Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, November 27, 1834
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, November 27, 1834
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Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1834-11-27
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, November 27, 1834
action: sent
sender:
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
receiver:
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
transcription: gew
revision: ekk 2015-08-11
<>
Page 1
Thursday 27th Nov.
You were indeed very kind my dear Henry to
sit up late at night to write me a long letter
after a day of excitement, but I have many
such evidences of affection and they never fail
to cheer me when desponding or to add to the
brightness of happier hours. Your letters if they do not
quite supply your place make the days of
your absence much less wearisome than they
would otherwise be. I am yet hoping and fearing
for our sweet little boy
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
. I wrote to you Monday
the day after he had taken calomel, the next
night the pain in his hand returned and the
next, last night he did not complain but
was restless and kept that hand in motion while
asleep. If it pained him at all he had no rec-
collection of it this morning of course the pain
must have been much less severe than heretofore
I have not seen the Dr
Name: Joseph Pitney
Birth: 1786-11-18
Death: 1853-04-20Certainty: Probable
since Sunday,
continue
the Iodine. I write you all these particulars because
I should wish you to do so were our situations reversed
not from a selfish desire to excite your sympathy.
I keep his arm and hand wrapped in flannel and contin-
ue to use the linament as the Dr directed. Fred
seems well during the day and is the same mirth-
ful little being he has ever been, he is somewhat
distressed at present about my not being well
enough to perform St Nicholas Christmas eve, has
concluded that he does not want quite every thing
he can think of but will be satisfied with what
his Ma gives him. Augustus
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
in consideration
of
the lamentable state of his books and toys after
the visit of Cousin Frances
Name: Frances Chesebro
Birth: 1826-12-12
Death: 1909-08-21
got a large wooden
box with a lock and key wherein he has deposited
the most valued articles and given Frederick and Maria
to understand that the box is not to be opened while
he is at school, preferring for the future to be an eye
witness to the ravages when committed.
Page 2
I am sorry Uncle Weed
Name: Thurlow Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15
Death: 1882-11-22
takes the failure of the
good cause so much to heart, tell him his face would
be considerably shortened if I could impart to
him any portion of the happiness I feel in being
allowed to remain at home this winter, he must
not suppose I am glad you were defeated, this would
be the height of selfishness, or that I am indifferent
to my friends in Albany which would be very un-
grateful, but I do find the quiet of home so comfortable,
so necessary to me in my infirm states of health
that I cannot feel otherwise than happy when I
think of myself alone. Why is Tracy
Name: Albert Tracy
Birth: 1793-06-17
Death: 1859-09-12
so depressed?
the result of the election did not disappoint
him as he had never calculated differently
and now that he has a new and bright tie to
bind him to the world it is strange that he
should seem dissatisfied, but you will say
this is a womans reasoning and I admit that
I am not very profoundly skilled in the science
of metaphysicks. Tell Tracy he must persuade
Aunty
Name: Harriett Tracy
Birth: 1800-03-09
Death: 1876-03
to come home
this way next Spring that
I may see that boy
Name: Albert Tracy
Birth: 1834-10-29
Death: 1874-01-23
of theirs.
I recieved a letter from Lazette
Name: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
on Monday
her failing to write was not in consequence
of a broken neck but the all engrossing cares
of housekeeping had prevented all were well.
Clary
Name: Clarinda McClallen
Birth: 1794
Death: 1862-09-05
talks quite positively about getting married
and is actually arranging her wardrobe for
the occasion and talking of the guests to be invited
etc etc. I do not like to think much about
it but I suppose they only await my restoration
to a comfortable degree of health. I shall be
so alone, but I will not anticipate --
Sammy Compston
Name: Samuel Cumpston
Birth: 1784-08-18
Death: 1850-04-03
says he has just heard of a town
in Massachusetts
Name: Massachusetts City:
County:
State: MA
Country: US
where there are but nine voters
all whigs!!! he proposes that we all adjourn
there immediately as Mary ann
Name: Maryann Cumpston
Birth: 1800
Death: 1851-06-04
has not yet
recovered from her disappointment about the
election, she traces every evil to the fanciful influence
of Toryism, and never relates a piece of gossip
Page 3
without concluding with “it is all because Mr A—
is a whig or Mrs B— ‘s husband is a Tory.
Old Mrs Field
Name: Phebe Field
Birth: 1756-11-04
Death: 1840-03-28
is here visiting us to day she says
Maria proposes spending a week or so here before
she goes to Camillus
Name: City: Camillus
County: Onondaga
State: NY
Country: US
. I hope George
Name: George Wood
Birth: 1806
Death: 1844-02-06Certainty: Probable
will not
assail our gate. I have seen no other person
except Martha Miller
Name: Martha Beavers
Birth: 1811
Death: 1888-10-28
who is very good but
exceedingly dull. Isaack
Name: Isaac Miller
Birth: 1791-04-30
Death: 1853-04-03
has just returned and
the neice
Name: City: Ballston
County: Saratoga
State: NY
Country: US
did not come
with
him to stay with Maria Miller
Maria will be disappointed but I imagine not
very grievously. Blanchard, I mean Dr Fosgate
Name: Blanchard Fosgate
Birth: 1809
Death: 1887-09-11
was here last evening. I had retired to my room
and did not see him, he imparted the wonder-
ful intelligence that the Abbotts
Unknown
Unknown were
making
preparations for a party! Blanch as is
duty bound fancies every thing connected with his
betrothed as marvelously important.
Friday afternoon. Dear Henry I wrote yesterday
until compelled to go to bed by complete exhaustion
do not feel so well to day but apprehend nothing
serious Frederick’s hand pained him in the night
but I think with less severity. I hope the next
letter to be able to give you a more favourable account
I enclose a letter from Cornelia
Name: Clarence Seward
Birth: 1828-10-07
Death: 1897-07-24
, she seems
to have fallen into the same error as our other
friends in believing us sadly disappointed in
the result of the election, but the supposition
is very natural. I must write a line to
Lazette, so good bye your own Frances.
Do say something in your letters about the
little boys they came running to me the other
day to hear what Pa said about them & you
had forgotten to mention them.
Page 4
William H. Seward
Albany
Auburn Nov 29 N.Y.
Type: postmark
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
F.A. Seward
Nov. 29 1834
Thursday 27th Nov.
You were indeed very kind my dear Henry to
sit up late at night to write me a long letter
after a day of excitement, but I have many
such evidences of affection and they never fail
to cheer me when desponding or to add to the
brightness of happier hours. Your letters if they do not
quite supply your place make the days of
your absence much less wearisome than they
would otherwise be. I am yet hoping and fearing
for our sweet little boy
Person
the day after he had taken calomel, the next
night the pain in his hand returned and the
next, last night he did not complain but
was restless and kept that hand in motion while
asleep. If it pained him at all he had no rec-
collection of it this morning of course the pain
must have been much less severe than heretofore
I have not seen the Dr
Person
the Iodine. I write you all these particulars because
I should wish you to do so were our situations reversed
not from a selfish desire to excite your sympathy.
I keep his arm and hand wrapped in flannel and contin-
ue to use the linament as the Dr directed. Fred
seems well during the day and is the same mirth-
ful little being he has ever been, he is somewhat
distressed at present about my not being well
enough to perform St Nicholas Christmas eve, has
concluded that he does not want quite every thing
he can think of but will be satisfied with what
his Ma gives him. Augustus
Person
the lamentable state of his books and toys after
the visit of Cousin Frances
Person
box with a lock and key wherein he has deposited
the most valued articles and given Frederick and Maria
Unknown
to understand that the box is not to be opened while
he is at school, preferring for the future to be an eye
witness to the ravages when committed.
I am sorry Uncle Weed
Person
good cause so much to heart, tell him his face would
be considerably shortened if I could impart to
him any portion of the happiness I feel in being
allowed to remain at home this winter, he must
not suppose I am glad you were defeated, this would
be the height of selfishness, or that I am indifferent
to my friends in Albany which would be very un-
grateful, but I do find the quiet of home so comfortable,
so necessary to me in my infirm states of health
that I cannot feel otherwise than happy when I
think of myself alone. Why is Tracy
Person
the result of the election did not disappoint
him as he had never calculated differently
and now that he has a new and bright tie to
bind him to the world it is strange that he
should seem dissatisfied, but you will say
this is a womans reasoning and I admit that
I am not very profoundly skilled in the science
of metaphysicks. Tell Tracy he must persuade
Aunty
Person
I may see that boy
Person
I recieved a letter from Lazette
Person
her failing to write was not in consequence
of a broken neck but the all engrossing cares
of housekeeping had prevented all were well.
Clary
Person
and is actually arranging her wardrobe for
the occasion and talking of the guests to be invited
etc etc. I do not like to think much about
it but I suppose they only await my restoration
to a comfortable degree of health. I shall be
so alone, but I will not anticipate --
Sammy Compston
Person
in Massachusetts
Place
all whigs!!! he proposes that we all adjourn
there immediately as Mary ann
Person
recovered from her disappointment about the
election, she traces every evil to the fanciful influence
of Toryism, and never relates a piece of gossip
without concluding with “it is all because Mr A—
is a whig or Mrs B— ‘s husband is a Tory.
Old Mrs Field
Person
Maria proposes spending a week or so here before
she goes to Camillus
Place
Person
assail our gate. I have seen no other person
except Martha Miller
Person
exceedingly dull. Isaack
Person
the neice
Unknown
from BallstonPlace
him to stay with Maria Miller
Unknown
. I
supposeMaria will be disappointed but I imagine not
very grievously. Blanchard, I mean Dr Fosgate
Person
was here last evening. I had retired to my room
and did not see him, he imparted the wonder-
ful intelligence that the Abbotts
People
Unknown
Unknown
preparations for a party! Blanch as is
duty bound fancies every thing connected with his
betrothed as marvelously important.
Friday afternoon. Dear Henry I wrote yesterday
until compelled to go to bed by complete exhaustion
do not feel so well to day but apprehend nothing
serious Frederick’s hand pained him in the night
but I think with less severity. I hope the next
letter to be able to give you a more favourable account
I enclose a letter from Cornelia
Person
to have fallen into the same error as our other
friends in believing us sadly disappointed in
the result of the election, but the supposition
is very natural. I must write a line to
Lazette, so good bye your own Frances.
Do say something in your letters about the
little boys they came running to me the other
day to hear what Pa said about them & you
had forgotten to mention them.
William H. Seward
Albany
Auburn Nov 29 N.Y.
Stamp
Person
Nov. 29 1834
date:
Thursday, November 27, 1834
receiver:
sender:
year: