.NDcz.NjM4
[1]
Via [steamer] City of Wash[ingto]n [underscored] \ 4th St. 16 July 1863 – Thursday night
Dear Ann – In my letter via China, I omitted giving you, as customary, the weekly record of Temperature etc.
After dispatching our letters by her at 11 o’clock, (up to which hour John Russell had not made his appearance – tho’ he came soon afterwards, when not wanted) I opened & read, at leisure, your letter via Persia written 27 June at Crosby Ravensworth [UK] + 2/3 July at Miss Dilworth’s, & enclosing a note for Sarah & a larger dispatch for Aunt Elizabeth. I also had a letter for [struck-through] from Fontaine, dated 12 Bloom St. 4 July, enclosing a letter for James addressed, inside, to Loui- =sa. He says you were expected to reach L[iver]pool that day, & that after posting his letter, he was going to see if you had come. – This is I think, the only letter from him since the one to me soon after your arrival, which described the difficulties encountered in effecting your landing & conveyance to Welfield Place [Liverpool] in that memorable Saturday night. –
I began a letter to Elizabeth yesterday afternoon for the purpose of sending to her by mail [underscored] your letter just rec[eive]d via Persia, & an inland letter for Mary, & when I had nearly finished the 2nd page – I was brought to an in[s]tant stop, in the midst of an unfinish =ed sentence, (at 3 p.m.) by Walker coming in to say he had succeeded in finding a private [underscored] hand via Mary Powell, but that I had not a minute [‘not a minute’ underscored] to
E[lizabeth]
spare. – As my note, or letter, to Aunt ^ was most =ly on the subject of the riots, & matters at 62 Irving Place & 365 4th St. – I was very glad to have this swifter intercourse by private hand.
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Matthew came to town at noon today, & brought me a few lines in reply from Aunt E[lizabeth], & a note to me from Mary (written on Monday) asking me to forward her letter to you which I now enclose.
He informed me that my letter to his wife yester =day afternoon reached her at 7 p.m., whereat I was much pleased.
R[ail] R[oad]
W[illia]m went up to 27th St. N[ew] Haven ^ Deport last evening, with Walker, & was informed that no
gone
trains had come in or ^ out during the day & that there would be none tomorrow (today.) Neverthe- =less he went again this morn[in]g after breakfast in time to have started at 9 1/2 a.m. (the accom =modation train) had there been any such depart =ure, & I gave him $20 out of my purse in case of need. He returned to 4th St. before I had gone to the office, & reported that they had determined to start off a train at 11 1/2 a.m. that would call at all the Stations; and he started accordingly by it, and I am happy to add that he has brought Sarah back with him. They arrived at the house about 8 p.m., whilst I was taking a comfortable nap; & about 1/2 an hour afterwards I became aware of the fact, by asking Ann if they
she
had come, when ^ I[struck-through] asked her [struck-through] me if she should bring up the kettle for T[ea]. – They had gone up stairs along with Walker, & were having a grand conclave there, as I suppose, upon the state of affairs between No[rth] & So[uth], & between [struck-through] in this trou= =bled City. – Any how they were in no hurry to report themselves to me; for after making T[ea]
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there had to be 3 ringings of the hand-bell ‘ere any of them appeared; but after a while Sarah came down, & then Walker, but I have not seen W[illia]m since 10 a.m.
There were no difficulties in the travelling in either direction, & it was but a very light train -only 2 cars – in which they returned. – Sarah got my note of Saturday on Monday morn[in]g, & she had come with the intention of starting at 5 p.m. from Stamford [Conn.] on Monday afternoon, when she found she could not get off & wrote me that note from the “book store,” – She had not rec[eive]d any of my notes I wrote to her after the Riots began -which notes were written for the 1/4 before 1 mails of Tuesday & yesterday.
After I had sent off my letter to Aunt E[lizabeth] yester =day, I wrote a page to Harriet at Stillwater [Minn.] to relieve any anxieties she might feel, & enclosed the press copy of what I had written to Sarah in the morn[in]g, when I said “All well in 4th St., “at Cornwall [NY], & in England – as I have today a “letter to 3rd July from your Aunt [Ann] & one of 4th from
time
“Fontaine.” There was very little ^ to do this be= =for the departure of the 3 1/2 p.m. mail; & when I gap [struck-through] gave John Russell the letter, I told him to run [underscored] with it to the P[ost] O[ffice] – After he had gone, & when it was too late to call him back, I was vexed to see that he had left on his desk a letter of D[avid] Spence’s for a person at Louisville, Ky. that he ought to have taken at the same time, so I followed him at a quick pace, & when I reached the corner of W[illia]m & Wall St., by the B[ank] of America,
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I beheld, to my astonishment, Master John, enga =ged in bargaining for the purchase of some Bananas! He did not see me, & was unaware of my presence until I picked his pocket of the letter, which he resisted as if I had been a real pick-pocket, but on recognising me he quickly surrendered it. He was so staggered -(as well he might be) at such gross misconduct -that I had got as far as Kings Son’s office,
overtook me &
‘ere he ^ offered his services, where I surrendered both letters, & then he ran off in right good earn =est & was in good time for the mail after all.
