Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, August 17, 1834
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, August 17, 1834
transcriberTranscriber:spp:gew
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1834-08-17
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, August 17, 1834
action: sent
sender:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
Albany NY
Place
Name: City: Albany
County:
State: NY
Country: US
Place
receiver:
Frances Seward
Person
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
Person
location:
Auburn NY
Place
Name: City: Auburn
County: Cayuga
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: gew
revision: ekk 2015-06-23
<>
Page 1
Albany Wednesday morning
My dear Frances,
I have just disposed of a cup of black tea and toast at
Crittenden
Name: John Crittenden
Birth: 1787-09-10
Death: 1863-07-26Certainty: Probable
’s breakfast table and
hasten before the Telegraph mail
closes to advise you of my safe arrival here in good health.
The moon (and it was one of the finest that ever looked down upon
this wicked world) was shining upon deserted streets when we
arrived at between nine and ten o,clock last evening. The ap-
pearance of the cholera does make people more careful in
their habits. The disease however has not become epidemic
here. Almost all the cases which have occurred were among
the wretched inhabitants of what is called the Pasture in the
lower part of the town.
It seems that in New York
Name: City: New York
County:
State: NY
Country: US
the number of cases continues
to average about the same 23 or 24 daily. Still there is no
panic there, the disease there as here is confined to locali-
ties particularly filthy. I think I will remain here until
Friday evening as I will not be able to go by the way of Orange County
Name: Orange County City:
County:
State: NY
Country: US
and arrive in New York
in time to attend the
Court on Saturday morning. I am anxious to arrive
there at that time because I learn that the Chancellor
Name: Reuben Walworth
Birth: 1788-10-26
Death: 1867-11-27
has given out that the Court will adjourn immediately
to Saratoga
Name: City: Saratoga
County: Saratoga County
State: NY
Country: US
. Of all places Saratoga is the most
gloomy
when the fashionable visiting season has passed and that
will be over in ten days. I would vastly prefer coming
to Albany.
Page 2
At Utica
Name: City: Utica
County: Oneida County
State: NY
Country: US
I very fortunately met young
Freeman
and engaged him to go to Auburn (before he returns Eastward)
and take Fred
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
’s picture. He is to write to me at Auburn.
You will open the letter and please to answer it
as concerns your convenience in selecting the time. Should
he succeed it is my particular and ardent wish that
you will sit for your picture, if it prove a failure
we will destroy it. To induce your consent I promise
you that if I remain long enough in New York I will
have my miniature taken by a good artist.
The G.&G business being now closed and our matters
looking not very badly will you dearest determine
whether you will take the Chedell’s
Name: Melita Chedell
Birth: 1807-10-03
Death: 1874-03-11
Name: John Chedell
Birth: 1835-09-13
Death: 1872-07-07
piano forte
or prefer that I shall get one in New York.
If you conclude to take that please send for Mr. Beardsley
Name: Nelson Beardsley
Birth: 1807-05-30
Death: 1894-01-15
to come over, show him
this letter and
(this part of it I mean) and ask him to make the
best bargain he can for it, saying that I will get one
in N.Y. unless the terms sent us &c[ . ]
Reason: Chedell is an
unconscientious man, and probably can well
enough afford to sell the piano at $200 or $225
but you will buy it at the lowest price should it
be $200 for I doubt whether I can bargain to so
good advantage here. My dear Fan let no motive
Page 3
of delicacy prevent your bringing this matter to a close
with as much dispatch as is practicable so that I can
know what to do here.
I saw Mr Devereux
Name: Nicholas Devereux
Birth: 1798-05-01
Death: 1869-01-31
at Utica which I mention for
the purpose of saying that your memory is very highly
cherished in his household.
I have had a short interview with Weed
Name: Thurlow Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15
Death: 1882-11-22
, he is
very well and in very good spirits. Thinks we are
to beat the Tories. He is quite zealous for your
nomination to the first place but it is not rational.
My attack on Aaron Vail
Name: Aaron Vail
Birth: 1796
Death: 1878-11-04
has brought out a
Cham-
pion in Philadelphia
Name: Continental Hotel City: Philadelphia
County:
State: PA
Country: US
.
In haste my dear F. I remain as ever your
Henry.
Address, 205 Broadway, N.Y. Tell me about both
the boys
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
,
— any silk dresses dear?
Tell Beardsley to stipulate on the piano a credit
of 3 and six months.
Tracy
Name: Albert Tracy
Birth: 1793-06-17
Death: 1859-09-12
arrived last Friday & left for
Connecticut
Name: Connecticut City:
County:
State: CT
Country: US
on
Sunday (He gave nothing! in the Jac Gould
Name: Jacob Gould
Birth: 1794
Death: 1867-11-18
affair agst Weed)
Page 4
Mrs. William H. Seward
Auburn.
Albany August 20
Type: postmark
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
August 22d 1834
Henry.
Albany Wednesday morning
My dear Frances,
I have just disposed of a cup of black tea and toast at
Crittenden
Person
closes to advise you of my safe arrival here in good health.
The moon (and it was one of the finest that ever looked down upon
this wicked world) was shining upon deserted streets when we
arrived at between nine and ten o,clock last evening. The ap-
pearance of the cholera does make people more careful in
their habits. The disease however has not become epidemic
here. Almost all the cases which have occurred were among
the wretched inhabitants of what is called the Pasture in the
lower part of the town.
It seems that in New York
Place
to average about the same 23 or 24 daily. Still there is no
panic there, the disease there as here is confined to locali-
ties particularly filthy. I think I will remain here until
Friday evening as I will not be able to go by the way of Orange County
Place
Court on Saturday morning. I am anxious to arrive
there at that time because I learn that the Chancellor
Person
has given out that the Court will adjourn immediately
to Saratoga
Place
when the fashionable visiting season has passed and that
will be over in ten days. I would vastly prefer coming
to Albany.
At Utica
Place
Unknown
the painterand engaged him to go to Auburn (before he returns Eastward)
and take Fred
Person
You will open the letter and please to answer it
as concerns your convenience in selecting the time. Should
he succeed it is my particular and ardent wish that
you will sit for your picture, if it prove a failure
we will destroy it. To induce your consent I promise
you that if I remain long enough in New York I will
have my miniature taken by a good artist.
The G.&G business being now closed and our matters
looking not very badly will you dearest determine
whether you will take the Chedell’s
People
or prefer that I shall get one in New York.
If you conclude to take that please send for Mr. Beardsley
Person
(this part of it I mean) and ask him to make the
best bargain he can for it, saying that I will get one
in N.Y. unless the terms sent us &c[ . ]
Supplied
unconscientious man, and probably can well
enough afford to sell the piano at $200 or $225
but you will buy it at the lowest price should it
be $200 for I doubt whether I can bargain to so
good advantage here. My dear Fan let no motive
of delicacy prevent your bringing this matter to a close
with as much dispatch as is practicable so that I can
know what to do here.
I saw Mr Devereux
Person
the purpose of saying that your memory is very highly
cherished in his household.
I have had a short interview with Weed
Person
very well and in very good spirits. Thinks we are
to beat the Tories. He is quite zealous for your
nomination to the first place but it is not rational.
My attack on Aaron Vail
Person
pion in Philadelphia
Place
In haste my dear F. I remain as ever your
Henry.
Address, 205 Broadway, N.Y. Tell me about both
the boys
People
Tell Beardsley to stipulate on the piano a credit
of 3 and six months.
Tracy
Person
Place
Sunday (He gave nothing! in the Jac Gould
Person
Mrs. William H. Seward
Auburn.
Albany August 20
Stamp
Person
Henry.
date:
Sunday, August 17, 1834
receiver:
sender:
year: