𝗜𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 with a Middletown historian (𝗗𝗲𝗯𝗯𝗶𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗼), I was made aware of a 1901 book on the ancestry of the Hackstaff family. The value here is that a man named 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 was gifted the 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 in 1840, which is the mansion where 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿 was enslaved for all those years, and also the location where he was accused of attempting to poison 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗿 in August of 1811.

𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁, looking for this 1901 book. I discovered there were only 300 copies ever printed of this book. I ultimately found 1 copy being offered for sale by an independent book seller in Decatur, GA. It was listed as the 10th copy printed and signed by the author. I bought it. It arrived this week.

𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, I find pictures of things I've only ever heard of. There are pictures of Philip Mortimer's mansion and the path to the Connecticut River from his house. Most importantly, it contains a picture of the path from the mansion to Main Street, commonly referred to as the 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀...a path of trees the French Army danced under during the Revolutionary War. But more importantly, this is the path that Prince Mortimer walked on his way to the Ropewalk each day.

𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟴𝟲𝟵, these pictures are prior to that...making these images over 150 years old.

𝟯 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵. From Wethersfield to Middletown, Yale University to the Library of Congress, I've traveled far and wide chasing down Prince Mortimer's story. I'm not even sure how to process this new revelation. Still walking. 🙏🏿 #Life