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284                     THE OLD MERCHAJVTS
 

CHAPTER XXXIV.

An old mercantile name in New York is that of Cush¬
man. The family of that name came originally from
England. The founder was Robert Cushman, who
came over first. This Robert, in June, 1620, hired in
London the " May Flower " (famous now throughout
the world) to bring passengers to America. He came
over in her, and arrived In November of that year.

The descendants of this Robert were scattered all
through the New England States. Allerton Cushman
was settled in Coventry, Conn., where he married in
1760. He had a son named .Morrison, born in Novem¬
ber, 1762. He mirried in 1784, and removed with his
wife to Richfield, Otsego county. New York. He was
one of the eaidy settlers of that part of our great State.
He was a farmer. He had nine children. He taught
his own and neighbors' children in his log cabin. He
lived to be 80 years old, and died in 1842. When only
17 years old, Gov. Trumbull, of Connecticut, commis¬
sioned him to carry dispatches of great importance to
General Washington, then in New Jersey. He arrived
safe, and General Washington said : " If you are always
as faithful to duty as you have been in delivering this
message, you will be a blessing to your country." And
he was a blessing, in an humble, quiet way.    He was a