Dr. David R. Arnell was the first physician to serve the people of Scotchtown. He was a leading member of his community and a man of many interests. According to the early historian Samuel Eager, “he was small in stature, of a dark complexion, with small black eyes set deeply in his head, and of a grave and serious turn of mind. He seemed to be a person of thought and to commune much with himself. His life was wholly devoted to things of a useful and beneficial character, and he gave no heed to those of mere show or ornament. He was eminently a valuable member of society, whether we view him in his professional character or as a mere citizen.” [1]

Dr. Arnell was a native of the Minisink region and in his youth he may have witnessed or felt the impact of the violent events that took place in that vicinity. Beginning in 1777, this area was the site of numerous raids by Indians and Tories in which many settlers were killed or taken captive, and homes, grain and stocks were destroyed. These raids culminated in the Battle of Minisink in 1779, when a band of militiamen sent from Goshen to confront the Indians was routed. [2] The day before this famous battle, a group of Indians came upon a schoolhouse in the Town of Deerpark and killed the teacher. The children were scattered and some of the boys were slain. [3] Although Arnell was about eight years old at the time, there is no evidence to suggest he was at the school. The events of the Revolution did affected him in another, more obvious way, however. His original family name was in fact Arnold, but apparently the family changed the spelling of their name to Arnell after the war for independence, so as not to be associated with the treasonous Benedict Arnold. [4]

On May 2, 1795 Arnell married Puah Gardiner at the Hopewell Church in what is now the Town of Crawford. [5] This was an early Presbyterian congregation formed about 1779 from the Goodwill Church in the Town of Montgomery. As of 1798, Arnell was living in the Town of Deerpark and was serving as a commissioner of schools there. [6] He began practicing medicine at Prospect Hill near Scotchtown sometime before 1800. The place name ‘Prospect Hill’ was a common one in early America and locally might have referred to a spot north of Scotchtown and southeast of Circleville, that early maps label Prospect Hill Farm. [7] It was here, in 1804, that he was “engaged in manufacturing brown earthen ware, a very useful, cheap and convenient article.” Apparently, these items were “much needed at the time, and valuable as household utensils, both to the rich and the poor.” [8] The census of 1800 indicates Dr. Arnell had no slaves at that time, although the one free African in his household, almost certainly a servant, could have been his former slave. [9] According to the assessment roll of 1803, Arnell owned real estate valued at about $500. [10] He was chosen as one of the first four elders of the Scotchtown Presbyterian Church in 1803. [11]

Because his occupation brought him close to the sick and the dying, it is no wonder we find Dr. Arnell’s name in many of the wills written when he was residing in Scotchtown. He was listed as a witness in the wills of Abner Bull (1799), James Caldwell (1803), Jane Butterfield (1807), and Thomas Watkins (1806). He was also named as an executor in the wills of Daniel Watkins (1801), Peter McLaughlin (1804), and Henry Jackson (1803). [12]

In those days the practices of physicians like Dr. Arnell differed greatly from those of our own time. Travel was generally on horseback and the distances were often so great that mealtime or nightfall compelled the weary doctor to accept the hospitality of his patients. Saddlebags were made to carry everything doctors needed and they produced their own prescriptions on the spot. Despite these hardships, the going rates for medical services were very low. The charge for a visit of less than one mile was only twenty-five cents in 1807, and the largest fee for any operation was one hundred dollars. The cost of medicines was equally affordable. [13] Very little money changed hands, however, and a doctor like Mr. Arnell would more often be compensated with goods and services. [14] In April of 1806, the New York State Legislature passed a law enabling the creation of medical societies for the purpose of regulating the practice of medicine in the state. Three months later the physicians and surgeons of Orange County, including Dr. Arnell, met at the courthouse in Goshen and established the Medical Society of Orange County. Dr. Arnell had the honor of being elected delegate to the statewide Medical Society of the State of New York. [15]

Sadly, Mrs. Arnell died of consumption, what we now call tuberculosis, on June 16, 1806. Her headstone was one of the first at the Scotchtown Cemetery and she was buried on the day of the great eclipse. [16] After her passing Dr. Arnell relocated to Goshen. At some point he remarried, joining with Mary Morrison the daughter of James Morrison of Wallkill. [17]

In the session minutes of the First Presbyterian Church at Goshen for October 9, 1813 we find the following: “Dr. David R. Arnell, having been received on dismission from Scotchtown Church & on this day chosen Elder by this congregation, took his seat.” By all accounts Dr. Arnell was a very active and vital member of the church. In 1817 he transcribed all the churches records into an official register, and in 1821 was assigned to prepare a church history. [18]

In Goshen Dr. Arnell became increasingly active in secular affairs as well. In 1808 he was working with others toward the development of a county agricultural society, and chaired a meeting on Thursday April 9, 1818 for that end. When the society was formally constructed on May 28, he was elected treasurer. In July, he was a member of the committee in charge of arranging the cattle show and fair that took place October 7. [19]

In 1812 he presented a paper before the Medical Society of Orange County entitled, “The Rise and Progress of Medicine” and in 1814 his topic was “Pneumonia Typhoids.” [20] By 1818 Dr. Arnell had considered publishing a history of Orange County and hoped to describe the “character, habits and manners” of Native Americans. Why he failed to publish a text we do not know, but he may have been actively pursuing this goal. He did acquire a written, eyewitness account of the capture of Claudius Smith, the notorious highwayman of the Revolution, and this account was said to have been among his papers. [21]

It seems Dr. Arnell was very active in 1818, when he also presented a library of fifty volumes and five of the best medical periodicals of the time to the Medical Society of Orange County. His gift was widely circulated among the members, and became the basis of the society’s library for many years. Because of his service, Dr. Arnell was elected president of the society eight times (1810-13, 1819, 1821-23) and he is often considered to be the father of this organization. [22]

At the annual meeting of the society in 1820, Dr. Arnell read a biographical sketch of Lt. Col. Benjamin Tusten, a fellow physician who was killed at the Battle of Minisink. His work was later published and led to an organized effort to identify and collect the remains of the fallen from that battle, and in 1822 he participated in a procession and dedication for the deceased. When the society met in the village of Newburgh in 1823, Dr. Arnell was among a handful of respected citizens who presented literary or scientific essays for discussion. [23] Dr. Arnell later became a vice-president of the Newburgh Lyceum of Natural Sciences, a society formed in 1824. [24]

On May 11, 1825, the doctor’s second wife, Mary M. Arnell, died of consumption at the age of 44. The following year Dr. Arnell himself became a victim of the disease. [25] He died in Goshen on the evening of Saturday September 2, 1826 at the age of 55. [26] Like many other great men of his time, his life was profoundly influenced by the events of the Revolution. His interest in Indian culture, his desire to describe local history and his respect for Dr. Benjamin Tusten, all appear to have been inspired by the events of his youth. His resourcefulness and dedication to his fellow man, however, are the truest testament to his character. At a meeting of the Medical Society of Orange County following his death, all members agreed to wear crape on the left arm for thirty days as a sign of respect for Dr. Arnell. The esteem in which he was held can best be judged by citing his obituary:

Copyright © 2005 ScotchtownHighlander.com