Letter from Mahlon Dickerson Canfield to Frances Miller Seward, September 6, 1841
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Letter from Mahlon Dickerson Canfield to Frances Miller Seward, September 6, 1841
transcriberTranscriber:spp:nds
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1841-09-06
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Letter from Mahlon Dickerson Canfield to Frances Miller Seward, September 6, 1841
action: sent
sender:
Mahlon Canfield
Person
Name: Mahlon Canfield
Birth: 1798-11-26
Death: 1865-01-05
Person
location:
Bargaintown NJ
Place
Name: City: Bargaintown
County: Atlantic
State: NJ
Country: US
Place
receiver:
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
transcription: nds
revision: ekk 2016-02-03
<>
Page 1
Bargaintown Sept. 6–
1841.
My Dear Madam,
I must entreat your
pardon for omitting so long to write to
you. From the time I left you until I
arrived home (on the 1st inst) I was all
the time on the move, & found no time
nor opportunity to write a word, & since
my return I have been completely engaged
in bringing up my work, which as
you may suppose, has got very much
in arrray. I am very glad that my duties
are not so pressing & important as those
of the Governor of New York
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
. If they
were half as much so, I should sink
under them. I left your pretty town on
the afternoon of the same day you started
for Niagara
Name: City: Niagara Falls
County: Niagara County
State: NY
Country: US
, & reached Saratoga
Name: City: Saratoga
County: Saratoga County
State: NY
Country: US
the next
evening. I was much amused by the various
novelties of the place, but not much
benefitted by drinking the water. It made
me sicker than I have been for years,
& certainly, if I were go through again, it
Page 2
will not be for the purpose of drinking
that abominable water.
I was at Florida
Name: City: Florida
County: Orange
State: NY
Country: US
, two weeks ago this day
& I am sorry to say that nothing short of
duty to my little girl
Name: Caroline Beattie
Birth: 1834-07-25
Death: 1922-02-28
can ever induce
me to go there again. At every visit I
find it more & more unpleasant.
Well, be it so, time is a certain cure for
all the ills of this life. I think Judge S.
Name: Samuel Seward
Birth: 1768-12-05
Death: 1849-08-24
has failed very much. Mrs S.
Name: Mary Seward
Birth: 1769-11-27
Death: 1844-12-11
was looking
better than when I saw her in May, &
evidently went about house with more
ease & facility. Caroline was very well &
has grown a good deal, Julia
seem in good health, still, she was attending
to her charge as usual. If Harm can be
secured by good work, I think Julia is
quite safe. I brought my boys
Name: Francis Canfield
Birth: 1832-02-20
Death: 1876-01-14
Name: Augustus Canfield
Birth: 1829-12-04
Death: 1867-10-25
home with me,
& they are now living with Mr Colt
Name: Samuel Colt
Birth: 1817-04-19
Death: 1893-12-17
, a
Presbyterian Clergyman at May's Landing
Name: City: Mays Landing
County: Atlantic County
State: NJ
Country: US
.
It is a safe good place. I am alone in my
house once more, & lonely enought it is. It is hard
for me to stay here, & in order to make my
existence endurable, I am obliged to be busy
all the time. My political friends would
do me a great kindness by sending me to
Trenton
Name: City: Trenton
County: Mercer County
State: NJ
Country: US
this winter, but I don't know how
it will be. One party in this quarter is
Page 3
full of great & ambitious men, so that
the chance for individual fufilment
is rather small
Remember me to all, & especially to your good
son Augustus
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
, whom I love very much for his
mild amiable manner. I hope I shall know
him when he becomes a man in years, as he
is now in station. Please say to the Misses Wood
Unknown
Unknown that I looked for them in New York
Name: City: New York
County:
State: NY
Country: US
,
with great diligence &, as they know, with
little success.
Very affectionately Yours,
M. D. Canfield
Mr Granger
Name: Francis Granger
Birth: 1792-12-01
Death: 1868-08-31
having relieved me of post office
duties, at my request I am obliged to tax my
friends with postage. However, I will be merciful.
Page 4
Mrs W. H. Seward
Auburn,
Cayuga Co
N.Y.
Sep. 7
18 3/4
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
Dr Canfield
Sep 1841
Bargaintown Sept. 6–
1841.
My Dear Madam,
I must entreat your
pardon for omitting so long to write to
you. From the time I left you until I
arrived home (on the 1st inst) I was all
the time on the move, & found no time
nor opportunity to write a word, & since
my return I have been completely engaged
in bringing up my work, which as
you may suppose, has got very much
in arrray. I am very glad that my duties
are not so pressing & important as those
of the Governor of New York
Person
were half as much so, I should sink
under them. I left your pretty town on
the afternoon of the same day you started
for Niagara
Place
Place
evening. I was much amused by the various
novelties of the place, but not much
benefitted by drinking the water. It made
me sicker than I have been for years,
& certainly, if I were go through again, it
will not be for the purpose of drinking
that abominable water.
I was at Florida
Place
& I am sorry to say that nothing short of
duty to my little girl
Person
me to go there again. At every visit I
find it more & more unpleasant.
Well, be it so, time is a certain cure for
all the ills of this life. I think Judge S.
Person
has failed very much. Mrs S.
Person
better than when I saw her in May, &
evidently went about house with more
ease & facility. Caroline was very well &
has grown a good deal, Julia
Unknown
does not seem in good health, still, she was attending
to her charge as usual. If Harm can be
secured by good work, I think Julia is
quite safe. I brought my boys
People
& they are now living with Mr Colt
Person
Presbyterian Clergyman at May's Landing
Place
It is a safe good place. I am alone in my
house once more, & lonely enought it is. It is hard
for me to stay here, & in order to make my
existence endurable, I am obliged to be busy
all the time. My political friends would
do me a great kindness by sending me to
Trenton
Place
it will be. One party in this quarter is
full of great & ambitious men, so that
the chance for individual fufilment
is rather small
Remember me to all, & especially to your good
son Augustus
Person
mild amiable manner. I hope I shall know
him when he becomes a man in years, as he
is now in station. Please say to the Misses Wood
People
Unknown
Unknown
Place
with great diligence &, as they know, with
little success.
Very affectionately Yours,
M. D. Canfield
Mr Granger
Person
duties, at my request I am obliged to tax my
friends with postage. However, I will be merciful.
Mrs W. H. Seward
Auburn,
Cayuga Co
N.Y.
Unknown
Bargaintown N.J.Sep. 7
18 3/4
Person
Sep 1841
date:
Monday, September 6, 1841
receiver:
sender:
year: