Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, November 14, 1837
xml:
Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, November 14, 1837
transcriberTranscriber:spp:lbk
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1837-11-14
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's persons.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "pla" point to
place elements in the project's places.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's staff.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's bibl.xml authority file.
verical-align: super; font-size: 12px;
text-decoration: underline;
text-decoration: line-through;
color: red;
Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, November 14, 1837
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:
Westfield NY
Place
Name: City: Westfield
County: Chautauqua County
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: lbk
revision: ekk 2015-06-08
<>
Page 1
Tuesday afternoon Nov 14th
My dear Henry, I have had such a serious time
with my teeth that I have not until this
afternoon felt able to write. I received a line
from you at Batavia
Name: City: Batavia
County: Genesee
State: NY
Country: US
and another this morning
from Buffalo
Name: City: Buffalo
County:
State: NY
Country: US
. I shall be glad to hear you
are
safe at Westfield not having much faith in the
Barcelona
Name: Barcelona Light City: Westfield
County: Chautauqua
State: NY
Country: US
on Lake Erie. You are
undoubtedly
aware of the extent of the Whig victory by this
time as I know Weed
Name: Thurlow Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15
Death: 1882-11-22
will furnish you with the
earliest intelligence, for a long time a had no
information except such as I obtained from Peter
Name: Peter Crosby
Birth:
Death:
[
.
]
Reason:
Newspapers of all kinds being about as scarce
in the house as they were in the days of Queen Caroline
Name: Caroline
Birth: 1768-05-17
Death: 1821-08-07
's trial. Friday being a
good day Clara
Name: Clarinda McClallen
Birth: 1794
Death: 1862-09-05
proposed inviting Mrs Fosgate
Name: Margaretta Fosgate
Birth:
Death: 1848-03-10
, Porter
Name: Abigail Porter
Birth: 1800-04-12
Death: 1886-03-29
and Horner
Name: Elizabeth Horner
Birth: 1776
Death: 1864-10-17
,
they came but I am inclined to think the
noisy demonstrations of the Whig victory which
occasionally met the ear was by no means
satisfactory to the whole company, very little was
said on the subject but dear Mrs Horner
would occasionally give me a shy look or squeeze
of the hand when the cannon shook the house
with more than wonted violence, and Eliza
whispered to Clara that she rather thought John Porter
Name: John Porter
Birth: 1790-10-24
Death: 1874-02-03
would have come to tea had we selected
a more fortunate time for our visit. Mrs P. expected
him the whole evening but he did not come until
nine oclock, and then with a desperate headache
Page 2
and sour visage, a loud burst of merriment
from the street caused me to observe laughingly
"we Whigs feel well to night", "those boys make
a great noise in the street, all boys" was Johns
surly reply. Dont you think the observation
nearly as small as the man himself. I was
astonished that a man should have so little magna-
nimity or not having it should lack discretion
to conceal his chagrin. "The boys" had a merry
time I do not know how long it continued
but the cannon was to heard as long as my
toothache kept me awake. Peter gave as strange
account of the proceedings in the morning but
altogether too unintelligible for recapitulation.
Since then I have been favoured with newspapers
and find that the Whigs have succeeded nearly
over the whole state. Van Schaic
Name: Myndert Van Schaick
Birth: 1782-09-02
Death: 1865-12-01
's election seems
doubtful. You have a number of letters announcing
the result of the election there is one on the table
from D.L. Peck. M. C.
Name: Luther Peck
Birth: 1800-01
Death: 1876-02-05Certainty: Probable
, from Pike
Name: City: Pike
County: Wyoming County
State: NY
Country: US
I think but
the
writing is not plain, they are all the same thing
if is necessary to answer them I will send you
the other names. I received a letter from
Lazette
Name: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
Sunday giving me an account of the
de-
parture of her man and woman of color. I am sorry
to hear she is left without servants, am glad
to hear she continues tolerably well. Serene
Name: Serene Birdsall
Birth: 1802
Death:
& Birdsall
Name: Samuel Birdsall
Birth: 1791-05-14
Death: 1872-02-08
are expected daily. Mrs Fosgate does not know exactly
whether she is Whig or Tory but says her boys
are very much pleased. She expected Serene
& Birdsall to make a visit last Friday but I
Page 3
presume Birdsall had the hypo on account of Maynards
Name: John Maynard
Birth: 1786-01-08
Death: 1850-03-24
majority and did not like to come when the "boys"
are as noisy as they are here.
I have had the toothache since Friday yesterday morning
it became so intolerable that I despatched Peter for
Ball
was sound except when it had been filled by Roper
and the filling which I had supposed gone remained
perfectly firm. Ball said it was a pity to lose the tooth
(it was the next to the eye tooth) and I insisted him to
replace it, he said it would grow firm again
but that he had never made an experiment of the kind
however he replaced and I felt for a few hours very
much pleased that I had been able to dispose of the tooth
ache and retain my tooth, presently my gums began
to swell and my face and jaws to pain me
exceedingly I had a very bad night the pain &
soreness increasing constantly, this morning I sent
Nicholas
Name: Nicholas Bogart
Birth: 1801-12-24
Death: 1893
for Dr
Mosier
Name: S. Mosher
Birth:
Death:
to ask his advice I found
the right man, he had had a tooth drawn by mistake
and put back, the tooth was perfectly sound and now
firm and useful be he said it cost him much pain
and that the pain and soreness continued for two
months, all circumstances considered I did not feel as
if I had two months to spend with toothache so I concluded
to have it taken out again. The Dr at first attempted to
pull it with his fingers but the gum was dreadfully
swollen that he could not succeed and was obliged to
go home for his turnkey and then extracted it with
some difficulty, it caused me rather more pain
than the first extraction, my face is still sore
Page 4
but and swollen but free from pain and I hope to night to
get some sleep. I am much pleased with Dr Mosier.
Freddy
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
sends a kiss he sits, reading Robinson
Crusoe on the
sofa. Augustus
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
has gone to his pony.
Always remember
me affectionately to the family at Westfield, your own Frances.
Tomorrow I intend to make some new ink and hope then
to be able to write legibly.
William H. Seward
Westfield
Chautaque County
18/
Auburn NOV 15 N.Y.
Type: postmark
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Frances A. Seward
Nov. 15. 1837.
Tuesday afternoon Nov 14th
My dear Henry, I have had such a serious time
with my teeth that I have not until this
afternoon felt able to write. I received a line
from you at Batavia
Place
from Buffalo
Place
safe at Westfield not having much faith in the
Barcelona
Place
aware of the extent of the Whig victory by this
time as I know Weed
Person
earliest intelligence, for a long time a had no
information except such as I obtained from Peter
Person
Supplied
Newspapers of all kinds being about as scarce
in the house as they were in the days of Queen Caroline
Person
Person
proposed inviting Mrs Fosgate
Person
Person
Person
they came but I am inclined to think the
noisy demonstrations of the Whig victory which
occasionally met the ear was by no means
satisfactory to the whole company, very little was
said on the subject but dear Mrs Horner
would occasionally give me a shy look or squeeze
of the hand when the cannon shook the house
with more than wonted violence, and Eliza
whispered to Clara that she rather thought John Porter
Person
a more fortunate time for our visit. Mrs P. expected
him the whole evening but he did not come until
nine oclock, and then with a desperate headache
and sour visage, a loud burst of merriment
from the street caused me to observe laughingly
"we Whigs feel well to night", "those boys make
a great noise in the street, all boys" was Johns
surly reply. Dont you think the observation
nearly as small as the man himself. I was
astonished that a man should have so little magna-
nimity or not having it should lack discretion
to conceal his chagrin. "The boys" had a merry
time I do not know how long it continued
but the cannon was to heard as long as my
toothache kept me awake. Peter gave as strange
account of the proceedings in the morning but
altogether too unintelligible for recapitulation.
Since then I have been favoured with newspapers
and find that the Whigs have succeeded nearly
over the whole state. Van Schaic
Person
doubtful. You have a number of letters announcing
the result of the election there is one on the table
from D.L. Peck. M. C.
Person
Place
writing is not plain, they are all the same thing
if is necessary to answer them I will send you
the other names. I received a letter from
Lazette
Person
parture of her man and woman of color. I am sorry
to hear she is left without servants, am glad
to hear she continues tolerably well. Serene
Person
Person
are expected daily. Mrs Fosgate does not know exactly
whether she is Whig or Tory but says her boys
are very much pleased. She expected Serene
& Birdsall to make a visit last Friday but I
presume Birdsall had the hypo on account of Maynards
Person
majority and did not like to come when the "boys"
are as noisy as they are here.
I have had the toothache since Friday yesterday morning
it became so intolerable that I despatched Peter for
Ball
Unknown
and he had my
tooth extracted but lo the toothwas sound except when it had been filled by Roper
Unknown
and the filling which I had supposed gone remained
perfectly firm. Ball said it was a pity to lose the tooth
(it was the next to the eye tooth) and I insisted him to
replace it, he said it would grow firm again
but that he had never made an experiment of the kind
however he replaced and I felt for a few hours very
much pleased that I had been able to dispose of the tooth
ache and retain my tooth, presently my gums began
to swell and my face and jaws to pain me
exceedingly I had a very bad night the pain &
soreness increasing constantly, this morning I sent
Nicholas
Person
Person
the right man, he had had a tooth drawn by mistake
and put back, the tooth was perfectly sound and now
firm and useful be he said it cost him much pain
and that the pain and soreness continued for two
months, all circumstances considered I did not feel as
if I had two months to spend with toothache so I concluded
to have it taken out again. The Dr at first attempted to
pull it with his fingers but the gum was dreadfully
swollen that he could not succeed and was obliged to
go home for his turnkey and then extracted it with
some difficulty, it caused me rather more pain
than the first extraction, my face is still sore
but and swollen but free from pain and I hope to night to
get some sleep. I am much pleased with Dr Mosier.
Freddy
Person
sofa. Augustus
Person
me affectionately to the family at Westfield, your own Frances.
Tomorrow I intend to make some new ink and hope then
to be able to write legibly.
William H. Seward
Westfield
Chautaque County
18/
Auburn NOV 15 N.Y.
Stamp
Person
Nov. 15. 1837.
date:
Tuesday, November 14, 1837
receiver:
sender:
year: