Latest revision as of 16:31, 11 August 2017

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via City of N[ew] York [‘via...York’ underscored] 4th St. – 24 June 1863 Wednesday night

Dear Ann

To proceed in the order of events, you had better read, before you go any farther in the perusal of this page, the enclosed copies of a letter from the Inter =nal Revenue Department at Wash[ingto]n to Maury Bro[ther]s, & of my letter to Matthew to-day, directed to Cleveland. –

I walked down town this morn[in]g, & leaving the office at 4 1/2 p. m. (after writing a page to David Spence at Boston) I walked home to dinner, where the 2 W’s [William and Walker] soon joined me. – They went afterwards to 27th St. depot to meet Sarah; & all 3 returned whilst I was napping com =fortably in an arm-chair. – Sarah did not carry [underscored] a ba-akset [underscored] with her; but she brought one home with her, filled with beautify, fresh Straw-berries [‘berries’ double underscored] – a very different & superior which to what is sold in the streets; and she gave a portion (not a mean one) of her spoils to the Misses Nugent to regale themselves with. – She had a very pleasant day, meeting Mrs. Mason by appointment in 27th St., & coming home with her. And as Miss Dunning had been warned of their intentions, the little carriage was in waiting at Stamford [Conn.], & Miss Dunning herself in it, for she is now in much better condition. The nurse is taking a holi =day, & Mrs. Richards is doing duty instead; & Sarah has promised to go there again on Monday to take Mrs. Richard’s place – for how long I cannot say, but imagine it will be for a week or so.

There has been nothing seen or heard of “Jody” since his short note to me of the 19th. – W[illia]m went to the N[ew] York Hotel after T[ea], but heard nothing of him.

At 9 p.m., after eating a plate of the Dunnington Strawberries, & taking 1 cup of T[ea], I walked up to Irving Place, & sat for more than 1/2 an hour with Mrs. & Miss Gilpin. The had risen early & breakfasted at or before 6 with the travelling party. – My visit was both wel= =come & timely, as Miss G[ilpin] said she had wanted to see me about some business matters. – Mr. Bayard

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was directed by her to remit a sum of about $600 for Mrs Gilpin’s account to Maury Bros., which, when rec[eive]d, I was to have ledged at her credit with the Bank of N[ew] York. But before he got her letter, as he writes her in one she rec[eive]d today, he had already deposited it in the Bank in Phil[adelphi]a, subject to Mrs. or Miss Gilpin’s d[ra]ft; & I am to call in Irving Place tomorrow after breakfast, to get this d[ra]ft & do the needful with it.

I thought I had put in my pocket (to read to them this evening), the copy of my letter today to Matthew; but having left it behind me, I gave them the sub- =stance of it; whereupon Miss G[ilpin] remarked that she did not think they would go as far as St. Paul [Minn.], as it might be too much for Elizabeth’s strength; but I do not think so, if my plan is carried out; since there is no fatigue at all in the steamboat [underscored] travelling, any more than sitting in an easy chair in Irving Place, or in the porch at Cornwall. [NY] – The only obstacle to my plan is the length of time. [‘length..time’ underscored] Resting a whole day at Cleveland, they would reach Chicago on Saturday even[in]g, & spending Sunday (as I did in ’56) at the place, ) [‘)’ struck-through] they would strike the Miss[issipp]i by daylight on Monday ev[en]ing, either at Rock Island [IL] (fronting Davenport [Iowa]) or at Galena,[IL.] & might find a boat leaving probably the same evening

                                      Friday               Saturday

for St. Pauls, & so reach there on the Sat [struck through] or Sunday [struck-through] evening or Sunday even[ing] at farthest; spend Monday in visiting the Falls [Falls of St. Anthony Minn.] etc., embark Tuesday for LaCrosse, [Wisc.] & reach Mil= =waukee by Wednesday; pass Thursday there, embark Friday for Mackinaw & Detroit; take Canadian R[ail] R[oad] Monday morn[in]g & be at Niagara Monday night; rest there Tuesday & reach Albany Wed[nesday] night; & be back at Irving Place on Thursday afternoon the 16 July [’16 July’ underscored] – thus occupying 3 weeks & 1 day! [‘3...day’ underscored] – If they abandon St. Paul & go for Mack =inaw & Detroit, they could save more than a week in time, but they would encounter quite a much fatigue, & if they aim at Lake Superior they will in= =counter more fatigue than by going (according to my

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programme) to St. Paul. – The simple truth is that Elizabeth ought to have been left behind. In her case it may be said that “the Spirit is willing – but the Flesh is weak.”

Miss Gilpin told me that the movement of her Mother & self to Cornwall would be quite independent of anything connected the travelling party, & that she had today written to Miss Duncan, their landlady at Cornwall, appointing Wednesday afternoon, the 1st July for their going thither, & desiring to be met at the landing with a carriage to ride in, & I suppose a wag =gon for their “plunder.” – I asked if either of the two W’s [William and Walker] could be of any use as escort; but she said no: & all she wanted was that Walker would ascertain for her the hour of departure of the s[steame]r “Mary Powell,” which I promised he would do.

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On telling all these things to Sarah (& reading ^ her the copies of my letters dispatched today to Harriet & Matthew) after I had returned from Irving Place, she observed that she will go there tomorrow & offer her aid between then & Sat[urday] afternoon, in expediting any of their arrangements. – But to be of real

                  I think

use to them, she ought ^ to postpone her next visit to Dunnington until Thursday morning, instead of setting out on Monday afternoon & I shall tell her so tomorrow morning, whether she kicks at it or not, but leaving the decision in= =tirely to herself.

As I came up to dinner I got the following note our of the P[ost] O[ffice] from Mrs. Ehninger, in reply to my elaborate communication to her on the 22nd. –

“Staten Island, June 24th. Rutson Maury Esq[uire] Dear Sir, Yesterday I received your note regarding the removal of St. Thomas Church. – I cannot come to any decision on the subject, until I have seen Mr. Dunbar, who is now at Saratoga, & who is

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not expected to return until the last of the week. Either he or I will call at your Office & tell you the result of our conference yours truly Eliza[beth] Ehninger.

You remember there were 2 deeds for that Vault, in consequence of joint ownership, Mrs E[hninger] holding one of the Deeds, & Mr. Dunbar (for his wife’s family) the other. ) [‘)’ struck-through] –

Thus, out of my “4 business [underscored] obstacles” to Mat- =thew’s journey, one (Mr. Mack’s [botherment?]) has already vanished, & another (St. Tho[ma]s) is some- =what mitigated: but the greatest of all was, & is, the Cotton: [underscored] & at the rate that Cotton is now advancing, the market will be ripe for our commencing sales, long before the 3 weeks I have allotted for his journey, have expired. Neverthe=

less whenever I am under the necessity [underscored] of ma

=king unusual exertion in business matters, I have usually found myself quite competent to the task – even when it has infinitely surpassed the one that now lies before me; & in this case I have ample time to prepare for it.

25th Thursday night – [?] [struck-through] I went to Irving Place this morn[in]g about 10, & transacted business with Miss Gilpin, she giving me the check on Phil[adelphi]a for $600. He mother was in bed, to make up for the short night before the travellers left. Whilst I was seated there, Sarah who had walked up (I rode) also arrived, & I left her there.

Tonight I have been there again to return the Bank book with the $600 passed to Mrs. Gilpin’s credit as tho’ it were cash [underscored] that I had deposited; & there I rec[eive]d a check signed by Mrs G[ilpin] for $50, that I am to get in suitable money & return to them tomorrow. At dinner Sarah told me that Miss Gilpin said she did not need her assistance on anything. So I

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(5) suppose Sarah will carry out her plan of going to Dunnington on Monday afternoon. –

As the time approaches for the visit to Has= =tings, [Hastings-on-the-Hudson, NY] I wish I was not going: but go I must.

Mrs. Gilpin seems very well this evening. She signed her name to the $50 whilst I was there, & did so without specs - & without any fuss.

We had a good deal of talk on this all engross= =ing topic of the Rebel movement towards Harris- =burg. – The aspect of affairs is ugly enough; but I observed that the newspapers, as usual, made it their business to make the worst [underscored] of it.

I have had no talk with W[illia]m or Sarah about it, according to your plan of avoiding Politics whether at home or abroad. – I read the papers, with re= =luctance, but not without interest, & thus have gone over this evening’s Express pretty thoroughly, but I keep my comments to myself.

Walker left the office at 4; but I remained until 5, to finish some letters for N[ew] Orleans to go by a steamer the day after tomorrow. – When we sat down to dinner, Walker being absent, W[illia]m told me he had gone off to spend the night at Orange (he believed in N[ew] Jersey) where the 2 young ladies from Staten Island – “Walker’s Wives,” as W[illia]m calls them – are now living. I had no objections; but thought to myself that Walker might just as well have communica= =ted his intentions to me. – After dinner Sarah joined W[illia]m in the garden, & I read a late L[iver]pool paper until I fell asleep. I woke up of myself about 1/2 past 8, rang the bell & ordered Ann to bring in the kettle, & was about to make T[ea], when

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Sarah came in from the garden & saved me the trouble. – At dinner she produced two photo= =graphs – how acquired I don’t know. One was Capt[ain] Semmes & the other Capt[ain] Moffitt; - I ob= =served that the former was theatrical, & full of pretence, & the latter natural; & full of [‘full of’ struck-through] I might have added, full of mischief. – There was a letter this morn[in]g from “Jody,” addressed outside to Maury Bros., with an inner envelope to Sarah. Walker had opened the former, but not the latter, & I opened the latter supposing it concerned me or W[illia]m, rather than her, as proved to be the fact. It is as follows: - “24th [Dr?] Sarah, Sister I sent [me?] some days ago a letter from W[illia]m, per flag of truce, in which he said (I think) the kin were enjoying usual health, He also informed us of the death of Mrs. Allen & Mrs. Hendley, which we regret to hear. \ Please say to the [Dr?], ex=

pected company & the exciting times will pre

=vent me from visiting N[ew] Y[ork] this week; but I hope to do so as soon as I can. So ask him to defer his intended visit until I go on; as I should be afraid to navigate W[illia]m Street with= =out him to protect me against the Bulls & Bears. So if he has any feeling for his fellow man, he will await my arrival. He must recollect I am from a small place, & so of course very verdant. All well, & send love – Y[ou]rs truly – J[ody]”

It would have been better had he named this date [underscored] of his nephew W[illia]m’s flag of truce letter, but I suppose it was dated about a week before its receipt; & [negatively?] [underscored] it is interesting to us & to you, as proof, I suppose that all was going on well with Nan.

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I know nothing about the two deceased ladies, & did not ask W[illia]m or Sarah. –

I wrote a note today (costing 12c as sent by the L[ong] Island Express) to Mrs. Ehninger, telling her not to hurry or inconvenience herself, because Matthew had left home for the far West, & would probably not return for 2 or 3 weeks. – The fact is I do not want to see either her or Mr. Dunbar until M[atthew] returns.

As the Africa [struck-through] Canada (13 June) only reached Halifax at 3 1/2 p.m. yesterday, we shall probably not get her letters here before Sat[urday] even[in]g, or Sunday morning: & I shall not see them, therefore, until my return from Has =tings on Monday morning. –

Gold touched 145 1/2 this afternoon in consequence of the “exciting times” that “Jody” speaks of, but at 5 p.m. it was down to 144 3/4 or so.

The weather is all that could be desired for the travel =lers, both yesterday & today, & the Barometer indicates an continuance thereof.

I shall leave it to Sarah to stay with Miss Dun= =ning just as long as she likes. – She is but an indifferent housekeeper; & I could manage very well, I think, except for sewing on buttons etc. if she were to prolong her absence until you come home. The two W’s [William and Walker] would of course miss her far more than I should, because she contributes so much to their cheerfulness & so little to mine. – The study of all 3 seems to me to save their breath as much as possible, so far as concerns me; but I sup= =pose it is not design, but only thoughtlessness.

26th Friday night. – When I got to the office (after stopping at the Reading Room, after walking down) it was noon. Walker had been there since about 10 1/2, & had opened the following Telegram from Matthew, which was very unexpected, but under all circumstances by no means surprising.

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“Erie Railway Telegraph – New York 26 June 1863 Received at ______ by Telegraph from Hornellsville:[ Steuben County, NY] – To Maury Bros. – Hanover St. – Returning – Too fatigued – not sick – expect us tomorrow. M[atthew] Maury. “

It seemed to me that this dispatch was sent perhaps from Hornellsville yesterday; [underscored] so before sending Wal [struck-through] John [Russell] with it to Irving Place, I sent Walker to the Tel[egraph] Office, & it was 1 1/2 o’clock ‘ere he got back, the official having gone to his dinner, & W[alker] having to await his return. The clerk told him he would tel[egraph] to H[ornellsville] to ascertain the fact, & send us the result. I did not keep John any longer, but sent him up with a note from me to Miss Gilpin. - 1/2 an hour afterwards the prom= =ised message came & stated that the dispatch was left at Hornellsville about 8 a.m. on 26th (this day). [‘this day, underscored] John got back about 4 & I sent him off at once with this verification of date. – After T[ea] I went to Ir=

ving Place, & found them like myself, neither un

=easy, nor sorry at this unexpected news, & Miss G[ilpin] thinks as I do that what M[atthew] saw in the newspapers yesterday has helped to the abandon= =ment of this grand excursion. – Granting that all are well, I don’t suppose that you will be sorry either, excpet for the disappointment to Mary & James.

It rained from noon till even[in]g, so Sarah voluntarily seated herself beside me in my arm chair after dinner, & made herself agreeable. – I say voluntarily, because it is only when such atten= =tion is voluntary, that I attach any value to it, so I beg you not to take on yourself the duty of prompting. [underscored] She has also been looking after household matters & ma= =king things neat & tidy today before her visit to Dunning =ton on Monday. – I had 2 letters from Mrs. Cox this afternoon to 12 & 15 June. She wants you to buy some silk stockings for her, & I have told her (by steamer to N[ew] O[rleans] tomorow) that you will, if she gives me certain needful particulars to send to you. She wants 6 pair

[Marginalia] I rather expect the travellers will reach home before dinner tomorrow – R[utson] Maury

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5 Hanover St. – 24 June 1863

Dear Matthew

The only letter this morning is the highly satisfactory one from Washington, of which I enclose a copy. I shall not call upon Mr. Mack unless he should request me to do so, or be attempting to voice some new [botherment?], which however I do not apprehend.

Sarah set out today at 8 a.m. to go & see Miss Dunning, & to be back again by 7 1/2 this evening. – This made our family movements earlier than usual, this morning, but I suppose you were all seated in the Car at Jersey City [NJ] at the time I was getting out of bed, which was 5 minutes before 7.

I wrote to Harriet last night a letter that goes by this afternoon’s mail & addressed “ F. M. Ludlow (of St. Louis – Mo. ) Post Office, Stillwater,[Minn.] Minnesota – telling her of your movements, & that you were informed of hers by reading her letter to me of the 19th, & that if on reaching Cleve= =land, or elsewhere, you should decide to steer for St. Paul,[Minn.] you would write a few lines to her to that effect, addressed to Stillwater.

I think you will find the R[ail] R[oad] travelling over the flat prairies weari= =some for want of variety, & so be glad to exchange the cars for the deck of a steamer running variety up the Miss[issipp]i. – Harriet, you remember, says she is to quit the “Sucker State” [Illinois] at Davenport, alias, Rock Island, & get on board a smaller boat that will carry them all the way up to St. Paul. And if that be your destination, I would suggest that you should after stopping at Chicago for a day, (I stopped at the Tremont House in ’56 & understood it was the [crack?] Hotel) take the cars for Rock Island, & there embark. – Chicago is a better spot to get informed about boats on the upper Miss[issipp]i, or any other information relative to St. Paul, than Cleveland, I should think.

William has not travelled on the upper Miss[issipp]i since he was at the Falls of St. Anthony with his Mother, 17 years ago; so he recollects but little about it: but still he is necessarily acquainted with the localities on that

                                                    on

river, from having lived so long at St. Louis: - and ^ my asking him about them, he says that the rapids [underscored] are at Keokuk [Iowa] – some distance below Davenport - & that in ascending the river you enter upon the finer scenery after passing the Rapids. – How long it takes a boat to go from Davenport to Rock Is [‘Rock Is’ struck-through] St. Paul, I cannot say; but I should expect that that would be found both the easiest & pleasantest part of the journey. –

“In for a penny, in for a pound.” – “As well be hung for s Sheep as a Lamb etc.”

Thus, whilst you are about it, you had, as I think, better do the things in a complete [underscored] way. – You would of course save time by striking the Miss[issipp]i at Galena [Illinois], Prairie du Chien [Wisc.], or La Crosse [Wisc.]. But if you pull up at Chicago for a day after leaving Cleveland – as would be my plan – then, on your return from St. Paul, I should fancy your best plan would be to leave the Miss[issipp]i at La Crosse & ride by R[ail] R[oad] to Milwaukie; [underscored] & there take steamer for Mackin =aw & Detroit, & then the Canadian R[ail] R[oad] for Niagara [Falls] ,& so home. –

Don’t forget to write to Harriet or Frank at Stillwater, as I have promised, & tell them at what point [‘at..point’ underscored] you intend to strike the Miss[issipp]i, [‘strike the

Missi’ underscored] if you are bound for

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St. Paul, & don’t forget to telegraph Maury Bros. where to send letters to meet you. – The places for letters would, I suppose, be Post Office, [‘Post Office’ underscored] St. Paul, Milwaukie, & Detroit, and Clifton House [Niagara Falls, Canadian side] (or some other Hotel, at Niaga= =ra.

I am glad you have so beautiful a day for the start; but I cannot say that I look upon your projected journey with envy, or with the [struck-through] regret that I am not one of the party.

Mary must be sure & keep a journal [underscored] of all [underscored] that she sees & hears, & as opportunities occur, write letters that will answer the double [underscored] purpose of edifying those who are left behind, & her Aunt [Ann] in England.

I don’t want you [underscored] to put pen to paper until you again show yourself at No. 5 Hanover St. –

1 1/2 p.m. – W. T. Miller tells me that the Cotton market it again excited today, & 63 [?] current for Middling. – Prier gives a similar report of an excited market to Walker (who has just come in from a [cruize?], but Mr. Prier does not mane so high a quotation as Mr. Miller. – Very little movement in Gold today & quotations much as yesterday – 143 1/2 to 3/4. – The Africa carries out but

                  st[eame]r

$16 e $17,000, & the ^ Olympus that sailed today from N[ew] Y[ork] to L[iver]pool has none. 50 shares B[ank] of Commerce sold today (first Board) at 103 ex-dividend.

                                                                        27 May, I think, 

[Marcy?] is again [...ssening?]. – A later account from Pernambuco [State in Brazil] ^ which reports both the Alabama & Virg[ini]a (alias Georgia) still at Bahia, [Brazil] & the latter vessel without any armament on board. – There has been an advance in Pacific Mail Steamboat Co. ( or R. R. Co. – I know not which) stock, as W[illia]m tell me, & he is inclined to ascribe it to the Pernambuco intelligence.

No one has called at the office today for anything. – Walter remarks that he expects to be able to sell some Cotton for us, be= =for your return.

I asked W[illia]m just now (after reading to him this letter) how long it would take Harriet to go in the small St[eame]r from Daven= =port to St. Paul, & he says he supposes from 4 to 5 days.

I don’t expect to write you again until after I am informed of your ultimate destination.

Yours Affectionately Rutson Maury

To Matthew Maury E[squire] (of New York) Post Office Cleveland Ohio

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Copy [underscored]

Official – Treasury Department Office of Internal Revenue Washington [DC] June 23rd 1863

Rec[eive]d 24 May [circled]

Sir

Your letter of May 18th, alluded to in yours of June 18th, was received in the temporary absence of the clerk who has charge of the Cotton business, & was placed among papers where it escaped his notice. – I now have the honor to reply that if you paid the duties on the Cotton im= =ported by you without protest, you ought not to have been assessed for the internal tax=

es upon the same. – I have this day writ

=ten to Mr. Mack, instructing him not to enforce the collection of the taxes alluded to, if he is satisfied that you paid the import duties without protest. –

yours respectfully (signed) W. F. downs for Commissioner

To Mess[ieu]rs Maury Brothers New York City N[ew]. Y[ork\.