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4th St[reet] [New York, NY] 9 Sept[ember] 1863 – Wednesday night
Dear Ann
What with early rising this morning, plenty of writing (in a stand[underscored] =ing[underscored] posture) at the office, going to meet Mrs. Rich[ar]d Gilpin, & no nap after dinner, I feel pretty tired, altho’ I have had very little bodily exercise today – & so do not intend doing much writing before I go to bed. –
I rose at 6, mistaking it for 7; but it was just as well, for it secured breakfast for us at 1/2 past 7, & that secured arrival at the office as early as requisite to dispatch the letters for the [steamer] Persia before 1/2 past 9, & I had not more than 5 minutes to spare. After that, I wrote 2 pages to Sarah, & asked for a letter from her or Walker every other day whilst they are away. – I paid sundry Fire Insurance accounts, including 12 mo[nth]s to 11 Sept[ember] [18]64 on the House & furniture. – I had to pay a visit to our Custom -house brokers, & afterwards 2 visits to the Custom House itself. – I wrote 2 pages to James by a steamer to sail to-morrow, & enclosed a $50 note in the letter to enable him to add to Louisa’s comforts.
I had 2 visits – one from Colo[nel] Gilpin to ask about his brother Richard’s wife - & the other from Mr. Everest (& son), who had expected to find Walker at the office & to obtain some information from him to aid him in his search for a “one-eyed perch,” alias a tutor for his school. Luckely W[illia]m came in whilst I was talking with Mr. E[verest], & then I left them to talk it out, whilst I went off to the Custom-house; & when Mr. E[verest] left, W[illia]m wrote to Walker as to the object of his visit.
In one way or another I was kept in constant employment until 4 1/2 or 4 3/4 p.m., when I left the office for the day, & in company with Da vid Spence & W[illia]m, adjourned to a restaurant in Hanover Square, where we had a comfortable, but not very cheap, dinner, for which I paid the bill - $3 1/4. Dinner, over at 5 1/2 p.m., we then all 3 walked to the Camden & Amboy station, rather in a hurry, to be in good time to meet Mrs. R[ichard] Gilpin. We had to wait then upwards of an hour & a half, as the steamboat did not arrive until 7.35, and it was a most uncomfortable, tiresome task, - & very much the more so, on account of the sudden fall in temperature. This morning I dressed more lightly than for many days past, & yet with little exercise, that [underscored] little produced streams [underscored] of perspiration; but this evening I felt chilled to the very marrow of my bones, whilst waiting with David & W[illia]m during that wretched hour & a half or longer: it was not that I was wet at that [underscored] time with previous per= =spiration, but because I was so lightly clad, & the strong Nor =thern blast so cutting. – I had no difficulty in finding & recog-
nising “Brinca dear,” with her 2 cherubs & the nurse. David se
ashore
=cured a carriage, & I carried the elder cherub ^ in my arms until they ached. I then rode up with them (at a cost of $2) & it was 8.20 when we got to Matthew’s door. The servants had all in readi=
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=ness, & it was only necessary to wait until some Mutton chops were being broiled. – Soon after we reached Irving Place. Colo[nel] Gilpin called; & I was glad of it, as it saved me the trouble of talking with “Brinca dear.” He left when I did, at 9 1/2 p.m., & Brinca was in some anxiety by reason of the non-arrival of her trunks. I promised to call & see her after breakfast tomorrow morning, tho’ it will put me to some inconvenience. At parting I pre= =sented to her 6 or 8 fine peaches in a paper box that I had bought (the peaches) incontinently & pocketed on my way to the office.
She does not, to my eye, look either as young, as rotund, or as well as she did 12 mo[nth]s ago, but she did not seem as much tired with her journey as she was then. – I felt much obliged to David & W[illia]m for their aid & countenance. – And now that all is over, I am glad that this task devolved on me instead of Matthew.
10 Sept[ember] – office 3 3/4 p.m. – I am now the worse for my paternal duties yesterday – As something marvellous, I may remark that last night I had about 8 hours of unbroken sleep between the sheets! – After break =fast, according to promise, I rode up to Irving Place, & it was 10 1/2 a.m. when I reached them. “Brinca dear” sent down word to me that feel =ing somewhat tired, she had not yet got up, & she supposed (as an excuse I suppose for being so late) that at a later hour in the day she might have a visit from Matthew. – The chambermaid said (to my enquiry) that they were all well, & would probably leave in the boat today for Cornwall [New York]. – I told her to take care, in that case, that the hack start =ed in good time – say at 10 minutes before 3. – I was glad to see the Trunks standing in the lobby. – Unsolicited by me, when the servant brought Brinca’s message to me, she also brought me from her the $2, I had paid for the hack. \\ - I had intended taking a baas =ket with me to carry down town to bring home some Peaches; so I had to return to Irving Place for [‘Irving...for’ struck-through] the house for it. – When I was waiting in 3rd Avenue for a Red car to carry me to 4th St[reet], I fell in love with some most beautiful looking melons – quite fresh gathered - & bought two of them for 35¢, & so with these in my h[and]k[erchie]f, I rode back to 4th St[reet] & then rode again down to the Park; for there was not time for me to enjoy this luxury of a walk; but I shall walk home with my baasket already filled with with 20 magnificent peaches – 10 of one kind & 10 of another – but each alike in the price of 3¢ a piece.
Mary was to buy some small plums today for preserving, if she met with nice ones – such having been, as she said, Miss Sarah’s instructions before going to Darien [Connecticut][Dunnington] - & of course I endorsed said in- =structions. And I told Mary that whenever the Morris Whites [‘Morris Whites’ underscored] where at the market, good, & in good supply, I wished to have a whole [underscored] baasket thereof preserved, she doing half on one day & half on the next one. Mary observed that Miss Sarah had said that if she was in the country when it was time to preserve the Peaches, she would
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come to the city [New York] to aid & superintend in the operation. –
W[illia]m had been at the office & gone away up town (& has not returned) He had opened a letter to me from Harriet to see if there was any thing inside for it for himself. He had written a note to Sarah, which, he left open for me to add to if I liked.
Thursday night. – I have taken a brisk walk (after a sound nap & a late T[ea]) to 26th St[reet] along 4th Ave[nue], & have thus secured fully 5 miles walking today; but with such fine bracing weather (61 [degrees] at sunrise followed by 69 [degrees] max[imu]m only in spite of a cloudless sky) I would have liked to have walked 10 [underscored] miles, if I had had the time for it.
On my way down town I found the note I enclose [‘I enclose’ struck-through] from Sarah (postmarked Da =rien 10th & written yesterday) which I now enclose, as well as copy of a little one from W[illia]m inside of it. – so I added 2 pages closely written, upon the sheet, on which W[illia]m had briefly told her that he purposes going out to Dunnington [Darien, Connecticut] with Miss Sophy on Saturday morn[in]g to spend the day & return in the evening. I told Sarah of my pater-familias doings on behalf of Brinca & the cherubs; & said it would not suit me to accept Miss Dunning’s invitation; that I was glad to learn Walker was getting on so well, & that Ja[me]s & he had spent the day so pleasant =ly: that I thought of him & my shawl, & hoped he was well wrapped in it, if he was out smoking his pipe, or otherwise “killing time,” whilst I was shivering in cold at the Camden & Amboy Station last night. I also told her of Harriet’s note of 6th (I now enclose) rec[eive]d this morn[in]g & reporting all well at Bleak House. And whilst thus engaged, Matthew arrived & handed me a note from Elizabeth to Walker, & one directed in a strange hand (while I have since learnt was from one of the Miss Haddens) for Sarah, both of which I enclosed to her, & sent off my note to her by the early mail – 1/4 before 1. - \\ N[ota]B[ene] Matthew tells me that the Miss Haddens have left Cornwall & returned home, for they came down with him via [steamer] Mary Powell this morn[in]g. \\ I then added a long P[ost] S[cript] to my letter of yesterday enclosing the $50 to James, & had the letter mailed in good time for the st[eame]r Morning Star, to sail this afternoon. – I named to him the information from cousin Belle as to Mrs. James M. Carlisle (to look after the $196 for me to collect for Sam Pollard & send to his mother) & said I should now write to Mr. C[arlisle] accordingly with Sam’s order on the other ([?] [?]) party at Washington [D.C.] for the assignment of the claim: - And I afterwards did this & mailed my letter in time for this afternoons mail to Wash[ingto]n [D.C.] – Matthew did not bring me any note from Elizabeth; but I fancy that her note to Walker, that he gave me today, was instigated by mine to her, or rather by the copy of mine of 7th inst[ant] [7 September] to her son James.
Matthew left the office soon after 3 because he had to go to the Monthly meeting at his Savings Bank. – I told him of Brinca’s arrival etc; but did not tell him of the miserable time we had in waiting for her. – I supposed he might go up to Irving Place before dinner to ascertain whether she left today; but he did not. – He told me after he came to the office that before doing so, he had called at King’s Sons, & finding they were offering to sell sterling at 144 1/4 %, he had afterwards seen Wotherspoon & others, & told them that we would sell sterling to the extent of £4000 at 144% which drew from me the remark that in such a matter as that, - whether he was correct or not as to the expediency of selling this [Exch[an]ge?] at such a price against our balances lying in England – I thought
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it right that he should consult with me beforehand [‘consult...beforehand’ underscored]; for that I do “not like to be treated as a mere cypher.” – This was sharp [underscored], but not more so, as, I think, than the case called for, because it is not long since he & I had a talk (commenced by me) as to these balances, & he then said he coincided in my opinion that it was inexpedient then to draw for them. Since then, Gold has gone up about 8% & gone down again some 4 of 5% - He took my remark in good part. – When he went home after dinner, I gave him you letter via [steamer] Scotia & a bundle of other letters to me to read. – I had a talk with W[illia]m after breakfast as to his departure for S[ain]t Louis [Missouri] It seems likely that it will not be long before Mr. Ludlow & Sophy return, & if so, W[illia]m is inclined to wait until then. thus I dare say he will yet be here for another week or two, & perhaps longer; & under these circum= =stances David intends making a [tittle?] out into the country, as I shall not be left alone. He is to leave tomorrow afternoon therefore, & comeback on Monday. –
Today’s papers have the following in their obituaries, which Matthew had observed as well as I, but knows nothing further about it. [Drid?]. “On Wed[nesday]: 9th inst[ant] [9 September], at the residence of Charles King, Newport R[hode] I[sland] Angelica, daughter of John R. Livingston, aged 22 years! (Funeral at Trin =ith Church, N[ew] York, on Friday noon.)” –
William has as yet no reply to his letter to the Provost Marshall at Wash[ingto]n [D.C.] as to the young man Nan desires me to enquire about. But he has learnt of some one here thro’ whom he expects to have enquiry made, & I fancy it is the same party you went to about poor Johnny.
This evenings papers have accounts from Pernambucco [Pernambuco, Brazil] t 28 June, direct at this port, reporting the capture of 2 merchantmen by the [Confederate States Ship] “Georgia” on 25 June, whereof one was ransomed & the other burnt. –
When I was smoking a cigar in the garden after dinner, Mary brought me a plate having on it a small sample of the 7 lbs of “Plumbago” she has made today. I told her I had already tasted it by dipping my finger in one of the jars on the table up stairs & found it very good; that it was a kind of preserves we all liked very much, & that I would like her to make other 7 lbs of it the first lei- =sure she had; & she spoke of Tuesday next for the purpose. At T[ea] Mr. [struck-through] David & I sat in judgement over the said sample, & he seemed to admire it as much as I did. – It is of the proper gelatine [underscored] consistency, like well made Red Currant Jelly.
11th Sept[ember] Friday night. – I have had 2 miles walk since T[ea], & a nap of 2 hours before T[ea]. – My walking today has been but 4 1/2 miles I secured 2 miles by walking down town; but as it was 1/2 past 5 when I left the office with all our letters in my pocket to be mailed there & then for the [steamer] City of Balt[im]o[re] (as 4 of them advised bills we drew to-day) I felt obliged to ride home to dinner.
Last night when I ceased writing on this page, I wrote 3 pages to Aunt Elizabeth (in reply to nil [underscored] from her.) the first 2 were chit chat on various topics most of domestic & family character, & the 3rd related to my unpleasant experiences the night before, in waiting upwards of
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5 an hour & a half for the Camden & Amboy boat. – I said I was glad that the task had devolved on us three instead of Matthew, as he might have been laid up with a severe cold after it. – And at the conclusion I wrote “N[ota]B[ene]. If this journey should be repeated next “year, I hope – for the sake of all parties, including the lady her “=self – it may be made by the Mail [underscored] line, instead of this exe= “=crable, female [underscored] line.” – I enclosed your letter ending 29 Aug[us]t & this morning added a P[ost] S[cript] on enclosing James’ nice letter of the 10th -of which I hand you a copy – and said I was glad to learn that Mrs. Rich[ar]d Gilpin went up to Cornwall yesterday, & I hoped that she & her two cherubs had not encountered any difficulty in reaching their journey’s end.
N[ota]B[ene]. I forgot to tell either Matthew or Elizabeth, that on coming home on Thursday night, Mary informed me that Mrs. Henry [underscored] Gilpin had called about noon to enquire about Walker, & had said that she was on her way back to Phila[delphia] [Pennsylvania], & was to leave the S[aint] Nicholas Hotel (I think was the hotel) with that object at 1 p.m. – Of course Mary was able to [meet?] all her enquires. – I must tell Walker of this.
I enclose copy of a letter (or note) to me from Mrs. Sabine, which the postman left at the house this morning before I went to the office.
I carried down 2 empty baskets, & when near the Park filled each with 15 fine peaches (2¢) each, & still farther on, seeing some very much finer ones, at 3¢ each (very [underscored] large & fine) I filled my pockets with 10 of them: and these 10, & 15 of the former were after =wards wrapped up as usual by John Russell, each in a separate piece of paper, & then deposited in Matthew’s little bag. – And on my way up town towards the P[ost] O[ffice], on my way to dinner, laden with 1 full & 1 empty basket I refilled the latter & my pocket with 20 more fine peaches, at 3¢, each, to go by William & Sophy to Dun- =ington [Darien, Connecticut] tomorrow morn[in]g, But alas! when I reached home, Ann gave me the dispatch I have copied on the back of Sarah’s letter to me, desiring him to defer his visit until Monday or Tuesday. -and what to do with all these fine peaches I hardly know. Perhaps Mr. Ludlow & Sophy may come & dine with me & W[illia]m on Sunday & help us to consume them, & the fine Melon that now lies in the pantry. – He (i.e. William) went to the Lafarge [House] after din =ner to inform Sophy of the dispatch & to learn whether she would be likely to accompany him to Dunnington on Monday or Tuesday, also to ask them if they would idne with us on Sunday, & to know if Mr. L[udlow] had any new lights from S[ain]t Louis bearing upon the ques= =tion of an early return or a prolonged stay here. – they had been spending the day on Staten Island [New York]. – After he had sat with them for 3/4 of an hour, they & he went off somewhere to see Sophy Cald=
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6 Caldwell, whose father, the old Actor & formerly Owner of the American Theatre at N[ew] O[rleans] [Louisiana], had died this afternoon. – It was after my return from my nights walk, that W[illia]m returned – with all 3 questions (as to Dunnington, Dinner, & Departure for S[aint] Louis) in Dubiety. But William thinks that he himself will any how – rain or shine – run out on Monday to Dunnington, if for no other purpose than to carry to Sarah a variety of things that she wants.
W[illia]m went to-day as he had been directed by some one, to call on one Dr. McDougall in Brown St[reet] [New York, NY] a few doors W[est] of Broadway, to see if he could get any clue there Sergeant Edw[ar]d R. Stamp’s present whereabouts. – He found that the proper quarters to apply to, or the most likely, were the Gen[era]l in command at F[ort] Delaware [Pea Patch Island, Delaware], if the young man was not wounded, or the Surgeon in Chief at Getts =burg [Pennsylvania], if he was. And he wrote two letters accordingly this after =noon, - of which I made & retain press copies. –
Turning in at Gilpins room as usual on my way to the office, I saw there was some rumour (I presume only for Stock-jobbing) on Phila[delphia] authority (seldom correct in such cases) that Charleston [South Carolina] had surrendered, & that the city was in flames. On the strength of this rumour I saw also that Gold had gone down from 130 to 129. – And when I went to the office & told Matthew thereof, he told me that before this rumour was put forth he had this morn-
less 1/8% brokerage
-ing sold £4000 at 142 ^ (£1900 on E. Heath & Co[mpany], £1100 R. Benson & Co[mpany] & £1000 Hodgson Mather & Co[mpany]) and he seemed pleased with what he had done, as 1/2 an hour after the sale he could have bought Brown Bro[ther]s d[ra]fts at 141 1/2 . But I was not pleased, neither was I satisfied that he had acted judiciously in making the sale. However I made no fuss about it, & set to work at once, & [drew?] out the 3 bills. – That took some time. – I then copied James note, as Matthew asked me if he could carry it up with him to Cornwall, which he did. – After that I wrote a letter to John Davis in reply to his rec[eive]d 2 days ago, & shewed him how impossible it was for us at present to spend our time in hunting after information he wants as to the fate of the letter-bag of the steamer (the Britannia) seized when attempting to run out thro’ the blockade at Charleston [South Carolina]; as in that letter bag there was a Bond of $4,000 the property of his brother Geo[rge] Y., which he (John Da= =vis) was to have collected in Phila[delphia]. – He [was?] us to get all manner of evidence, if we can, bearing on this letter bag, thro’ the Br[itish] Consul here, & I told him he must wait until Walker is here to attend to it.
After that letter was mailed \ before 4 1/2 p.m.\ I wrote to E. Heath & co. & Clunas
All this will explain my detention at the office until 5 1/2 p.m.
[Marginalia]
I have not time to read over what I have written to you on this 1/2 sheet. Y[ou]rs affectionately R[utson] Maury
