Hubbard letters
To Jerusha and Asahel From: G? & M Ives this one from Mr. Ives)
“We are all well and contented or as much as could be expected on being removed from those with whom we have spent the better part of our days we often have imaginery visits with our friends in old Vermont “
“My family have enjoyed better health since we came
here than they ever did in
“The country in which we live is fine in many respects the winds in winter is the greatest objection I have to the country wood & timber are also rather scarce water also in a dry season is not very plentyThe country is very productive and easily tilled much more so than that in which you liveone man or boy 15 yrs of age will tend 20 acres of corn and it usually yields 40 bushels to the acre without any manuring.”
“Sheep are not much thought of . . .great long legged coarse wooled fellows at that such as you Vermonters would not winter for them Sheep do well here as they do in Vt for ought I can see but woolis low at the Factories.”
“We had beautiful sleighing that long as you ever had in Vt”
“. . . my tenants of which I have two one of which has about 30 acres to till the other about 50 making 80 acres in all which would be a large plow field for you Vermonters but it is rather small here Many here have two or three hundred acres of plowland all in to crops in one year.”
Is Ephraim (Moulton) going to come out here or not?
“We have been some expecting Ephraim with his family this spring but as we hear nothing from him of late we have almost given up the idea of his coming at all. I have often written him but have of late received no answer and why I know not. You will let him see this and if he has concluded to stay in Vt or go to some other part of the land tell him to write us soon that we tarry not thus in suspense for it is truly painful.”
Then the story of “one of our best farmers” who committed suicide by shooting himself, then when that fails slashing his throat which also doesn’t work He is found by his little boy some hours later, brought to the house, and says he wants to die. Ives says he doesn’t know the reason except it might be some “domestic disturbance.” “He is a man of property was fixing build a brick house next summer.”
DrMittSondierBisher (can’t make it out)
The letter of the young man who lived with the Hubbards and has since traveled to the South. He speaks of
“the scenes of my early childhood are still vivied in my memory. How often I think of the big mjeadow, the Allen meadow, the Crick meadow, and the north meadow, and the north pasture and the west orchard, and the north orchard, the east orchard, and thousand of other things rush involuntarily into my more mature mind. These things cease to afford you pleasure and delight; but to me, they are as rich as the golden produce.”
He describes his trip south, to Boston, then by steamer to Providence, thence to the Empire City, New York (and Broadway the most wonderful street in the world will you see all people and hear all languages, then by boat (scary trip) to New Orleans.
He describes slave life – not so bad, then asks about family.
Ypsilanti (?)
To Cousin Jerusha From Fannie
“It does me a great deal of good to receive letters from Vt for I get rather lonesome here sometimes being a stranger and am so confined here with the baby. I don’t know as I shall ever get acquainted with the people.” (So, part of life is establishing community connections, VT must have meant that to people, the west meant strangers)
Pavilion,
To Mother and Father from
can’t leave to visit this summer—too much work and no help to be had—al the young men have gone “to help put down the infernal rebellion”
“all the Whiting people here are all well” (people moved in families/groups)
Pavilion
To Frank from AE Needham – he says he signed up but
has not served as he has been ill. He mentions the Moultons and what they are
doing (Oscar is farming) and Charley Seymour and Leroy Needham have come west.
Brother Charles has fallen on the battlefield. 12000 southern prisoners have
been imprisoned in
JM Walker to Hubbards
JM Walker ended up in
To Frank from Sophie Needham
“Your old flame she that was Marion Jones called on me the other day. She is just as pretty as ever.”
“They say that you went to war on Marion’s account how is that I supposed that it was Helen that sent you off Frank how is it did [---can’t make out] realy give you the mitten I can’t hardly believe that shedid if she did you must have been a goose to have gone off to war you punished yourself more than you did her. They say that Edson Needham is going to die have you heard anything about it
Vilas letters
Eliza B. Fairbanks,
“Henry Cooly is married to Marion Frisbee Harriet Frisbee’s youngest sister he 34 she 16 Joseph Hathaway to Augusta Kemp not either of them of age”
Check out
ex: From E Fairbanks of
“I have been thinking about your dress. I do not wish it for a cloak but I should think the skirt would be pretty with a baskif it was wide enough it will make Emily a pretty dress by the by if it is wide enough for a skirt I will bye it of you.”