Letter from Benjaming Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, March 17, 1837
xml:
Letter from Benjaming Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, March 17, 1837
transcriberTranscriber:spp:mec
student editorTranscriber:spp:keh
Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1837-03-17
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Letter from Benjaming Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, March 17, 1837
action: sent
sender:
Benjamin Seward
Person
Name: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
Person
location:
Cincinnati OH
Place
Name: City: Cincinnati
County: Hamilton
State: OH
Country: US
Place
receiver:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
Auburn NY
Place
Name: City: Auburn
County: Cayuga
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: mec
revision: crb 2015-10-22
<>
Page 1
Madam
Name: Marcia Seward
Birth: 1794-07-23
Death: 1839-10-28
and I have been consulting
from time to time over your generous offer of
a place for us at Westfield. – The propo-
sition, tempting as it seems at first,
is encompassed with difficulties: our hearts
have fluttered over it – resolving to accept
and half resolving to reject it, alternately.
The great change in my mode of life – the
loss of the society of a circle of dear Chris-
tian females to Mrs S. – the embarrassment
it will occasion Augustus
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1820-05-18
Death: 1889-05-08
to change his
home – the injury it will, possibly, inflict
upon the Am. Union – and the difficulty
of finding a successor in my office, all
occasion me uneasiness, in accepting your
kind offer. Still, in the hope of benefitting
Marcias health and of rendering you
some humble service in the settlement of
the great estate in your hands and of
benefit to others, I am prepared to make
the sacrifice of feeling it will occasion
me & Marcia & Augustus will be equal-
ly cheerful in the change proposed.
But whatever may be the hesitancy on our
part, we do not fail to see the generosity
Page 3
and kindness of the offer and are thankful
for it. It may never be in our power
to repay this liberality to you – but it
may, to your children – and we should
think meanly of our selves, if we were to
suppose for an instant that we should
want the disposition. In gratitude I do
believe is not an ingredient in the com-
position of either of us. a thousand
and a thousand times we thank
you for your kind offer & we pro-
pose to accept it in person without
delay.
It seems difficult to determine upon
the day when we shall be able to ^be^ with
you – perhaps not the day we proposed
– 1st April. I am struggling to effect
arrangements so that I shall not
be obliged to use the draft you gave
me – if otherwise, I will inform you.
Marcia is scarcely as well as when
I left her – is rather thinner & more feeble
and needs Chautauqua
Name: Chautauqua, NY City: Chautauqua
County:
State: NY
Country: US
air. All the rest
are well – and all astonished at the change
proposed. Marcia will accompany me
Page 4
when I return – and it will be but a few
days after the first of April –
Pray find time to write our Father
Name: Samuel Seward
Birth: 1768-12-05
Death: 1849-08-24
of these arrangements – I would rather you
would do it.
I suppose that little Fred
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
must have
gotten better or you would have [ wrtten ]
Alternate Text: written
us about him – pray write us about
his health & then we shall be in no
suspense on the subject
Your Brother
B.J. Seward
Wm Henry Seward
Westfield
Chautauqua Co
New York
CINCINNATI OH Mar 18
Type: postmark
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
B.J. Seward
March 18. 1837
Cincinnati March 17, 1837
My dear Brother
After a short & pleasant visit
with James Jackson
Name: James Jackson
Birth:
Death:
, in which he told
me of his alarm for your safety, your man
carried me on, pleasantly & safely to Erie
Name: City: Erie
County: Erie County
State: PA
Country: US
.
I paid his bill at that place & gave
him money to return with & requested him
to hand you back the bill you gave him
unbroken – I hope he did so & if not you
must let me know.
Early the following morning the stage
took me up and in two days & a night
brought me to Pittsburgh
Name: City: Pittsburgh
County: Allegheny County
State: PA
Country: US
without interup-
ment, except in the last 20 miles which
were extremely muddy. Three days more
brought me in safety to Cincinnati, where
at twelve O'clock at night or a little after
I was lodged most gladly in the bosom
of my family. More hearts than one re-
joiced in my safe return – more than one
now swells with gratitude to God for His
preserving goodness of us all during
our separation[ . ]
Reason:
Page 2My dear Brother
After a short & pleasant visit
with James Jackson
Person
me of his alarm for your safety, your man
Unknown
carried me on, pleasantly & safely to Erie
Place
I paid his bill at that place & gave
him money to return with & requested him
to hand you back the bill you gave him
unbroken – I hope he did so & if not you
must let me know.
Early the following morning the stage
took me up and in two days & a night
brought me to Pittsburgh
Place
ment, except in the last 20 miles which
were extremely muddy. Three days more
brought me in safety to Cincinnati, where
at twelve O'clock at night or a little after
I was lodged most gladly in the bosom
of my family. More hearts than one re-
joiced in my safe return – more than one
now swells with gratitude to God for His
preserving goodness of us all during
our separation[ . ]
Supplied
Madam
Person
from time to time over your generous offer of
a place for us at Westfield. – The propo-
sition, tempting as it seems at first,
is encompassed with difficulties: our hearts
have fluttered over it – resolving to accept
and half resolving to reject it, alternately.
The great change in my mode of life – the
loss of the society of a circle of dear Chris-
tian females to Mrs S. – the embarrassment
it will occasion Augustus
Person
home – the injury it will, possibly, inflict
upon the Am. Union – and the difficulty
of finding a successor in my office, all
occasion me uneasiness, in accepting your
kind offer. Still, in the hope of benefitting
Marcias health and of rendering you
some humble service in the settlement of
the great estate in your hands and of
benefit to others, I am prepared to make
the sacrifice of feeling it will occasion
me & Marcia & Augustus will be equal-
ly cheerful in the change proposed.
But whatever may be the hesitancy on our
part, we do not fail to see the generosity
and kindness of the offer and are thankful
for it. It may never be in our power
to repay this liberality to you – but it
may, to your children – and we should
think meanly of our selves, if we were to
suppose for an instant that we should
want the disposition. In gratitude I do
believe is not an ingredient in the com-
position of either of us. a thousand
and a thousand times we thank
you for your kind offer & we pro-
pose to accept it in person without
delay.
It seems difficult to determine upon
the day when we shall be able to ^be^ with
you – perhaps not the day we proposed
– 1st April. I am struggling to effect
arrangements so that I shall not
be obliged to use the draft you gave
me – if otherwise, I will inform you.
Marcia is scarcely as well as when
I left her – is rather thinner & more feeble
and needs Chautauqua
Place
are well – and all astonished at the change
proposed. Marcia will accompany me
when I return – and it will be but a few
days after the first of April –
Pray find time to write our Father
Person
of these arrangements – I would rather you
would do it.
I suppose that little Fred
Person
gotten better or you would have [ wrtten ]
Alternate Text
us about him – pray write us about
his health & then we shall be in no
suspense on the subject
Your Brother
B.J. Seward
Wm Henry Seward
Westfield
Chautauqua Co
New York
CINCINNATI OH Mar 18
Stamp
Person
March 18. 1837
date:
Friday, March 17, 1837
receiver:
sender:
year: