THE BAYARDS AND OTHER FAMILIES 315 



On the reception of the oliieial dispatches in Washiug- 

 ton, the general order was issued by Secretary Gideon 

 Wells, "that to commemorate this signal victory, a 

 national salute be tired from each navy yard, at meridian, 

 on the day after the reception of this order." 



IV 



John Stephen Benezett was the founder of the family of 

 that name. He was born in Abbeville in 1682, at the 

 Revocation was taken to Holland, and from thence to 

 England in 1715. He settled in Philadelphia in 1731 and 

 became prominent in the affairs of the city, having the 

 distinction of being the first city treasurer. He was also 

 one of the leading members of the Society of Friends, and 

 for some years was a pillar in the Moravian church. Of 

 his three sons, one became a major in the Revolution, 

 while Anthony, the youngest, grew into one of the most 

 philanthropic citizens of Philadeli^hia, He advocated 

 the emancipation of the slaves and was zealous in pro- 

 moting their education, opening a night school for their 

 benefit and showing his sincerity by teaching in it him- 

 self. He deserves to rank as the earliest abolitionist who 

 openly dared to express his views, a pamphlet of his en- 

 titled Considerations on the Keeping of Negroes being the 

 first anti-slavery work published in America. During 

 the Revolution he was active in relieving the sufferings 

 of prisoners and wounded, thus being in a way the fore- 

 bear of the Red Cross Society. 



Benezett 



First City 

 Treasurer 



Anthony first 



Open 



Abolitionist 



Hillegas 



He was 1728 



Michael Hillegas was the son of a refugee who fled Michael 

 to the Palatinate shortly after the Revocation 

 bom in Philadelphia in 1728 and amassed a considerable 

 fortune in the sugar refining business. He was an ardent 

 patriot and at an early dat€ placed himself and his for- 

 tunes at the servace of the cause of independence. He 

 was made the first treasurer of the United States, and his 



