of age with his father and the rest of his family to this country. Shortly after his father's arrival he bought about 800 acres of land on the Susquehanna River, below the Wyoming Valley, but the title not proving valid he lost it all, retaining only what was secured by a second payment.
My father and mother are the parents of eight children, one dying in infancy, seven growing up to adult age, five sons and two daughters. The eldest son, Moses Van Campen Lockhart, died in October of last year. The second son, James, a merchant in Angelica, died in 1886. The third son, John, served under Gen. Sherman in the war of the Rebellion. He died in 1870, his death doubtless hastened by hardships endured while in the army. The fourth son, Alfred, formerly a merchant of Angelica, is now in the Patent Office in Washington. He entered during the administration of President Arthur. The fifth son, Joseph, lives on the farm my father bought shortly after his marriage and where he and my mother lived until their decease. My father died in 1854. My mother died in 1864. The sixth child was Elizabeth. She was married to Henry W. Crandall, a merchant of Almond. She died in 1874. Of seven children but three survive, two brothers and myself. Anna, the second daughter of Moses Van Campen married Alvin Burr from Connecticut, for many years one of the most prominent lawyers of Allegheny Co., N.Y. They had two children, a son, Moses, now living in Angelica. After the removal of my grandfather to Dansville, Mr. Burr went to live in his very pleasant home after he retired from his profession. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Burr, Harriet, married John Olmstead, a banker, who lives at Yonkers on the Hudson. She died in 1885.
The third daughter, Priscilla, married Mr. Samuel Mulholland, a farmer, who lived on the shore of the Canisteo River. At their decease they left two daughters, Sarah, the eldest, now Mrs. Frederick W. Landers, who resides in Decorah, Iowa, the other daughter Mary, now Mrs. Frank Lewis, living in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The fourth daughter of Moses Van Campen was Elizabeth. She married the Rev. Robert Hubbard, a Presbyterian clergyman, a native of Sherbourne Mass., a graduate of Williams College, and one of the most exemplary of men. They left one son, now the Rev. J. N. Hubbard, of Tracy, California. He is a graduate of Yale College, author of the Life of Moses Van Campen, and of the Life of Red Jacket.
The fifth daughter, Lavinia, married Samuel Southworth, M. D., a prominent physician of Allegheny County. She died at the early age of 32 years, leaving two little daughters, one of whom died in girlhood. The other, Margarette, married a Mr. Mills, of Mount Morris, Livingston Co., N.Y. She died in September of last year.
You will see by this sketch that the descendants of Moses Van Campen are fast passing away. His children, all but the youngest daughter, Mrs. Southworth, lived to the age of three score years and ten. Of the grand children more than the half are gone. Seven are still living. Eight have died within the past few years.