Anna Bartlett Warner
The Inspiring Life of Anna Barlett Warner: Author of Jesus Loves Me
Early Years: Childhood
Anna Barlett Warner is the author of the poem Jesus Loves Me. She was born in the year 1824, her only sister, Susan Bogert Warner was born in 1819. It was the early 1800’s in the Big Apple of New York City. The pair were the only two of five Warner children to survive infancy.
Henry Whiting Warner: The Father of Anna Barlett Warner
Anna and Susan’s father, Henry Whiting Warner worked as a lawyer. He married his beautiful bride Anna Marsh Bartlett, who sadly died at a very young age. Her daughter, Anna Barlett Warner was only a one year-old baby when her mother Anna tragically died.
In addition to being a lawyer, Henry made huge earnings in real estate, this made the family wealthy. The girls lived a childhood of economic prosperity and comfortable means.
Both branches of the family tree have historic roots that tie back to the Puritan Pilgrims.
Frances Warner: Anna Barlett Warner’s Aunt
Henry was blessed with supportive siblings. His sister Frances Warner, came to live with the family in New York City after his wife Anna’s untimely death. Frances was known as “Aunt Fanny” to her loving nieces, Susan and Anna Barlett Warner. She was a good source of inspiration to the girls and gave them the motherly direction they needed.
Aunt Nancy Warner Frary: Hudson, New York
The Hudson River served as a convenient mode of transportation when visiting Henry’s second sister, Nancy Warner Frary, in Hudson, NY. The family would hop on a steamboat and arrive at Aunt Nancy’s residence for cherished family visits.
Anna Barlett Warner’s Uncle: Thomas Warner
In the summer season, it was routine for the Warner’s to depart their fancy New York City townhouse to visit Henry’s brother, Thomas Warner at West Point. To the girls, Thomas Warner was “Uncle Thomas”, but to United States Military Academy at West Point he was Academy Chaplain. It was a short 50-mile trip North for Henry, Aunt Fanny, Susan and Anna Barlett Warner when they visited Uncle Thomas at West Point.
During these family visits to West Point, Henry became highly intrigued by an eastside Hudson River Island known as Constitution Island. This quaint, 280-acre island is located directly across the river from West Point. It is connected to a vibrant marsh that can be accessed by boat. This unique location made the historic island a direct view for Henry every time he visited his brother, Thomas. The Warner family first visited the island in 1834 and by the year 1836, Mr. Henry Warner purchased the land and would soon, unknowingly, call it his permanent home. Henry Warner had the intention of purchasing Constitution Island as a second, seasonal home for his family to utilize for a portion of each year. There was even discussion between the brothers about potentially building a hotel on the island for future financial benefit. All of a sudden, that idea changed in 1837.
The Panic of 1837
Shortly after Henry acquired the island in 1836, an American financial crisis known as The Panic of 1837 struck. During this economically disastrous period of time, large numbers of banks closed down and businesses went bankrupt. In 1837 alone, about 800 banks shut their doors. This caused huge financial loss for the Warner’s, their life of fiscal ease and abundance swiftly ended. Consequently, Henry had to sell the family’s elegant New York City townhouse.
Fortunately, Henry had the eastside island he purchased the year prior to fall back on.
Father Henry, Aunt Fanny, Susan and Anna rowed their way to their “new” home. The residence was a historic, revolutionary war era military barracks located along the river bend.
Constitution Island
American patriots renamed the island during the revolution. What was formerly known as Martelaer’s Island, a name given by Dutch settlers, was changed to Constitution Island.
A Little Piece of History: The Hudson River
The Hudson River runs through a large portion of New York State, it stretches over 300 miles. The origins of the river have been traced to the Northern Adirondack Mountains. The southern flow of the river travels through a vast territory that includes, but is not limited to, the Adirondack parks, Albany, Hudson Valley, Poughkeepsie and New York City. The mouth of the Hudson River is the New York Harbor, eventually pouring out into the Atlantic Ocean.
American Revolutionary War
During the Revolutionary War, the Hudson River was a crucial waterway. It was a very valuable channel for transportation and trade. Both the Colonists and the British knew whoever controlled the river had extreme advantages over their opponent. The British war plan was to seize control of the Hudson. They wanted to divide the American colonies in two pieces, their goal was to break communication lines and stop supply chain routes within the colonies.
Fighting for Freedom
American colonists desperately needed effective fortifications and defense against the Royal Navy if they wanted to successfully gain their independence. Control of the river was the key to victory. In 1775, Continental Congress appointed George Washington to fortify and defend the prized Hudson River area. This is when General George Washington recruited many worthy patriots to the assist in the cause. Two out of many of these American treasured patriots are known as Thomas Machin and Thaddeus Kosciusko.
Commissioned by General Washington
Thomas Machin was an experienced English canal builder and Thaddeus Kosciusko was a highly intelligent Polish engineer. Commissioned by George Washington, these men were responsible for preventing British naval ships from sailing and navigating the Hudson River. This was an important task and these men made it their mission to deny England access to the highly coveted waterways.
Thomas Machin: The Great Chain
Thomas Machin built a 75-ton iron chain that stretched the Hudson River known as “The Great Chain”. The Great Chain connected Constitution Island to West Point. The American colonists utilized wooden logs as floating devices to support the heavy iron chains that spanned the river. The large wooden logs were treated with tar and oakum to create a waterproof effect for preservation.
Thaddeus Kosciusko: Fortress West Point
General George Washington appointed Thaddeus Kosciusko to build military fortifications. The talented engineer designed Fortress West Point. The West Point location was a strategic defensive position in the area during the revolution. This was the golden opportunity. So, the fort, along with The Great Chain were patriotic marvels that really assisted in cementing the enemy’s defeat.
Patriots
These enormous projects took hundreds of hardworking men to complete. They were both sophisticated undertakings that aided war efforts on behalf of American liberty.
All things considered, we believe it is important to incorporate this information because the Warner Family spent many years of their lives living in a rich historic environment. Furthermore, the roots of history were not lost on them.
In addition to all this, it is quite harmonious that the Warners continued making history on the island they loved and called home.
Anna Barlett Warner’s Family History
The Warner Family come from a long line of American colonist. They were among some of earliest of settlers and are known for their patriotism. Much of the family were members of the 17th Regiment of Albany County Militia who fought in the battle of Saratoga. These members include Henry’s father, grandfather and uncles. After all, patriotism is part of the Warner family blood line.
The Remains of the Great Chain
After the war, a portion of the links from The Great Chain were preserved, they have been displayed at West Point for many years. Altogether, this includes 12 original chain links, a clevis and swivel.
Trailblazers:
Anna Barlett Warner’s Sister: Susan Bogert Warner
The Warners faced financial ruin after the Panic of 1837. Upon the influence and encouragement from Aunt Fanny, Susan and Anna started writing to generate income for the family. The girls were gifted writers. Some of their earliest pieces of work were of tremendous value and proved wildly popular. In 1850, Susan published her first book, Wide, Wide World under the pseudonym Elizabeth Wetherell. By 1851, it was a best-seller and there were no signs of sales slowing down. Impressively, it remained in print for eight decades. As a result, it’s known as one of the most widely read American stories of the nineteenth century. In fact, Susan was the first American author to sell one million copies.
Anna Barlett Warner
Anna Barlett Warner created a unique children’s game called “Robinson Crusoe’s Farmyard”. These special, hand-colored cards depicted pictures of animals for educational purposes. Anna was able to make a penny on each pack she sold. She also published her book “Gardening By Myself”, which proved to be a popular gardening manual and the first of its kind. Following in her sister’s footsteps, Anna wrote a novel called Dollars and Cents. She used the pseudonym Amy Lothrop for this project. Both sisters made money to support life on the island.
Looking Beyond Worldly Treasures
Despite all their successes and published works, the sisters financial return was not as high as one would expect. With such an abundancy of sales, you would think the family struck it rich, but due to a lack of effective copyright laws, the result was a low wage. All in all the good news was that Susan and Anna did see enough payment to stabilize the family’s fiscal woes and they were well on their way to make their mark on the world in other ways beyond worldly treasures.
Time Spent Wisely
The work continued. The sisters busied themselves with their writing and household chores, churning butter, gardening, and spreading the good news of Jesus. The Warner sisters also collaborated on a number of projects, including the novel Say and Seal, which produced the beloved song Jesus Loves Me. This song, traced back to Anna’s sweet poem, inspired this tribute to Anna Barlett Warner and her beloved family.
In addition, Susan and Anna edited and produced a children’s magazine called The Little American. It was a subscription-based magazine packed with useful information for the youth. Both women were trailblazing through the nineteenth century with pen in hand and God in heart.
As can be seen the sisters had a special bond. The last book Anna authored was called Susan Warner, a biography about her beloved sister.
Anna Barlett Warner’s Poem: Jesus Loves Me
Here are the original poem verses of Jesus Loves Me that Anna Bartlett Warner wrote. This poem made its appearance in Susan Warner’s 1860 novel “Say and Seal”. In the novel, these words comforted a sick and dying child. The sweet poem is provided below.
Jesus Loves Me Poem:
BY: ANNA BARLETT WARNER
Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong,
They are weak, but he is strong.
Jesus loves me, loves me still,
Though i’m very weak and ill,
From His shining throne on high,
Comes to watch me where I lie.
Jesus loves me, he will stay,
Close beside me all the way.
Then His little child will take,
Up to Heaven for his dear sake.
From Poem to Internationally Loved Song
In a short time, Anna’s poem became an internationally known song. When the talented composer William Batchelder Bradbury set the poem to music, it became a tune that would travel the world and stand the test of time.
Interested in Learning More About the Song Jesus Loves Me?
Jesus Loves Me, This I Know Song Lyrics
Bible Lessons
Teaching the Bible to West Point Cadets
West Point Cadets requested Susan to guide them in Bible Study classes. By this time, Susan was a seasoned and experienced teacher, she taught the Bible to the wives of West Points officers. In addition, she involved herself in missionary work. Along with Anna, they invested their time visiting surrounding families and shared informational tracts with many. The sisters also loved sharing their faith in God and were very generous with their time and talents.
In 1875, Susan began teaching the cadets the Holy Bible. Every Sunday they met in the Old Cadet Chapel on West Point Academy property.
Summer Bible Studies on Constitution Island
In the summer season, Bible lessons were conducted on the lawn of Constitution Island. A welcoming white tent awaited the cadets as they rowed their way across the Hudson River to learn from the Bible. The West Point cadets really loved Sunday school with Susan and Anna. Susan would teach from the Bible and also have the boys take turns reading scripture. When class concluded, Anna would serve the cadets refreshments and homemade treats. This included baked goods like gingerbread, tea, and lemonade.
This was a very special time for the cadets, they grew to love and respect both Warner sisters tremendously. Military school has its strict schedules and rules but Bible study provided a joyful, inspiring outlet for them to look forward to every week.
Susan and Anna always provided encouragement to others. As a result of this, many cadets would never forget them. Over the years, the sisters received correspondence from grateful students from all areas of the world.
When Susan died in 1885, Anna took over Bible study lessons. She taught the cadets for an additional three decades right up until her death in 1915. In fact, the Warner sisters served a combined forty years of teaching the Holy Bible to West Point cadets.
Buried with Military Honors
Susan and Anna’s graves are on military grounds in West Point Cemetery. They are the only two civilians to be buried there with full honors. The sisters are peacefully laying side by side, the same manner in which they lived. Their resting place at the cemetery is overlooking their home on Constitution Island. The home now serves as a museum.
Bible Scripture
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 KJV
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2 KJV
Anna Barlett Warner and Susan Bogert Warner: Children of God
These scriptures serve as practical reminders to stay on the straight and narrow during difficult seasons in our lives. Regardless of circumstance, it’s important to maintain a good cheer and spread it abundantly.
Anna Barlett Warner and Susan are solid examples of Christian character.
Despite all their personal troubles and setbacks, they worked hard and never gave up. When worldly storms tried knocking them down, their strong foundation in Jesus propelled them forward. They chose to Shine the Bright Light during their lives through their stories, publications, hymns, books and every other piece of work.
Gratitude and Admiration for Anna Barlett Warner
We are so grateful to Anna and the entire Warner family for their contributions to this nation. Also, we thank Anna for the precious words to Jesus Loves Me. Finally, please share this tribute of Anna to preserve the history of her selfless life. After all, it serves as a powerful example and conveys to the world to take the road less traveled.
Interested in Learning More About the Song Jesus Loves Me?
Jesus Love Me, This I Know Song Lyrics
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Images of America Constitution Island By: Ronnie Clark Coffey
I have sung this song countless times, as a kid and now as a mama, and I never knew there were more words than the familiar first verse. Have ALWAYS loved the song and what it means for us all.
What an intriguing post. Thank you for sharing!