Letter from Samuel Swayze Seward to Wiliam Henry Seward, December 26, 1860
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Letter from Samuel Swayze Seward to Wiliam Henry Seward, December 26,
1860
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:ssb
student editorTranscriber:spp:csh
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1860-12-26
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Letter from Samuel Swayze Seward to Wiliam Henry Seward, December 26, 1860
action: sent
sender: Samuel Seward
Birth: 1838-04-16
Death: 1916-02-22
location: San Francisco, CA
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Washington D.C., US
transcription: ssb
revision: agw 2020-12-23
<>
Page 1
San Francisco Dec. 26, 1860.
My dear Uncle,
It is now nearly a year since
I made application to you and Mr. Grier
Birth: 1802-09-27 Death: 1878-12-20
, to know on what conditions I could make an
entire or partial settlement with you for my
share of my grandfathers
Birth: 1768-12-05 Death: 1849-08-24
estate, basing my application upon the fact that I had commenced
the study of law and found it difficult to
carry it on without pecuniary aid. To all this
I received no reply until your letter of July
24threached me, in which you stated that
it would be impossible to attend to the matter
until after the Presidential election. The election
took place on the 6th November, and Congress
met somewhere about the 1st December. In
this interval, if at all, I expected to hear
from you on the subject, but the New York
mail of Dec. 1st has arrived without the ex-
pected information, nor can I now look for
it until after the adjournment of Congress.
I do not make this statement of facts
as expressing of disappo[ int ]
Supplied
too well how your ti[ me is preo ]
Supplied
a word of impatience [hole] me, however
much I may be inconvenienced thereby; but to
show the necessity which occasions this letter.
I regret it exceedingly.
Being thus disappointed in my former
plan, and believing it will take a long time
to accomplish it under the most favorable
circumstances, I now write to ask you for
some appointment under the incoming ad-
ministration. I make this request with re-
luctance. I have no proclivity for any such
doubtful and temporary position. I take the
step merely as a precaution against future con-
tingencies, and would rather earn half the
amount by any other method. If you feel
any delicacy about using your influence for
this purpose I will not urge it a moment.
I have no definite idea as to the choice
I would make except that I would not like
to appear too prominently before the public.
If I were to suggest any particular office I
would say first the confidential Government
Agent, and after that the second position un-
der the Navy Agent, Postmaster, Superintendent of
the Mint or Collector of the Post. I had de-
termined to ask some such position only
in case I should not hear from you by
the steamer of the 1st December in regard
to the above menti[ on ]
Supplied
have now no [hole] inquire further into
the details. I think I am competent for
any position I have named. I should not
like to leave San Francisco.
I called a few weeks ago on a Mrs.
Alden
Birth: 1823-07-05 Death: 1896-01-26
who is a daughter of
Thurlow Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15 Death: 1882-11-22
.
I was very kindly received by her and
invited to make her house my home when-
ever I should visit San José where she
resides. I need not say how highly I
appreciate the kindness.
My health is now almost entirely re-
established. My best regards to Aunt Frances
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21
Fannie
Birth: 1844-12-09 Death: 1866-10-29
, and all your family
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
Affectionately
Your Nephew,
Samuel S. Seward