Letter from William Henry Seward to Benjamin Jennings Seward, September 2, 1837
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Benjamin Jennings Seward, September 2, 1837
transcriberTranscriber:spp:keh
Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1837-09-02
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Benjamin Jennings Seward, September 2, 1837
action: sent
sender:
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
receiver:
Benjamin Seward
Person
Name: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
Person
location:
Westfield NY
Place
Name: City: Westfield
County: Chautauqua County
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: keh
revision: dxt 2015-11-03
<>
Page 1
Auburn September 2d. 1837.
My dear Jennings,
I am at length able to announce our safe arrival at
home. We have made a slow but very agreable return. Our first day's
ride was to Fredonia
Name: City: Fredonia
County: Chautauqua County
State: NY
Country: US
by the way of
Van Buren city
Name: City: Van Buren
County: Onandaga County
State: NY
Country: US
and Dunkirk
Name: City: Dunkirk
County: Chautauqua County
State: NY
Country: US
. Be-
fore our arrival at Van Buren, Frances
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
sick head ache disqual-
ified her for all enjoyment. I stopped long enough at that place
to become satisfied that in any event the experiment of making
a city or respectable village at that point will be a envious
failure. I was much more favorably impressed in regard to
Dunkirk which if the New York and Erie Rail road shall be
prosecuted must become a great town and even if the suspension
of that work is to be perpetual I believe must be the chief town
in Chautauqua
Name: Chautauqua County City:
County:
State: NY
Country: US
. We had a very comfortable sojourn at Fredonia
in the new hotel – paid our respects to Mr
Name: Austin Smith
Birth: 1804-03-16
Death: 1904-10-24
and Mrs Smith
Name: Sarah Smith
Birth: 1809
Death: 1887
[
,
]
Reason:
caused Marcias
Name: Marcia Seward
Birth: 1794-07-23
Death: 1839-10-28
letter to be delivered to her friend, and saw
Messieurs Mullett
Name: James Mullett
Birth: 1784-10-17
Death: 1858-09-10
Crane
Name: John Crane
Birth: 1791-07-01
Death: 1860-05-18
and other friends. The next day we
arrived by the stage at Silver creek
Name: City: Silver Creek
County: Chautauqua County
State: NY
Country: US
at noon. The coach was
crowded and altogether so uncomfortable that F. overcame
her aversion to Lake navigation and consented to take pas-
sage on the Barcelona
Name: City: Barcelona
County: Westfield
State: NY
Country: US
which landed us at Buffalo
Name: City: Buffalo
County:
State: NY
Country: US
at a
seasonable hour. There we met my old friend Richard R Ward
Name: Richard Ward
Birth: 1795-11-17
Death: 1873-12-08
of New York
Name: City: New York
County:
State: NY
Country: US
with his family – went to the Theatre with them
that evening, and the next morning they returned with us to Niaga- ara Falls
Name: City: Niagara Falls
County: Niagara County
State: NY
Country: US
from which place they had just arrived when
we met them at Buffalo. On Saturday morning we passed by rail road
to Niagara Falls, strolled upon Goat Island and the American
shore until dinner. After dinner crossed on the ferry boat
below the falls to the Canada
Name: Canada City:
County:
State:
Country: CA
side and there took on lodgings
at the Clifton House. We spent Sunday at that place enjoying
the sublime scene, and undisturbed by a multitude. On Mon-
Page 2
day morning we continued our journey to Queenston
Name: City: Queenston
County:
State: ON
Country: CA
, there recrossed the Niagara
to Lewiston
Name: City: Lewiston
County: Niagara County
State: NY
Country: US
, and from that place proceeded by railroad to Lockport
Name: City: Lockport
County: Niagara County
State: NY
Country: US
.
The
next day brought us to Batavia
Name: City: Batavia
County: Genesee
State: NY
Country: US
from which place I dispatched to you
a hasty letter. We spent the morning of the next day under the
hospitable roof of our friends the Carys
Name: Margaret Cary
Birth: 1787-08-11
Death: 1863-06-22
Name: Trumbull Cary
Birth: 1786-08-11
Death: 1869-06-20
, and in the afternoon came
to Rochester
Name: City: Rochester
County: Monroe County
State: NY
Country: US
– the morning at Rochester and in the evening arrived at
Canandaigua
Name: City: Canandaigua
County: Ontario
State: NY
Country: US
– the morning at Canandaigua and yesterday
afternoon safely arrived at Auburn.
How beautiful our little town is you will never realize until
you see it in the summer, and how charming our little home
in it is you must not know until you can bring Marcia
and enjoy it. Our garden is luxuriant in its production, and
though the few flowers with which our place is sparingly
adorned are faded the richness of the vegetation and foliage
make it eminently delightful. We found Lazette
Name: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
about as
well as when she left Westfield, her cough which caused
me to consent to her premature departure from Westfield
continues unmitigated, and I cannot acquire confidence
in her eventual recovery. Augustus
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
his grandpa
Name: Elijah Miller
Birth: 1772-04-11
Death: 1851-11-13
his uncle
Name: Hugh McClallen
Birth: 1791
Death: 1860-11-16
and aunt
Name: Clarinda McClallen
Birth: 1794
Death: 1862-09-05
are all very well and all seem contented and
happy.
I met Oliver Lee
Name: Oliver Lee
Birth: 1791-12-23
Death: 1846-07-28
at Silver Creek and partially agreed
with him to join him in the purchase of the Miner Mill
property. Mr Lewis
necessary and convenient for that purpose. And I wish you
to notice that none of the land is to be sold, nor are any of
the contracts to be permitted to be renewed until my
return. I mean the contracts for land convenient to the mill
which Lewis will designate.
I did not discover on the part of our friend in Rochester any solici-
Page 3
tude to setle ^ll^ his interest in Chautauqua. Indeed as it requires no
payments from him he never thinks of it. He is a clever fellow
and I suppose shabbily used which causes him some embarrass-
ments that depresses him but I think he will eventually overcome them.
I have received nothing from below, from Mr Vanderkemp
Name: John Vanderkemp
Birth: 1783-04-22
Death: 1855-12-04
and Dr
Macaulay
Name: Patrick Macaulay
Birth: 1795-04-27
Death: 1849-06
. I shall wait here until I receive answers to my letters,
and shall then go Eastward. I do not know that I have anything
to say to you especially about affairs in the office. Only to advise
you that there is no prospect of any improvement in the commer-
cial affairs of the country. It is essentially important to have
the estate closed on the principle now pursued but great caution
and great tenderness of manner must be exhibited towards the
people – and while nothing is omitted to be collected which
might be secured, indulgence must be extended to those who
cannot pay.
I hope you sent off to Mr Vanderkemp my copy state-
ment, and I will trouble you to send me a copy of it here.
Mr Weed
Name: Thurlow Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15
Death: 1882-11-22
has sent to me here a proofsheet of my speech
at Westfield, which appears very well. I shall have it revised
and completed and sent to you.
I am waiting impatiently for letters from you. I trust your health
is improved. It is and has been a source of great regret both to
Frances and myself that Marcia did not accompany us.
I will write again when I hear from you.
There is a suspicion probably well grounded that Henry Seymour
Name: Henry Seymour
Birth: 1780-05-30
Death: 1837-08-26
had funds of
the Redfield
Name: Herman Redfield
Birth: 1788-12-27
Death: 1877-07-22
and LeRoy
Name: Jacob LeRoy
Birth: 1794-11-27
Death: 1847-02-24
purchase of the Holland Company $230,000 unaccounted
for and also $60,000 of the Syracuse & Utica Railroad Company, but nothing
definite has transpired.
Affectionately your brother
H
B.F. Seward Esq.
Page 4
Benjamin H. Seward Esq.
Chautauqua Land Office.
Westfield.
AUBURN N.Y. SEP 3
Type: postmark
Name: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
September 2, 1837

Auburn September 2d. 1837.
