Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 6, 1838
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 6, 1838
transcriberTranscriber:spp:cef
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1838-03-06
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 6, 1838
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: cef
revision: ekk 2015-06-09
<>
Page 1
Canandaigua Tuesday 6th
My dear Henry,
This is the 6th day since your depar-
ture and I am beginning to look for the return of
Nicholas
Name: Nicholas Bogart
Birth: 1801-12-24
Death: 1893
, we had charming weather until
yesterday
it is now warm, the snow is fast wasting away[ . ]
Reason:
I have heard nothing from home. Lazette
Name: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
has
been too unwell for us to return any of the calls
we have received. Frank
Name: Francis Granger
Birth: 1792-12-01
Death: 1868-08-31
brought his daughter
Name: Adele Winthrop
Birth: 1820-09
Death: 1892-06-16
here Friday. I am sorry they came, their ner
Miss Granger never having called upon Lazette it places
us all in rather an awkward predicament. I do
not at all comprehend it. They certainly took
especial ^particular^ pains that day to intimate that the call
was an especial compliment to me. Mrs Graig
called Saturday, she appeared much like the warm
hearted woman I fancied her some 15 or 16 years
ago when she won my heart with her caresses
(I was younger and prettier then). I accompanied
Worden
Name: Alvah Worden
Birth: 1797-03-06
Death: 1856-02-16
and the children
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
Name: Frances Chesebro
Birth: 1826-12-12
Death: 1909-08-21
to Church Sunday, the
walk was too long for Lazette. John C. Spencer
Name: John Spencer
Birth: 1788-01-08
Death: 1855-05-17
has returned. Mrs Spencer
Name: Elizabeth Spencer
Birth: 1789-02-23
Death: 1868-10-10
was here the
day
you left. I endeavoured to receive her as cordially
as you desired. Lazette is so feeble that I am
waiting for the return of the sleigh to return
all these visits. Is not that duel at Washington
a shocking affair for Webb
Name: James Webb
Birth: 1802-02-02
Death: 1884-06-07
, how sorry I feel for his wife
Name: Helen Webb
Birth:
Death: 1848-07-01
[
.
]
Reason:
I think that last letter purporting to have been written
Page 2
by one of his friends (published first in the American) places
the affair in a more horrible light than any
thing I have seen on the subject. Weed
Name: Thurlow Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15
Death: 1882-11-22
does not say
a word, what can he say?. Cilley
Name: Jonathan Cilley
Birth: 1802-07-02
Death: 1838-02-24
and his seconds
were certainly far from blameless, but he was
literally murdered, his death under any circum-
stances would have turned the current of popular
feeling in his favour. Croswell
Name: Edwin Croswell
Birth: 1797-05-29
Death: 1871-06-13
makes the most
of it, and upon the whole Col Stone
Name:
Birth:
Death:
does
not apply balsam. Mrs Webb will of course
be spared the perusal of much that I haveheard
some seen , but she cannot ad avoid the knowledge
that her husband has occasioned the death of
one of his fellow creatures by his impetuosity,
this reflection is sufficient to embitter many hours
of in the life of a person of sensibility. If there is
any th truth in this last statement in which
Webb is represented as a perfect ruffian I should
suppose it would have no inconsiderable effect
upon his social intercourse. It surprises me
that there were so many men so dead to a
sense of all moral obligations as to give
countenance and encouragement to this revolting
performance. When will the religion taught
by our blessed Saviour take precedence of these
false notions of honor. I always supposed
that it required a greater degree of magnanimity
to refuse a challenge from proper motives
than to accept one. Cilley had not even
the prejudice of education to contend with
being a northern man.
Page 3
We are going out this afternoon so I must e'en close my
letter. Please to remember me affectionately to Jennings
Name: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
Marcia
Name: Marcia Seward
Birth: 1794-07-23
Death: 1839-10-28
and family
Name: Clarence Seward
Birth: 1828-10-07
Death: 1897-07-24
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1820-05-18
Death: 1889-05-08
. I am sorry to send you so hurried
a scrawl, should have written yesterday but was prevented
by nervous headache. Freddy is well, reads all the
time. Frances complains that he is not a good playmate
sometimes, she says she hopes after Fred has read all
the books through he will be willing to play.
I am very anxious about Lazette she is more ill
than I expected to find her. I intend before I go
home to consult their best physician. your own
Frances.
Page 4
William H. Seward
Westfield
Chatauque County
Canandaigua Mar 7 N.Y.12 1/2
Type: postmark
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Frances A. Seward
March 6. 1838.
Canandaigua Tuesday 6th
My dear Henry,
This is the 6th day since your depar-
ture and I am beginning to look for the return of
Nicholas
Person
it is now warm, the snow is fast wasting away[ . ]
Supplied
I have heard nothing from home. Lazette
Person
been too unwell for us to return any of the calls
we have received. Frank
Person
Person
here Friday. I am sorry they came, their ner
Miss Granger never having called upon Lazette it places
us all in rather an awkward predicament. I do
not at all comprehend it. They certainly took
especial ^particular^ pains that day to intimate that the call
was an especial compliment to me. Mrs Graig
Unknown
called Saturday, she appeared much like the warm
hearted woman I fancied her some 15 or 16 years
ago when she won my heart with her caresses
(I was younger and prettier then). I accompanied
Worden
Person
People
walk was too long for Lazette. John C. Spencer
Person
has returned. Mrs Spencer
Person
you left. I endeavoured to receive her as cordially
as you desired. Lazette is so feeble that I am
waiting for the return of the sleigh to return
all these visits. Is not that duel at Washington
a shocking affair for Webb
Person
Person
Supplied
I think that last letter purporting to have been written
by one of his friends (published first in the American) places
the affair in a more horrible light than any
thing I have seen on the subject. Weed
Person
a word, what can he say?. Cilley
Person
were certainly far from blameless, but he was
literally murdered, his death under any circum-
stances would have turned the current of popular
feeling in his favour. Croswell
Person
of it, and upon the whole Col Stone
Person
not apply balsam. Mrs Webb will of course
be spared the perusal of much that I haveheard
some seen , but she cannot ad avoid the knowledge
that her husband has occasioned the death of
one of his fellow creatures by his impetuosity,
this reflection is sufficient to embitter many hours
of in the life of a person of sensibility. If there is
any th truth in this last statement in which
Webb is represented as a perfect ruffian I should
suppose it would have no inconsiderable effect
upon his social intercourse. It surprises me
that there were so many men so dead to a
sense of all moral obligations as to give
countenance and encouragement to this revolting
performance. When will the religion taught
by our blessed Saviour take precedence of these
false notions of honor. I always supposed
that it required a greater degree of magnanimity
to refuse a challenge from proper motives
than to accept one. Cilley had not even
the prejudice of education to contend with
being a northern man.
We are going out this afternoon so I must e'en close my
letter. Please to remember me affectionately to Jennings
Person
Marcia
Person
People
a scrawl, should have written yesterday but was prevented
by nervous headache. Freddy is well, reads all the
time. Frances complains that he is not a good playmate
sometimes, she says she hopes after Fred has read all
the books through he will be willing to play.
I am very anxious about Lazette she is more ill
than I expected to find her. I intend before I go
home to consult their best physician. your own
Frances.
William H. Seward
Westfield
Chatauque County
Canandaigua Mar 7 N.Y.12 1/2
Stamp
Person
March 6. 1838.
date:
Tuesday, March 6, 1838
receiver:
sender:
year: