Letter from Frances Adeline Seward to Sarah D. Hance, October 6, 1863

  • Posted on: 17 October 2018
  • By: admin
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Letter from Frances Adeline Seward to Sarah D. Hance, October 6, 1863
x

transcriber

Transcriber:spp:dxt

student editor

Transcriber:spp:crb

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1863-10-06

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Letter from Frances Adeline Seward to Sarah D. Hance, October 6, 1863

action: sent

sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1844-12-09  Death: 1866-10-29

location: Washington D.C., US

receiver: Sarah Hance
Birth: 1820-01-25  Death: 1867-06-10

location: Unknown
Unknown

transcription: dxt 

revision: tap 2018-07-27

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Page 1

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Editorial Note

Originally included with a letter from Frances Miller Seward to Sarah Dare Hance on October 6, 1863.
Washington Oct. 6th 1863
My dear Miss Hance,
Your kind letter
found me still at Auburn, but
already engaged in preparations
for my winter absence. We were
glad to hear that you found your
Father
Birth: 1782-09-27 Death: 1888-04-18
well on your return.
I enclose dear Will's
Birth: 1839-06-18 Death: 1920-04-29
photograph –
I suppose you have not heard
what a dreadful illness he has
just passed through. Two weeks
ago he was violently attacked with
dysentery in camp. When Father
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10

brought him here on a stretcher,
just two weeks today, he was in
a very critical condition. Father
was here alone, & telegraphed to
Mother
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21
at Auburn & Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
at New
York
, where Anna
Birth: 1834-03-29 Death: 1919-05-02
& I were also –
to come on immediately. The next
morning, when we three reached
Page 2

here Will's was symptoms were more
favorable – the following morning,
Thursday, Mother & Jenny
Birth: 1839-11-18 Death: 1913-11-09
arrived,
with the nurse
Birth: 1844Certainty: Possible
, baby
Birth: 1862-09-11 Death: 1921-10-05
& Eliza
Certainty: Possible
, and
found him still exceedingly ill,
though better. He has continued
to improve, and yesterday came down-
stairs for the first time – very thin
and pale. As soon as he is able
he will go home with Mother &
Jenny, to try the good effects of
change & home. When I look
at him now I can scarcely realize
that he is the same person whom
we found so ill. I never saw any
one so low except Mother. It
was very fortunate that he was
near enough to be brought to our
house. I think in camp he could
hardly have survived. Sir
Henry Holland
Birth: 1788-10-27 Death: 1873-10-27
was here – the
day after he was brought in –
and aided physician & nurses
Page 3

very much by his experience & advice –
He was very kind in his attentions.
Mother has been unusually well
most of the time, notwithstand-
ing the amount of fatigue & anxiety
she has had to endure. She had
just returned from Albany when
she received the dispatch, &
travelled two nights and a day
to get here. I need not say how
unceasingly she has watched
since she came – nor how happy
we all feel that the load of anxiety
is lifted from us and my dear
brother spared to us still.
Jenny has been pretty well
except for a cold. Baby has had
one, too, ever since she came –
I was glad you enjoyed your
visit to Auburn – The only fault
I found with it, was that my
time was so broken with interr-
ruptions that I could not see
Page 4

half enough of you. But we must
have that quiet visit some other
time. Aunty
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
writes that
she is well – Kate Barrett
Birth: 1837 Death: 1878-04-08
and
her little boy
Birth: 1861-06-27 Death: 1939-10
were a left at our
house. I heard through Mrs
Warden
Birth: 1804-06-10 Death: 1883-12-18
that Julia
Birth: 1839-04-03 Death: 1866-01-11
had reached
Jacksonville by this time her mother
is with her. I enjoyed
the remainder of our trip as much
as the first part. The day after
we left Auburn we went by steam-
boat to Ithaca, & by sailboat to
Elmira where we spent the night. The
next day we came to Geneva on
the lake, & to Niagara that night.
Sunday, Monday and till Tuesday
noon we were at Niagara – It was
very delightful there – we visited
the Canada side, & different
places of interest. Tuesday we
went to Buffalo & Wednesday a
large party of Buffalonians accom-
Page 5

panied us to Dunkirk on Lake Erie,
& Westfield by the cars. It very
pleasantly happened that Julia
& James Warden
Birth: 1843-08-24 Death: 1869-12-15
were in Buffalo
that day, & were of the number.
From Westfield we drove to May-
ville
on the Chatauqua Lake – There
taking a steamboat we had a charm-
ing moonlight trip to Jamestown.
The next morning we took cars for
Scranton Penn. reaching there late
at night. The following morning
was spent in very interesting visits to
the coal mines & iron mills – afternoon
we took the cars for New York, and the
next day, Saturday, our pleasant
party broke up. some stayed in
New York. Father & the Spanish
minister
Birth: 1817-07-19 Death: 1875-02-14
returned to Washington.
The Swedish
Birth: 1820 Death: 1891
& Hanseatic ministers
Birth: 1815-07-22 Death: 1895-02-25
,
Count Piper & Mr Schleiden, went
to Saratoga – & Ellen
Birth: 1840-08-19 Death: 1931-02-12
and I re-
turned to Auburn.
Page 6

It is cold, but very pleasant here. At this
season the drives are delightful. Yester-
day I had a nice ride on horse back.
I saw Mrs How
Birth: 1808 Death: 1866-04-16
just before I left
Auburn. She is usually composed, by
but the mention of Sarah
Birth: 1843 Death: 1863-08-10
seems always
to affect her very much. Hers is a
sad & us weary lot, and she has
the cordial sympathy of all who know
her.
The day before I left Auburn (Sunday)
I accidentally heard that the church
was to be opened in the afternoon
for baptism. Mary Titus
Birth: 1846-01-11 Death: 1913-03-14
& I
went to the Superintendant
Birth: 1822-10-04 Death: 1885-03-03
of the
Sunday school, who made arrange-
ments for us, and ^we^ were baptised
that afternoon, at four o'clock, by
the Rev. Mr Rice
Birth: 1819-09-11 Death: 1909
. There were three
or four other young ladies
Unknown
who were
baptised. Mother was not able
to go to the church, but Aunty & Jenny were there. Mrs Titus
Birth: 1820-05-18 Death: 1895-12-19
gave
Page 7

my name. It seemed providential that
I should have heard of it as I did –
& everything was pleasant except
that the clergyman was a stranger
instead of our loved & lamented
Mr Pierson
Birth: 1825 Death: 1863-05-14
. There was no pastor
settled in Auburn when I came
away. You know what a diffi-
cult church ours is to suit, & how
divided.
I am not really studying anything –
but have "Evidences of Christian-
ity"
Author: William Paley Publisher: James Eastburn & Co. Place of Publication:New York City Date: 1817
Paley's
Birth: 1743-07 Death: 1805-05-25
– to read Sunday – &
a very large & interesting Natural
History
Author: Samuel G. Goodrich Publisher: Derby & Jackson Place of Publication:New York City Date: 1861
, for weekdays – (by Goodrich
Birth: 1793-08-19 Death: 1860-05-09
)
Besides, I have just finished Miss
Thackeray's
Birth: 1837-06-09 Death: 1919-02-26
"Story of Elizabeth"
Author: Anne Thackeray Ritchie Publisher: Smith, Elder and Co. Place of Publication:London, England Date: 1863
– I
hope you will read it. 'tis a beau-
tiful thing – very short & touching.
I am reading evenings, Romola
 Publisher: Home Book Co. Place of Publication:New York, NY Date: 1863-?
,
by the author
Birth: 1819-11-22 Death: 1880-12-22
of Adam Bede
 Publisher: Harper & Brothers Place of Publication:New York, NY Date: 1859
. It
is highly praised. I am not far in it.
When you come to Auburn again
Page 8

I hope we shall have more time for those
pleasant Waverly
 Publisher: A.L. Burt Place of Publication:New York Date: 18?
readings – to which
I am always looking foward –
I must leave soon for Mother to add
a line. All I can say of the en-
closed photograph is that I have
been looking at Will this morning,
& he looks a thousand times more
handsome, & intellectual & generally
perfect than this.
Jenny would send love if she knew I was
writing. I shall look for a
letter from you whenever you can
write – & it is needless to say that I
am always interested in all you tell
me of yourself.
Affectionately yours
Fanny