Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, June 18, 1842
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, June 18, 1842
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:mlb
student editorTranscriber:spp:srr
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1842-06-18
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, June 18, 1842
action: sent
sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Auburn, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Albany, NY
transcription: mlb
revision: crb 2017-11-08
<>
Page
1
Saturday June 18th
My dear Henry,
The melon oranges &c came
yesterday – we have had quite a feast
I was very sorry you were not here to
partake of the melon it was said to
be one of the best and sweetest imaginable
I enjoyed the strawberries and to day the
green peas – I sent some of the melon
to our neighbors Mrs. Miller
which was very gratifying – I will
writ write to Mrs. Doane
I feel tolerably well — I have been in
the bed half of the day to day –
I am much obliged for your offer of
Hetty
be quite dissatisfied in the country she
thought Albany altogether too little of a
city to suit her – withal she does
not intend going out to service much
longer having purchased some land on
which she is to build a house – At
present I think think there is no immediate
Page
2
prospect of a change in our family – Clara
and McClallen
dissatisfied with their house it was so
far out of town and finally McClallen
has rented it to another man
in yesterday — They propose getting a
house more in the center of the village
but none is fixed upon at present –
I fancy Clara would be quite as well
pleased to stay here until Fall indeed
she is not particularly anxious to go
at all – I am glad she is not going
so far off I could hardly have
walked there once a week –
The village has been in considerable
alarm about Mrs Wood's
was not occasioned by billious fever
but by some unknown disease of
a very terrible character – She was
served with a violent pain in her thumb
which extended to her arm and accompanied
with inflammation and swelling – finally
it affected her whole system occasioning
death the eighth day – mortification commencing
previous to her death – Since her
death the physicians have concluded
the disease was erysipilas of an aggravated
and description – acknowledging at first
Page
3
that they were wholly unacquainted with
it – Mrs Fosgate
and asked me how I felt about having
the plague in the country – I replied
smiling that I was not aware of the
existence of so great a calamity – She seemed
to think me rather too incredulous – and in
addition to t Mrs Wood's death said the
plague was prevailing about Utica and
many other places — There have been
many deaths in Tompkins County but the
disease is as I hear violent inflammation
of the throat — I am glad to hear
your father
all well as usual – Pa quite recovered
from lameness – Abbey
rejoiced to hear of her brothers
safe arrival – I received a letter from
Augustus
mention having been sick – he says he has
now every week 3 papers 2 Journals and the
Tribune – being more than he is able to
read he proposes having two of them
stopped — you will know better about
this than I — Your own Frances—
To day is Willie's
a present of a company of soldiers – He wishes me
to send a kiss in this letter to Pa and says
he would like to send some of his soldiers
Page
4
William H. Seward
Albany
AUBURN
JUN
18
N.Y.
Type: postmark
h
Mrs Seward
June 198 1842
Saturday June 18th
My dear Henry,
The melon oranges &c came
yesterday – we have had quite a feast
I was very sorry you were not here to
partake of the melon it was said to
be one of the best and sweetest imaginable
I enjoyed the strawberries and to day the
green peas – I sent some of the melon
to our neighbors Mrs. Miller
Birth: 1785-04-24 Death: 1870-04-17
and Hills
Birth: 1796 Death: 1863-04-22
which was very gratifying – I will
writ write to Mrs. Doane
Birth: 1806-03-31 Death: 1887-06-28
the first dayI feel tolerably well — I have been in
the bed half of the day to day –
I am much obliged for your offer of
Hetty
Unknown
for a cook but I think she would be quite dissatisfied in the country she
thought Albany altogether too little of a
city to suit her – withal she does
not intend going out to service much
longer having purchased some land on
which she is to build a house – At
present I think think there is no immediate
prospect of a change in our family – Clara
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
and McClallen
Birth: 1791-09-07 Death: 1860-11-16
both became very muchdissatisfied with their house it was so
far out of town and finally McClallen
has rented it to another man
Unknown
who movedin yesterday — They propose getting a
house more in the center of the village
but none is fixed upon at present –
I fancy Clara would be quite as well
pleased to stay here until Fall indeed
she is not particularly anxious to go
at all – I am glad she is not going
so far off I could hardly have
walked there once a week –
The village has been in considerable
alarm about Mrs Wood's
Birth: 1807 Death: 1842-06-06
death whichwas not occasioned by billious fever
but by some unknown disease of
a very terrible character – She was
served with a violent pain in her thumb
which extended to her arm and accompanied
with inflammation and swelling – finally
it affected her whole system occasioning
death the eighth day – mortification commencing
previous to her death – Since her
death the physicians have concluded
the disease was erysipilas of an aggravated
and description – acknowledging at first
that they were wholly unacquainted with
it – Mrs Fosgate
Death: 1848-03-10
came in the other dayand asked me how I felt about having
the plague in the country – I replied
smiling that I was not aware of the
existence of so great a calamity – She seemed
to think me rather too incredulous – and in
addition to t Mrs Wood's death said the
plague was prevailing about Utica and
many other places — There have been
many deaths in Tompkins County but the
disease is as I hear violent inflammation
of the throat — I am glad to hear
your father
Birth: 1768-12-05 Death: 1849-08-24
is recovering – We areall well as usual – Pa quite recovered
from lameness – Abbey
Unknown
was very muchrejoiced to hear of her brothers
Unknown
health andsafe arrival – I received a letter from
Augustus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
Wednesday in which he does notmention having been sick – he says he has
now every week 3 papers 2 Journals and the
Tribune – being more than he is able to
read he proposes having two of them
stopped — you will know better about
this than I — Your own Frances—
To day is Willie's
Birth: 1839-06-18 Death: 1920-04-29
birth day – Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
had made hima present of a company of soldiers – He wishes me
to send a kiss in this letter to Pa and says
he would like to send some of his soldiers
William H. Seward
Albany
AUBURN
JUN
18
N.Y.
Stamp
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1820-03-09 Death: 1893-07-07Samuel Blatchford
June 198 1842