Washington D. C. 1854

“Washington D. C. April 4, 1854
Dear Sir,
I have been here 6 weeks and leave today for home, Ovid N.Y. I write to say I have a large amount of rolls not in your office or any other, nor copies of them. Mine are original authentic manuscript papers and rolls. I have a large amount of service that never before has been found. I will name Wagon Conductors in your state &c.
Roswell Ransom, Jonathan Treadway, Reuben Porter, Daniel Miles, Israel Skinner, John Waters, Benjamin Taylor, Obadiah Barker (or Barber), Noah Phelps, George Nettleton, Freeman Lincoln, Ichabod Massey, Longford Carty, Nathanial Platt, Samuel Risley, Noah Risley, Ephraim Hexford, Libbens Hills, Joshua Ransom, Josiah Loomis, Samuel Jones, Jonathan Townsend, David Phelps, Gershom Tuttle, Matthew Manchester, Clark Carty, and Henry Larnd.
I have hundreds more names of Wagon Masters and thousands of names of Teamsters and of others, ____as artificers and all the different branches of the army. I write mostly to give you this information that if you have enquiries for proof of such services as I name or if you are interested in any case where I have proof you can make it known to me. I would like to have you inform me whether the persons that I have named or their widows have been pensioned or did they fail to secure it or die too early. One thing is certain, and that is that I have more genuine authentic manuscript proof then any man in the union and could aid an agent more than any other person can in this way; this is in the way of proof. My rolls are of service from 1776 to the close of the war. Both North and South and middle states and eastern states. I would like to hear from you at Ovid N.Y. I am most respectfully , Arad Joy.
George Robinson Esq.”

This interesting letter is for sale on Ebay Item number:170438947237

Letter by Isaac Gorham Peck 1834

A interesting letter by Isaac Gorham Peck in 1834 is up for sale on Ebay.

“Fredericksburg 10 Nov. 1834
My Dear Mother,
After a long interval of silence I may now address a letter to you. Yes a long interval it has been truly, so long that even your kindness and disposition to forgive must have been tried to the utmost and perhaps, but I will not say so, no, I cannot in truth say that. I have never for a single moment doubted your confidence and was that in saying too little, your wholly and esteemed confidences in my continued affections tho we have been long separated, now more than half my life has been passed away from you. It’s now 17 years since I first left you and come out into the world to scuffle as I best might with cold and selfish men. Others may think that with long separation, this coupled with the world, has hardened my heart and blanketed my bitter feelings, that my affections are cold and selfish but I feel I know that is not so. I wish, how often have I wished, myself incapable of feelings so acutely. It would be for my personal happiness and for this kind of life that I shall doubtless lead, be far better for me to have less of this kind of feeling then I find myself to possess………On our arrival at Washington on this business we found there was likely to be several competitions for our line……If their bids succeeded we’d thrown our property on our heads. The consequence was that we determined to take hold boldly and bid not only for our routes but also for another and the only chance of success to go in for a low price. At this stage of the business I thought it my duty to state my situation to Wellford. My own mind was pretty much made up before I bid for myself alone or I should say rather Peck and Wellford and Price and Co. Wellford and myself were to take about 2/3 and Price, his brother and a Mr. Rollins 1/3, in case we got the routes. We succeeded in getting about 400 miles and lost about 200 of our old route. Our old contract was for 263 miles (we ran 309 miles). A few days ago our new partner Price, whom we left in Washington, compromised with the person who took the 200 miles of our old routes and 32 miles of another route of his which leaves us Wellford, Price & Co. and Peck about 532 miles. Price & Co. offered it to Wellford and myself either to take 2/3 of the whole or ½. We took the half. I think it will prove a good contract and I have so much confidence in it that I was for taking 2/3. By this comparison we got the part of the line that was advertised 2 a week, 50 miles, 2 known parts put up to 3 times a week, 4 horse post coaches, 80 miles a day. I hope you will feel no anxiety about it…….in the whole 4 years I feel certain of a good business. Our property will be valued on the first of January……..My interest will be something like 8000 dollars. I ought to have said that on the southern end of the 200 miles of an old contract which we lost, so that our line or the part that we run commences 100 miles from now and extends to Milledgeville Geo. The 32 miles commences at Danville through which our main line runs and extends that distance on the Lynchburg route. I declined any agency…….I have laid off rather a circuitous route, back again. It is to go via N. York up the canal to the Lake Erie through Ohio to Louisville pass through Indiana take a good look at Illinois, stop a few days with a friend at the Yellow Banks then down to Natchez and N. Orleans…..by that time I shall have determined when to locate myself. I hope by that time our line will be in such repute that if I shall be able to sell out, if I think proper…….We have never done more business I think than I have done so far. It seems I have been busy almost night and day and I hope and know that you will be satisfied with what I have done…….Your most affectionately, I G Peck.”

Ebay Item number:170399152612

Dana and Jennie Barber letters 1888-89

Four letters 1888-89, from Dana and Jennie Barber, newcomers to Knowles, MD. The letters were sent to sister and mother, Mrs. C. H. Duffy, New York City and Mrs. Geo. Root, Nineveh, NY. Three of the letters were sent from Dana at his Washington D.C. office. The highlight is the 12 page letter, octavo, from Jennie. Highly detailed in content, she describes her new home: Neighbor Mrs. Smith expects her "confinement" in a week, "but goes banging about as though nothing was the matter."; Kate Hayden, in a Queen Anne cottage on the other side has worked at the Treasury for 13 years and holds a literary club;. "...we pay $1.50 a cord for seasoned oak...then I gave a n-----r [racist term] $1.15 for sawing." [Knowles] "This is not a village at all; only a large farm which was owned by Mr. Knowles, grandfather of our landlord and after the death of the old people the farm was sold in parcels of 10 acres and less; there were only three or four houses until quite recently, every one has plenty of room; we have over half an acres, triangular in shape." Plus, attends new church with "shouting Methodist" who can be heard through closed windows a quarter mile away"; buys corn at the Health Food Co. and locally grown White Star potatoes for 80c a bushel; much more minute detail.

This group of interesting letters is up for sale on Ebay Item number: 230347073715.

Kiona, Benton County, Washington

Letters written in 1927 by Herman Ohms, a 37 year old WWI Veteran (ex-Marine) who is living at Kiona, Benton County, in the Yakima River Valley in the state of Washington and presently employed by the Northern Pacific Railroad. He has written these letters to a pen pal by the name of Robert Meador who lives in Goodview, Bedford County, Virginia. Olms’ two letters are described as follows:

--First letter dated 18 January 1927, is 4-pages written in ink on lined white paper. Ohms introduces himself to Meador and proceeds to write a little about his 20 years of travel throughout Western America and a lot about the Menominee Indians he grew up around in Northern Wisconsin. He describes their diet, lifestyles, living in teepees in summer & log houses in winter. He explains and draws a diagram showing how bears were caught in deadfall traps. He writes “I have had some of the older Indians tell me how they got Mr. Bear . . . the Indian would back up to a large tree one that the Bear could not reach around. Then when the Bear came to attack him, as you know that a Bear always squeezes his victim, the man would have a sharp knife so when the Bear made the squeeze he would disembowel the animal which would be the end of Mr. Bear. It must of took some nerve to do this.” He gives further interesting details of the Menominee Indians of Wisconsin.

--Second letter dated 30 March 1927, is five-pages. Ohms writes Meador that he has been working early & late loading sheep onto stock cars of the NPRR. He describes a recent arrow hunting expedition and his efforts to reproduce the Yakima Indian’s method of making tools & arrowheads. He goes on to describe present conditions of the Yakima Indians: “All that is left of this tribe is on the Reservation at Topnish, WA about 38 miles west of here and number about 500 all told and most of them are Breeds as the full blood Indians are about gone. They live on land allotted to them by the Government and do very little work usually in the fall. They pick potatoes and before 1915 [prohibition] hops, but no more hops.” Meador then describes in detail watching the Indians fish-for and hook salmon in the Yakima River.

This group of great Kiona, Benton County, Washington letters is for sale on Ebay Item number: 360110713250.

Georgetown, Washington 1834

A one page letter with integral address leaf from F.W. Dodge of Georgetown, Washington, District of Columbia, to his nephew Allen Dodge at New York. Dated Georgetown, September 2, 1834, the letter combines business with complaints of illness.

This letter is for sale on Ebay, Item number: 190263574632.

Letter re Sparling Genealogy, Washington 1905

Sumas, Washington
April 19, 1905
Minnie L. Sparling
Everson, Whatcom Co.

Dear Mrs. Sparling

The Sparlings were originally German, Southern Germany & after the
revocation of the Edict of Nantes, they had to flee for their lives, some
to England & some to Ireland. My family settled in the South of Ireland,
Limerick. I was born in the city of Limerick, 1825, on the 13th May, so
you will perceive I will be 80 years of age next month on the 13th. My
family came to Canada in 1830; it consisted of 3 boys and 3 daughters,
all of whom are dead. I am the last survivor. My own family consists of 4
daughters and 1 son, Dr. George A.M. Sparling of Lancaster, King Co. One
daughter lives in Boston, the rest in Seattle, Wash. I am in the U.S.
service here in Sumas; will try and call upon you. I knew all the
Sparlings in Ontario. My people are all Church of England people. Rev. W.
H Sparling of Rapid City, S. Dakota and Rev. Christopher Sparling of
Guelph, Ontario. I have family pedigree from Brooks Peerage; my immediate
family figured prominently in the army of Queen Anne, also William III,
Prince of Orange, & were knighted by Queen Anne for distinguished
services.

I have kept track of the Sparlings right along and am pleased to find a lady interested in one of the first and thorough Protestant families in Ireland. I have never yet seen or heard of a Papist being called by our name, and I hope I never shall.

I am very sincerely your relation,

Fred W. Sparling, M.D.

Notes: I am not sure who Fred or Minnie are; this letter was given to my grandmother, June Sparling, by her father's cousin, Shirley Sparling.

Submitter: Celia Emmelhainz celia.emmelhainz@gmail.com