My dear Jennings,
I am at length able to announce our safe arrival at
home. We have made a slow but very agreable return. Our first day's
ride was to Fredonia
Place
Place
Place
fore our arrival at Van Buren, Frances
Person
ified her for all enjoyment. I stopped long enough at that place
to become satisfied that in any event the experiment of making
a city or respectable village at that point will be a envious
failure. I was much more favorably impressed in regard to
Dunkirk which if the New York and Erie Rail road shall be
prosecuted must become a great town and even if the suspension
of that work is to be perpetual I believe must be the chief town
in Chautauqua
Place
in the new hotel – paid our respects to Mr
Person
Person
Supplied
caused Marcias
Person
Messieurs Mullett
Person
Person
arrived by the stage at Silver creek
Place
crowded and altogether so uncomfortable that F. overcame
her aversion to Lake navigation and consented to take pas-
sage on the Barcelona
Place
Place
seasonable hour. There we met my old friend Richard R Ward
Person
of New York
Place
that evening, and the next morning they returned with us to Niaga- ara Falls
Place
we met them at Buffalo. On Saturday morning we passed by rail road
to Niagara Falls, strolled upon Goat Island and the American
shore until dinner. After dinner crossed on the ferry boat
below the falls to the Canada
Place
at the Clifton House. We spent Sunday at that place enjoying
the sublime scene, and undisturbed by a multitude. On Mon-
day morning we continued our journey to Queenston
Place
to Lewiston
Place
Place
next day brought us to Batavia
Place
a hasty letter. We spent the morning of the next day under the
hospitable roof of our friends the Carys
People
to Rochester
Place
Canandaigua
Place
afternoon safely arrived at Auburn.
How beautiful our little town is you will never realize until
you see it in the summer, and how charming our little home
in it is you must not know until you can bring Marcia
and enjoy it. Our garden is luxuriant in its production, and
though the few flowers with which our place is sparingly
adorned are faded the richness of the vegetation and foliage
make it eminently delightful. We found Lazette
Person
well as when she left Westfield, her cough which caused
me to consent to her premature departure from Westfield
continues unmitigated, and I cannot acquire confidence
in her eventual recovery. Augustus
Person
Person
Person
and aunt
Person
happy.
I met Oliver Lee
Person
with him to join him in the purchase of the Miner Mill
property. Mr Lewis
Unknown
will point out to you the propertynecessary and convenient for that purpose. And I wish you
to notice that none of the land is to be sold, nor are any of
the contracts to be permitted to be renewed until my
return. I mean the contracts for land convenient to the mill
which Lewis will designate.
I did not discover on the part of our friend in Rochester any solici-
tude to setle ^ll^ his interest in Chautauqua. Indeed as it requires no
payments from him he never thinks of it. He is a clever fellow
and I suppose shabbily used which causes him some embarrass-
ments that depresses him but I think he will eventually overcome them.
I have received nothing from below, from Mr Vanderkemp
Person
Person
and shall then go Eastward. I do not know that I have anything
to say to you especially about affairs in the office. Only to advise
you that there is no prospect of any improvement in the commer-
cial affairs of the country. It is essentially important to have
the estate closed on the principle now pursued but great caution
and great tenderness of manner must be exhibited towards the
people – and while nothing is omitted to be collected which
might be secured, indulgence must be extended to those who
cannot pay.
I hope you sent off to Mr Vanderkemp my copy state-
ment, and I will trouble you to send me a copy of it here.
Mr Weed
Person
at Westfield, which appears very well. I shall have it revised
and completed and sent to you.
I am waiting impatiently for letters from you. I trust your health
is improved. It is and has been a source of great regret both to
Frances and myself that Marcia did not accompany us.
I will write again when I hear from you.
There is a suspicion probably well grounded that Henry Seymour
Person
the Redfield
Person
Person
for and also $60,000 of the Syracuse & Utica Railroad Company, but nothing
definite has transpired.
Affectionately your brother
H
B.F. Seward Esq.
Benjamin H. Seward Esq.
Chautauqua Land Office.
Westfield.
AUBURN N.Y. SEP 3
Stamp
Person
Unknown
B.J.Seward Esq.date:
Saturday, September 2, 1837
receiver:
sender:
year: