FINKELSTEIN ON DR. DAVID RITTENHOUSE

PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE FULL ISSUE PREV FULL ISSUE

V18 2015 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 18, Number 45, November 8, 2015, Article 17

FINKELSTEIN ON DR. DAVID RITTENHOUSE – PART 3

Introduction
This is part 3 of a series of articles about Dr. David Rittenhouse, the first Director of the United States Mint. Over the last few decades, multiple incorrect statements and theories about events during his lifetime and after his death have been published in numerous numismatic articles and publications. In Parts 1 and 2, it was stated that a few researchers theorized that David Rittenhouse was incarcerated in the Pruan Street (or Prune Street) debtor’s prison during 1796, 1797 and 1798, and that he, in fact, did not die in 1796. His June 26th death, June 27th burial, and December 17th Eulogium was suggested to have been a massive cover up to maintain the integrity of his image and to protect his reputation.

These falsities have been perpetuated simply because they were put in print, without any contemporary evidence to validate them. They have become accepted as being factual. They are not.

Falsity #3 – Dr. Benjamin Rush & William Barton covered up Rittenhouse’s death
In order for David Rittenhouse’s death to have been a massive cover up, one or more people had to have covered up his death. Dr. Benjamin Rush and William Barton were falsely targeted as the perpetrators.

Dr. Benjamin Rush financed and edited Thomas Paine’s pamphlet that was originally titled Plain Truth. He convinced Paine to rename it to Common Sense. In July, 1776, Dr. Rush served as one of the seven Pennsylvania delegates at the Second Continental Congress. He signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776. He cofounded three colleges; Dickinson College, Franklin College (now Franklin and Marshall) and the College of Physicians. Dr. Rush was a delegate to the Pennsylvania convention that ratified the United States Constitution. He was also a practicing physician and chair of the Institutes of Medicine and Clinical Practice for the University of Pennsylvania. Not only is Dr. Benjamin Rush considered the father of American psychiatry, he is one of this nation’s founding fathers.

William Barton was a lawyer. In 1782, he served on the third committee tasked to design the Great Seal of the United States. He was also David Rittenhouse’s nephew.

These two individuals have been accused of maliciously deceiving the President and Vice President of the United States, members of Congress, government officials, foreign heads of state, the Rittenhouse family, and the hundreds of citizens of Philadelphia that attended David Rittenhouse’s Eulogium on December 17, 1796 at the First Presbyterian Church on High Street. If these two were complicit in the cover up, then so were David Rittenhouse’s wife, two daughters, and at least twelve members of the APS.

Per page 187 of Daniel K. Cassel’s book titled Genea-Biographical History Of The Rittenhouse Family And All Its Branches In America, With Sketches Of Their Descendants:

David Rittenhouse departed this life without a struggle & in the calmest manner, ten minutes before two o'clock on the morning of Sunday, the 26th day of June, 1796, in presence of his youngest daughter, Mrs. Waters, and William Barton. His excellent wife, who had ever been assiduous in her attendance on her husband, both in sickness and in health had retired from his chamber about two hours before, unable to support the awful scene of expiring genius and virtue.

On July 1, 1796, the APS held a special meeting regarding Rittenhouse’s death. 26 members of the APS attended. Per page 239 of Early Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge, Compiled by one of the Secretaries, From the Manuscript Minutes of its Meetings, From 1744 to 1838 (hereinafter referred to as Early Proceedings):

Resolved “That this Society, deeply affected by the death of their late worthy President, do resolve - That an Eulogium, commemorative of his distinguished talents & services, be publickly pronounced…”

On July 5, 1796, the APS held another special meeting to appoint the orator. 22 members attended. Per page 240 of Early Proceedings:

The Society proceeded to the election of a member to prepare & pronounce the Eulogium… Dr. Benjamin Rush was duly chosen." Collin and Patterson to inform him of the fact.

Since Dr. Rush was informed, after the vote occurred, that he was elected orator, it is logical to conclude that he was not in attendance at the special meeting when the vote occurred. If he did cover up Rittenhouse’s death, there must have been additional coconspirators at the July 5th APS meeting to make sure that he was elected orator. Assuming a simple majority was required to elect Dr. Rush as orator, 12 of the 22 members in attendance were coconspirators, increasing the coconspirator count to 17. I find this to be totally absurd.

Falsity #4 – Benjamin Rush used his position of APS VP to facilitate the cover up
David Rittenhouse was President of the APS when he died. The conspiracy theorist has accused Dr. Benjamin Rush of using his position as Vice President of the APS (and therefore acting President) to facilitate the cover up. This is completely false. First, Dr. Rush was not Vice President of the APS in 1796. Second, as previously documented, he was not present at the APS meeting that elected him orator of Rittenhouse’s eulogy.

Per the yearly election results published in Early Proceedings, Dr. Benjamin Rush was not an elected officer of the APS during calendar years 1793 through 1796. Per page 246 of Early Proceedings, he was elected Vice President of the APS on January 6, 1797. Since Dr. Rush was not an elected officer of the APS during 1796, he could not have used his position as Vice President to facilitate the cover up.

Final Thoughts: 6 months from Death to Eulogium
The conspiracy theorist published that he found it “strange” that David Rittenhouse’s Eulogium occurred 6 months after his reported death, and Dr. Benjamin Rush took 5 months to complete Rittenhouse’s eulogy. There was nothing strange about this.

Per page 243 of Early Proceedings, at an APS meeting held on November 18, 1796:

Dr. Rush reported that he had prepared the Eulogium on Rittenhouse; Bleakley, Vaughan, Peale, Magaw, Patterson, appointed to report a time and place for its delivery.

Per pages 243 and 244 of Early Proceedings, at an APS meeting held on December 2, 1796:

Eulogium Committee reporting " they had obtained the privilege of the [First] Presbyterian church in Market street", "proposed Saturday the 17th instant at noon..." [Here follows a list of invitations, as in the case of the Eulogy on Franklin, commencing with "The President of the U. S. & his family", and closing with "College of Physicians, Family of Mrs. Rittenhouse, Mr. Benjamin Rittenhouse, Family of Dr. Rush."] - "The former Com. to be continued for the purpose of carrying the above into effect."

Finally, per page 244 of Early Proceedings, at an APS meeting held on December 16, 1796:

Peale and Vaughan "appointed to superintend & direct the introduction of the public bodies &c to their seats tomorrow in the Church…"

"It was moved & agreed that certain characters highly respectable, who have not yet been invited, should have tickets of invitation sent to them as soon as possible, viz. Mr. Boudinot, Director of the Mint, Dr. Way, Treasurer of the Mint, Mr. Meredith, Treas. U. S., Mr. Steele, Comptroller of the Treasury, Mr. Harrison, Auditor of the Treasury, Mr. Nourse, Register of the Treasury, Mr. Francis, Purveyor of the Treasury, Mr. Habersham, Postmaster General, Mr. Lee, Attorney General."

The conspiracy theorist failed to take into account that there was a Yellow Fever epidemic in Philadelphia during July, August, September and October of 1796. Dr. Rush was a medical doctor. He had a very lucrative practice, and at the time, was one of the nation’s experts on Yellow Fever. Since Dr. Rush was tending to the sick and dying during this 4 month period, it is logical to assume that it took 1 month (give or take) for him to develop David Rittenhouse’s 46 page eulogy, and not 5 months.

In 1796, it was the general (but incorrect) belief that Yellow Fever was contagious and airborne. David Rittenhouse’s Eulogium, comprising a gathering of approximately 600 people, including members of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the United States government, was simply not going to happen during the Yellow Fever epidemic. [Note: it was not until 1901 that it was determined that Yellow Fever was an acute viral hemorrhagic disease caused by a bite from the female Aedes aegypti mosquito.]

In 1796, Philadelphians knew, based on prior year’s Yellow Fever epidemics, that when it got cold outside, Yellow Fever disappeared. Modern studies have shown that the Aedes aegypti mosquito struggles to imbibe blood below 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Considering Philadelphia’s climate history, the Aedes aegypti mosquito thrived during June, July, August, September and part of October. By November, no new cases were reported, and those that were inflicted were either dead or getting healthier.

As a result of the waning of the Yellow Fever epidemic, Dr. Rush was able to complete David Rittenhouse’s eulogy by November 18th, and the APS was able to schedule Rittenhouse’s Eulogium for December 17th.