It was only in the latter part of last week that Matthew told me John had applied to him to have his wages raised; & asked me what I thought of it. My reply was that I would take it into consideration. – Today he was complaining of being unwell – with a head-ache apparently; & at his request, M[atthew] told him he might go home before we left the office. – This evening I reported to M[atthew] John’s 2 delinquencies yesterday
until after 11 he
-nonappearance at the office ^ , (which ^ explained by saying he was twice turned back by the Police) & the matter of the letters & bananas.
When asking for more than the $1 1/2 p[er] week, he said he count get $4 p[er] week in some occupation, that he explained, as growing out of the War, & which seemed to me an [?] affair, & not at all for the lad’s permanent advantage. – If he had not come to us at all we would not want his aid now. But I suppose we shall keep him,
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(5) & give him some [underscored] advance; but I would not give him more than $3 a week at present, if that.
Having nothing particular to do today at the office I spent part of my time in inflicting 2 pages upon Mrs. Greene, at Narragansett Ferry R[hode] I[sland] –
Walker again slept in Irving Place last night.
Matthew had gone there this evening before the return of W[illia]m & Sarah; & as I had availed myself of the resumption of the running of the Horse Cars today on all the City railroads – to ride both ways – I turn =ed out after 9 p.m., & walked as far as Irving Place, & reported the arrival of the travelers. This is my first nightly walk since Sunday. – I saw nothing but quiet wherever I went; but I did not extend my walk beyond 18th St. – the cars were still running when I was returning, at 10 p.m.
I believe that all the disturbances are now at an end; but I am far from satisfied that there will not be a renewal of them, if there be a renewed at- =tempt at carrying out the Draft.
When Sarah came to join me at T[ea], I gave her your letter to herself as well as yours to me via Persia & as well as [‘as..as’ struck-through] divers[e] others to read.
You say to me that you hope she has been wri= =ting to Nan regularly in your absence. – If she has written to her at all, [‘at all’ underscored] I am unaware of the fact; nor shall I ask her to do so; for I prefer to let her follow her own devices, as much as possible: -just as in the case of this last & long visit to Dun- =nington.
She tells me that she has been preparing things to send to Louisa, but that they are not ready yet. The Dunnington visit has doubtless suspended their
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preparations. –
I was having quite a long talk with William last night about So[uthern] Slavery & other subjects. –
I spoke of Fontaine & his schemes. – I said that I had no idea that he would be able to carry out his plan of becoming the Agent at the South of two rival [underscored] machinery concerns in England, vizt. -Fawcett Preston & Co. and Tayleur & Co. - & that I do not think that I[struck-through] either [underscored] will give him that appointment. – W[illia]m said he thought it would end in F[ontaine] going out to N[ew] O[rleans], & J[ame]s again setting him up as a Cotton-broker. – I said I did not expect the latter plan would be carried out, and observed that as he is bent on returning to the South, the best thing for him would be to return at once to his old pursuits of Engineering on some of the So[uthern] Railroads; for there will be an extraordinary [underscored] demand for engineers on all [underscored] those Lines whenever Peace is restored.
His letter of 4 July to me is of a gloomy & discontented turn. – He is hoping that the coming summer & fall at N[ew] O[rleans] “may be the sickliest ever known!” – He will feel greatly dejected, therefore, when he hears of the uncon =ditional surrender of Vicksburg [Miss.] & Port Hudson [La.] & the retreat of [General Robert E.] Lee from P[ennsylvani]a & M[arylan]d, & [General Braxton] Bragg from Tenn[essee].
Friday night – 17th July – Matthew has returned to-day to Cornwall. – After threatening rain all day, a very heavy thunder storm set in about r 1/2 p.m. - & it has been raining almost ever since.
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I had a delightsome letter to day from Harriet, & now enclose a copy of it, also of a short letter I wrote to Jody today, after talking over the matter with Sarah this morning. –
By the China I sent you the [NY] Times of Monday & Tues =day, & by this st[eame]r the same paper for Wed[nesday], Th[ursday] & Friday.
It is an entire mistake that 15 of the 7th Reg[imen]t were killed in last night’s conflict between Military & & the Rioters; - no one was injured belonging to that Reg[imen]t. – I am sorry that that fine fellow Gen[era]l Har =vey Brown is superseded in command by the U.S. forces in & around this city. – A Gen[era]l Canty takes his place, - Gen[era]l [ John A.] Dix comes here in place of Gen[era]l [John E.] Wool - & it is expected he & Gov[erno]r [Horatio] Seymour [NY] will agree together better than Wool & the Gov[erno[r.
The Draft is to be enforced; - it is only temporarily suspended in this City. – We have now 4800 troops in the City. - & the Express says there will soon be 8000 in N[ew] Y[ork] & Brooklyn. -.
to those you have been rioting
The invitation of Arch B[isho]p Hughes ^ to come to his house this afternoon in Madison Avenue, to hear an address from him, is authentic; [underscored] & no difficulty is expected from the assemblage, but just the reverse: the Arch B[isho]p would hardly get thro’ his harangue, I think, before the deluge from the thunderstorm pound down. – The R[oman] C[atholic] clergy have done what they could to restore order. Two of them were the means of saving Columbia College from being attacked & pillaged. – [E[ve]n?] Gov[erno]r King came forward fearlessly to address a mob yesterday [struck-through] on Tuesday at Jamaica [NY].
He told them that the Draft would have to be enfor =ced; when they requested him to step aside. They did no harm to him or his property; but they pillaged the Provost Marshall’s office & the P[rovost] M[arshall] had to cut & run for his life.
As usual with the newspapers, those on both sides are doing all they can to make politi=
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cal capital out of these Riots – just as in the case of John Brown.
For my part I consider that men drafted into the Army against their will are not of much more value than “Quaker guns,” as regards the enemy, & that they will be apt to mutiny & make mischief. The Volun- =teer system, however costly in Money is far preferable.
It is argued on the part of the Democratic press, that the North has already men enough in the field: & I am inclined to think that such is the fact, after the recent very heavy losses on the Confederate side. – It was a matter of prime necessity to reopen the Missi[ssippi] river, of it were possible. – I am rather glad that Lee has effected his retreat without another battle: - but I hope that [M...?] will be captured. –
It is rumoured today that Charleston [SC] has been captured, burnt & evacuated; but I don’t believe it. – I should rejoice in its capture, but deplore its being burnt by either party.
No[rth] Ca[rolina] shews a decided inclination to secede from Secession \ [Confederate President] Jeff[erson] Davis is losing his popularity.
It is in reason for Mr. Lincoln’s successor to consummate Peace & Reunion – or rather for the people at large, both No[rth] & So[uth] thro’ the Ballot-boxes. –
Our late successes will then to produce more vigilance on the part of the English Gov[ernmen]t as to the fitting out of steamers for Confederate privateering.
Yours affectionately R[utson] Maury
I am glad to hear of the £100 legacy to Mary Bold.
Office 18th 10 1/4 a.m. No disturbances last night – all quiet, & all of us well. – I send you the Times of Today. Capture of Charleston is at best premature, but does not seem to be so very unlikely to occur. Gold 125 c 125 1/2
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New York 17 July 1863
My dear Cousin
Yours of the 10th to Sarah was duly re[cieve]d during her absence; for she has been staying with a lady in Connecticut, since 29 June, until last evening. –
The trains on all [underscored] our Railroads – both horse [underscored] cars in the
in &
city & steam-trains ^ out of it – resumed running regularly [underscored] yesterday; when the Dr. [William] left by the first one, at 11 1/2 a.m. on the New Haven line, and reached 4th St. just as ex- pected, [‘just as expected’ underscored] a little before 8 p.m., with Miss Sarah under his wing. – There was no difficulty of any kind either going or returning.
I felt confident that our riots are now entirely sub= =dued; or you may be sure, I would not have sent for Sarah yesterday.
From your letter of the 10th, I infer that you intend bringing your “better-half” along with you whence you
visit
make your contemplated ^: and I can only say that if you will put up in 4th St., as long as you are here, you will be doubly [underscored] welcome on that account. My Sister’s [Ann] room is all in readiness to receive you.
I wish you could bring, or send, us some late tidings of Nan
My letters from Ann are to the 3rd inst. [3 July] She & Mytton were very well, & enjoying themselves.
Yours sincerely R[utson] Maury
To J[ody] W. Maury Esq[uire] Wilmington, Del[aware]
