Macomb. Early this morning the people began to gather
in, and by noon from seven to ten thousand assembled. The morning was quite
warm with a fresh breeze from the South, and the arrangements for speaking were
made in the public square. Lawrence was to commence at 2 P. M. and I was to
follow him. At 1 P. M. the wind shifted to the North, and blew almost a
hurricane for half and hour, and then rained very heavily for sometime. Between
2 & 3 P. M. when it had almost ceased to rain although the earth was
drenched, and the grass dripping, a great crowd of men and women assembled in
the square, and I was compelled to address them, which I proceeded to do with
my hat on, and an umbrella held over. After speaking an hour, being then
thoroughly wet, and the rain increasing, it was proposed to adjourn to a large
unfinished brick house, which we did, and where I addressed them for an
hour longer tho' not one fourth of them could get in.
At 7 O'clock I took
the cars for home where I arrived at 10, and found that rain had extended to
Adams County in copious & abundant supply. It was the best and heaviest
rain we have had this year. Lawrence and I dined with Mr Twyman, the son in law
of Mr Chas Chandler
SOURCE: The
Diary of Orville Hickman Browning, Vol. 1, p. 413
