Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 13, 1838
xml:
Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 13, 1838
transcriberTranscriber:spp:cef
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1838-03-13
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, March 13, 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
Auburn March 13th
My dearest Henry,
I am very sorry that you think
I have been negligent about writing. I wrote
as you desired me to do before I returned
from Canandaigua
Name: City: Canandaigua
County: Ontario
State: NY
Country: US
and until I received your
first letter it never occurred to me that you
would expect to hear from me earlier. In
that letter you spoke of a probability of your
coming home in ten days, this prevented
my writing again supposing you would not receive
my letter should I write. I have been looking
for your appearance a day or two, this morning
I received your letter of the 9th[ . ]
Reason:
Nicholas
Name: Nicholas Bogart
Birth: 1801-12-24
Death: 1893
came to Canandaigua Wednesday
afternoon. I was obliged to detain him until the
next day as I had returned no calls. Thursday
morning I found the snow diminishing so rapidly
that I decided upon leaving that afternoon.
One of our horses being lame I told Nicholas
to supply their places with Mr Blossoms
Name: William Blossom
Birth: 1792-04-09
Death: 1849-05-29Certainty: Probable
grays. I had made but two calls when it
commenced raining, but I went to Grangers
Name: Francis Granger
Birth: 1792-12-01
Death: 1868-08-31
and Mrs Spencers
Name: Elizabeth Spencer
Birth: 1789-02-23
Death: 1868-10-10
maugre the rain.
Lazette
Name: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
was to accompany me to Mrs Graigs
for her and by the time we had made this visit
it was one oclock, the sleigh shoe was broken
& to be mended, dinner to be eaten all in
half an hour as I had intended setting out at 1/2 past[ . ]
Reason:
Page 2
Every thing seemed to go wrong and worst of all
we had a prospect of performing our journey over
bare roads. Worden
Name: Alvah Worden
Birth: 1797-03-06
Death: 1856-02-16
and Granger consulted together
about the best route for me to take finally
concluded upon my going through Orleans
Name: City: Orleans
County: Ontario County
State: NY
Country: US
by Oaks
Name: City: Oaks Corners
County: Ontario County
State: NY
Country: US
'. Worden wrote the direction all
down
upon a card I never should have remembered had
he not. I was to stay all night at Waterloo
Name: City: Waterloo
County: Seneca County
State: NY
Country: US
,
in case I had not a prospect of getting home
at a reasonable hour. The rain had become a
moist heavy snow, little better than rain.
With all our exertions it was 1/2 past 2 when we came
away. We found the sleighing more tolerable
than we had any reason to anticipate, it was
nearly 7 oclock when we reached Waterloo.
Nicholas was very wet, indeed the continual
falling of the snow was getting rather un-
comfortable for us all. I directed Nicholas
to drive to Birdsall
Name: Samuel Birdsall
Birth: 1791-05-14
Death: 1872-02-08
's where (finding Mrs Fosgate
Name: Margaretta Fosgate
Birth:
Death: 1848-03-10
at home and the family all well) I remained
all night. Mrs Fosgate was glad to see me &
I had a very good visit, left them at 10
the next morning and came home over bare
roads. Nicholas crossed the ice. Fred
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
& I
walked over the bridge. I found all well at
home. Augustus
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
had been a good boy and studied
all the time he was not with his Grandpa
Name: Elijah Miller
Birth: 1772-04-11
Death: 1851-11-13
.
Charlotte Moses
Name: Elizabeth Moses
Birth: 1799
Death: 1877-04-03
at
Marcellus
Name: City: Marcellus
County: Onondaga
State: NY
Country: US
came before I had been home an
hour
and staid all night. Mrs Miller
Name: Mary Miller
Birth: 1785-04-24
Death: 1870-04-17Certainty: Probable
came over
to take tea with us. The next day I went
to see Mrs Benedict
Name: Susan Benedict
Birth: 1791
Death: 1869-12-30Certainty: Probable
who had come to
Mr
Beach
Name: John Beach
Birth: 1785
Death: 1839-08-08Certainty: Probable
's while I was absent. They were to
return home Monday, from thence I went
to Throopsville
Name: City: Throopsville
County: Cayuga
State: NY
Country: US
in
pursuit of a girl to supply
Mary Bloods
my search was unsuccessful I returned
with a violent nervous headache which
has continued with intermissions ever since.
I was almost tempted last night to resort
to the use of opium but I do not like the habit
the consequences of it are frequently, if not univer-
sally, lamentable.
I had a very pleasant visit at Lazette's
should have staid longer but was afraid
Clara
Name: Clarinda McClallen
Birth: 1794
Death: 1862-09-05
would be left without a girl as she
would have been. We have one come to
day, very poorly recommended however.
Clara and McLallen
Name: Hugh McClallen
Birth: 1791
Death: 1860-11-16
still talk of
housekeeping
but have not decided upon a house.
Nicholas and Peter
Name: Peter Crosby
Birth:
Death:
have completed the hot bed
they found some difficulty in getting bog earth
the snow in the woods is still deep and
the ground frozen.
I found a long letter from Serene
Name: Serene Birdsall
Birth: 1802
Death:
awaiting my return, it was chiefly filled with
an account of the recent duel all of which
I had previously read. Serene seems to consider
Cilley
Name: Jonathan Cilley
Birth: 1802-07-02
Death: 1838-02-24
a martyr instead of a man who
died violating the law of God and man,
of course she has heard but one side.
I feel some doubt now about this letter
coming to your hands but I would not willingly
disappoint you again. your own Frances.
Page 4
William H. Seward
Westfield
Chatauque Co.
AUBURN Mar 14 N.Y.18 2/
Type: postmark
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
F.A. Seward
March 13. 1838
Auburn March 13th
My dearest Henry,
I am very sorry that you think
I have been negligent about writing. I wrote
as you desired me to do before I returned
from Canandaigua
Place
first letter it never occurred to me that you
would expect to hear from me earlier. In
that letter you spoke of a probability of your
coming home in ten days, this prevented
my writing again supposing you would not receive
my letter should I write. I have been looking
for your appearance a day or two, this morning
I received your letter of the 9th[ . ]
Supplied
Nicholas
Person
afternoon. I was obliged to detain him until the
next day as I had returned no calls. Thursday
morning I found the snow diminishing so rapidly
that I decided upon leaving that afternoon.
One of our horses being lame I told Nicholas
to supply their places with Mr Blossoms
Person
grays. I had made but two calls when it
commenced raining, but I went to Grangers
Person
and Mrs Spencers
Person
Person
was to accompany me to Mrs Graigs
Unknown
. I
returnedfor her and by the time we had made this visit
it was one oclock, the sleigh shoe was broken
& to be mended, dinner to be eaten all in
half an hour as I had intended setting out at 1/2 past[ . ]
Supplied
Every thing seemed to go wrong and worst of all
we had a prospect of performing our journey over
bare roads. Worden
Person
about the best route for me to take finally
concluded upon my going through Orleans
Place
by Oaks
Place
upon a card I never should have remembered had
he not. I was to stay all night at Waterloo
Place
in case I had not a prospect of getting home
at a reasonable hour. The rain had become a
moist heavy snow, little better than rain.
With all our exertions it was 1/2 past 2 when we came
away. We found the sleighing more tolerable
than we had any reason to anticipate, it was
nearly 7 oclock when we reached Waterloo.
Nicholas was very wet, indeed the continual
falling of the snow was getting rather un-
comfortable for us all. I directed Nicholas
to drive to Birdsall
Person
Person
at home and the family all well) I remained
all night. Mrs Fosgate was glad to see me &
I had a very good visit, left them at 10
the next morning and came home over bare
roads. Nicholas crossed the ice. Fred
Person
walked over the bridge. I found all well at
home. Augustus
Person
all the time he was not with his Grandpa
Person
Charlotte Moses
Unknown
a daughter of our cousinPerson
Marcellus
Place
and staid all night. Mrs Miller
Person
to take tea with us. The next day I went
to see Mrs Benedict
Person
Person
return home Monday, from thence I went
to Throopsville
Place
Mary Bloods
Unknown
place who was to leave Mondaymy search was unsuccessful I returned
with a violent nervous headache which
has continued with intermissions ever since.
I was almost tempted last night to resort
to the use of opium but I do not like the habit
the consequences of it are frequently, if not univer-
sally, lamentable.
I had a very pleasant visit at Lazette's
should have staid longer but was afraid
Clara
Person
would have been. We have one come to
day, very poorly recommended however.
Clara and McLallen
Person
but have not decided upon a house.
Nicholas and Peter
Person
they found some difficulty in getting bog earth
the snow in the woods is still deep and
the ground frozen.
I found a long letter from Serene
Person
awaiting my return, it was chiefly filled with
an account of the recent duel all of which
I had previously read. Serene seems to consider
Cilley
Person
died violating the law of God and man,
of course she has heard but one side.
I feel some doubt now about this letter
coming to your hands but I would not willingly
disappoint you again. your own Frances.
William H. Seward
Westfield
Chatauque Co.
AUBURN Mar 14 N.Y.18 2/
Stamp
Person
March 13. 1838
date:
Tuesday, March 13, 1838
receiver:
sender:
year: