Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Dr. G. Pierrepont Davis, Hartford, Connecticut

Letter signed, "Pierre" [Dr. G. Pierrepont Davis], Hartford, Connecticut, March 18, 1888, on personal stationery with postally sent cover to his mother in St. Augustine, FL.
Four pages filled with exciting content on digging out in the aftermath of the notorious blizzard -- trying to cut a path to the street; neighbor Mr. Post clearing to Gillette; carting off "a mountain of snow"; and travelling in the "family sleigh" to the hospital.

This interesting letter is for sale on Ebay Item number:230359704093.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Dr. Franklin Staples, Winona, Minneapolis 1889

Fascinating letter from Dr. Franklin Staples, Winona, Minneapolis to Seward D. Allen Esq. who was currently travelling in Portland, ME. Oct. 28, 1889,

Staples uses Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem about his Portland boyhood, "My Lost Youth", as a reference to point out various local sites to Allen. He interweaves the sites with lines from the poem.

Brief excerpt:
"'I remember the bulwarks by the shore; and the port upon the hill' - The bulwarks by the shore were near the foot of India Street and the fort upon the hill was near the Southwest corner of the Eastern Cemetery."


Ebay Item number: 230358150106

Friday, July 17, 2009

Asahel Strong 1814

Letter dated 1814, where Asahel Strong ( camped at Camp South Boston) has written to his brother Jonathan Strong of Northampton, Massachsuetts. In this letter Asahel relates that there is sickness among the men, but Elisha's company of men are fine and are at Cambridgeport...there is very little prospect of attack from the enemy...Jason Strong and Joshua Curtis had been arrested and under guard , now liberated he hopes they will behave better. Captain Partridge and his men are fine...when he can return he knows not..signed Asahel Strong.

This letter is for sale on Ebay
Item number:
350217496858

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

St. Luke's Madhouse in Newcastle Upon Tyne

Two letters regarding St. Luke's Madhouse in Newcastle Upon Tyne bothe circa 1789:
The first letter on two pages from Christopher Parks and Elizabeth Jackson, Keepers of the Madhouse for over twenty years, regarding the mental state of Elizabeth Airey. They refer to her at one point as a Lunatick. The second is an Affidavit of Dr. John Hall of his medical practice examing people to determine their sanity, and specifically addressing the sanity of the above Elizabeth Airey. Ebay Item number: 330343112759

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

CABOTVILLE, MA HANDWRITTEN DUNBAR FAMILY LETTERS

Lot of (8) family letters to Jacob K. Dunbar in Lisbon, New Hampshire. Five letters from Cabotville, Massachusetts; 1 Chicopee, MA; 1 Troy, New York; and Vergennes, Vermont. 1839-1844.

Excerpts:
Chicopee, MA - July 18 [no year] "Last Wednesday Mrs. Remington's buildings were all burnt, undoubtedly the fire was set. It was a good fire I assure you. I suppose you will know it was the dressmakers shops, Mrs. Waits and union store, Purshley's [?] hat store, etc. Ten or twelve families were turned into the street."

Troy, NY - April 23, 1840 - Over 150 converted to the God in the Church..."more real comfort in Religion in one day than I ever had in my life." Abigail H. Clark; David B. Clark.

Cabotville, MA - Jan. 1842 - "Lilias wants Dr. Richardson to send her a plaster to put on her stomach such as he gave her the first time she ever saw him - smelt strong of garlicks - was the color of grounded brick when wet." More medical content. The letter also mentions Minerva.

Cabotville, MA - Oct. 1842 - "Eliza's health is not very good. She has tended 2 frames ever since I came back. it is too much for any one, but she does it because she cannot make anything without the wages are so low." [Another letter mentions that Eliza's only free time from the mill is from 7:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. -- almost a 14 hour day.]

This interesting batch of Dunbar family letters is for sale on Ebay Item number: 230352979159.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

1856 LITTLE VALLEY, NY LETTER - KANSAS, BORDER RUFFIANISM

Letter from Charles Freeman in Little Valley [Cattaraugus County, New York], Aug. 20, 1854. to niece and nephew [Elisha Freeman.] Nearly two pages on "Bleeding Kansas".
In part:

"I sometimes wish you lived in some other state, where you could enjoy freedom of speech, although I rejoice that there are so many in St. Louis that do not go with Border Ruffianism.";
"...the whole world appears to be in commotion. Look at Congress. There is much more excitement, knock down and murder, than anything that is good. Look at California, all confusion murder & hanging - What does all this mean..."
"One thing I verily believe, which is, that God is about to bring this human curse called slavery to a crisis, for although I live in Cattaraugus, yet we have papers giving inteligence...and my observations teaches me this, that every move which of late the South are making, is completely calculated to cut their own throats...there is hardly a Northern State, that has not sons...which have fell marters to freedom, by the hand of those cursed Border Ruffians and their blood begins to cry to us, from Kansas..."

This interesting letter is for sale on Ebay Item number: 230351915550.

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