Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, September 12, 1837
xml:
Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, September 12, 1837
transcriberTranscriber:spp:kac
student editorTranscriber:spp:keh
Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1837-09-12
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, September 12, 1837
action: sent
sender:
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
receiver:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
Philadelphia PA
Place
Name: City: Philadelphia
County:
State: PA
Country: US
Place
transcription: kac
revision: crb 2015-11-04
<>
Page 1
Westfield Sept 12. 1837
Dear Henry
I wrote you on Saturday last
from Warren
Name: City: Warren
County: Warren County
State: PA
Country: US
, giving the opinion that all
would be well. I knew but little then
& have since seen that appearances
were as fallacious. Still, I hope all is
safe - but if it turns out to be so, it
has been brought about by a struggle
and against an even chance that
it might have been far otherwise.
I have a Lumbermans Bank draft
in the United States Bank at four
months for the $4.190 I took down
with me, adding 60 in interest, with
Lowry's
Name: Nathaniel Lowry
Birth: 1805-10-22
Death: 1852-02-23
& Irving's
Name: Guy Irvine
Birth: 1792-12-15
Death: 1868-08-24
, joint & separate
guarantie for the payment. But
it cost me long negotiations through
Saturday & yesterday till 1/2 past five
to obtain it. I have just arrived
came through today.
The Bank is evidently in trouble.
[left Margin]
Mr. Falconer is a fine old gentleman but he is chapfallen
and is so in clutches that he cannot act—he sends regards.
Page 2
Hall
Name: Josiah Hall
Birth: 1784
Death: 1877-04-01
has just returned from a visit to
shepard
Name: Fitch Shepard
Birth: 1802-04-05
Death: 1881-08
, with as I fancy, no favourable
news. Irving has just returned from
Cincinnati
Name: City: Cincinnati
County: Hamilton
State: OH
Country: US
& St
H Louis
says, $18,000—$40,000—$80,000 in specie
but I shrewdly suspect he did not
bring a cent. Falconer
Name: Robert Falconer
Birth: 1780-12-22
Death: 1851-10-20
, Hall & all
are m. Mr. F.
will lose his office.
I asked Mr. Falconer if his interpretation
of his own letter to me, was a withdrawal
of his private guarantie to which he
answered that it was. The want of
frankness among those who knew all &
the little I heard from others soon satis-
fied me that everything was at stake
- but I dared not to whisper a dispo-
sition not to receive their bills for fear
that my application to have those I held
redeemed would be rejected.
The first offer of the modest
pair Irving & Lowry, after long consul-
tation was to take the present sum
& what we might hereafter receive & give row
[left Margin] Julian
Name: City: Florida
County: Orange
State: NY
Country: US
.
Page 3
as their individual note at 4 mo pay-
able in Ohio Bank proper—and I obtained
the draft & guarantie, in the hope on their
part that we would continue to receive as
usual, upon the strength of collections to
be made by Tucker
Name: Chauncey Tucker
Birth: 1805-10-05
Death: 1874-04-25
. But we have
not received a dollar for a week &
shall not, unless Tucker guarantees the re-
demption. This I will ascertain in a
day [ or ]
Reason: hole two.
[ Lowry ]
Reason: hole & Irving offer their
[ guarantie ]
Reason: hole that the Lumbermans
[ Ban ]
Reason: holek checks on Phil
Name: City: Philadelphia
County:
State: PA
Country: US
shall be
[ prompty ]
Alternate Text: promptly met at 4 mo for all we
may hereafter receive. But I waived
it under pretext of reliance upon re-
ceipts sooner from Tucker, not wishing
to give 4 mo. So I suppose you
will think—if otherwise, I dare say
we may yet obtain drafts at 4 mo
with their guarantie—inform me.
Lewis
Name: Abner Lewis
Birth: 1801-08-07
Death: 1879-10-12
has just come in—has had
a good time—Ell Gerry
Name: City: Gerry
County: Chautauqua County
State: NY
Country: US
comes in
slow—all is safe. We have
Page 4
taken $1.500 & more in the last 6 days,
Mrs. Dickson
Name: Caroline Dixon
Birth: 1798-03-07
Death: 1837-09-10
is no more.
Your grateful brother
B.J. Seward
Ps. I ought to add that I have no
confidence in Tuckers receipts as a
resource for us because the Bank
would not instruct him to pledge a dollar
to me—the truth is they need & hope, I
suspect, to turn this over to Chautauqua
Name: Chautauqua, NY City: Chautauqua
County:
State: NY
Country: US
Bank
in payment.
W. H. Seward Esq.
now in Philadelphia
Single
WESTFIELD N.Y. SEP 13
Type: postmark
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
B.J. Seward
Sept 12, 1837.
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
B.J. Seward
Sept 12, 1837.
Westfield Sept 12. 1837
Dear Henry
I wrote you on Saturday last
from Warren
Place
would be well. I knew but little then
& have since seen that appearances
were as fallacious. Still, I hope all is
safe - but if it turns out to be so, it
has been brought about by a struggle
and against an even chance that
it might have been far otherwise.
I have a Lumbermans Bank draft
in the United States Bank at four
months for the $4.190 I took down
with me, adding 60 in interest, with
Lowry's
Person
Person
guarantie for the payment. But
it cost me long negotiations through
Saturday & yesterday till 1/2 past five
to obtain it. I have just arrived
came through today.
The Bank is evidently in trouble.
[left Margin]
Mr. Falconer is a fine old gentleman but he is chapfallen
and is so in clutches that he cannot act—he sends regards.
Hall
Person
shepard
Person
news. Irving has just returned from
Cincinnati
Place
Unknown
, with as reportsays, $18,000—$40,000—$80,000 in specie
but I shrewdly suspect he did not
bring a cent. Falconer
Person
are m. Mr. F.
Unknown
says that Shepardwill lose his office.
I asked Mr. Falconer if his interpretation
of his own letter to me, was a withdrawal
of his private guarantie to which he
answered that it was. The want of
frankness among those who knew all &
the little I heard from others soon satis-
fied me that everything was at stake
- but I dared not to whisper a dispo-
sition not to receive their bills for fear
that my application to have those I held
redeemed would be rejected.
The first offer of the modest
pair Irving & Lowry, after long consul-
tation was to take the present sum
& what we might hereafter receive & give row
[left Margin] Julian
Unknown
says all well in FloridaPlace
as their individual note at 4 mo pay-
able in Ohio Bank proper—and I obtained
the draft & guarantie, in the hope on their
part that we would continue to receive as
usual, upon the strength of collections to
be made by Tucker
Person
not received a dollar for a week &
shall not, unless Tucker guarantees the re-
demption. This I will ascertain in a
day [ or ]
Supplied
[ Lowry ]
Supplied
[ guarantie ]
Supplied
[ Ban ]
Supplied
Place
[ prompty ]
Alternate Text
may hereafter receive. But I waived
it under pretext of reliance upon re-
ceipts sooner from Tucker, not wishing
to give 4 mo. So I suppose you
will think—if otherwise, I dare say
we may yet obtain drafts at 4 mo
with their guarantie—inform me.
Lewis
Person
a good time—Ell Gerry
Place
slow—all is safe. We have
taken $1.500 & more in the last 6 days,
Mrs. Dickson
Person
Your grateful brother
B.J. Seward
Ps. I ought to add that I have no
confidence in Tuckers receipts as a
resource for us because the Bank
would not instruct him to pledge a dollar
to me—the truth is they need & hope, I
suspect, to turn this over to Chautauqua
Place
in payment.
W. H. Seward Esq.
now in Philadelphia
Single
WESTFIELD N.Y. SEP 13
Stamp
Person
Sept 12, 1837.
Person
Sept 12, 1837.
date:
Tuesday, September 12, 1837
receiver:
sender:
year: