.NTA0.NjY5
[1]
4th St[reet] N[ew] York [New York] 22 Sept[ember] 1863 Thursday night
Dear Ann
If I am up early enough tomorrow I intend to send this by the [steamer] Scotia, whose mail close at 9 1/2 a.m. –
& evening
I rode both down [town] & up this morning ^ I was late in going down in consequence of employment in assorting & bundling up the newspapers, the multitude of which lying scattered about being an eyesore & nuisance, quite offensive to my organ of Order; for this task had not been performed since 31 May. [’31 May’ underscored]
Having thus be deprived of the needful walking exercise before dinner, I was not sleepy, after our late dinner (about 7 p.m.) & employed myself first in red [struck-through] reading to myself your letter of 7/8th inst[ant]: [7/8 September] for at the office I had so much to do that I could only read, & that very hurriedly, the sad P[ost] S[cript] of 8th [‘P.S. of 8th’ underscored] inst[ant] [8 September] from Welfield Place. [Liverpool, England] I opened your letter before Matthew left at 3 for Cornwall [New York], to see if there were any enclosures for him to take with him; & glancing at the P[ost] S[cript], I told him the purport; & busy as he was, he seemed to feel it properly.
I read the whole of the Sedgwick [England] letter you enclosed for Sarah, & finding it did not extend to the intelligence that had carried you off so abruptly to L[iver]pool [England], I wrote a short note to Sarah to name it to her. – When I had finished the entire perusal of your letter to me, I read it aloud to W[illia]m & Mr. [David] Spence; & W[illia]m was of course shocked to hear to this sudden death of Mr. Addison, who had been so kind & thoughtful to many members of our family. – I than em= =ployed my time until T[ea] in writing to Harriet. – After T[ea] I turned out & walked to 31st St[reet] & back, thus setting my blood in motion this bright clear cold night, & completing 4 miles walk for the day. –
As I walked these last 3 miles, I was brooding over the sad events you have named. – I am glad you obeyed the first impulse & hurried back to L[iver]pool, where your presence was more wanted than anywhere else. – It was just like Mary Mary Bold to start off at once for Dublin [Ireland] & Rostrevor [Ireland]; but I wish she had taken her nephew George along with her, as
[2]
she is not well qualified for undertaking such a journey alone, & he might also have been useful at the end of the journey, & during the return of the whole party to New Brighton [England]. – If I had been on the spot, I would have gone with her, in default of more efficient escort. –
I expect that poor Margaret will bear up bravely under this sad bereavement; but I fear it will be altogether too much for her daughter Emily. – It seems a pity that Mr. North & Maggie had not been married some weeks before this terrible affliction -for it would have rendered the homestead at Gors[e]lands less cheerless & sad than it must now be. – I presume that Mar =garet & her daughters will continue to reside there, tho’ they cannot move a step at any hour day or night, inside or out of doors, without being constantly reminded of the loss they have sustained. – But they all have such trust in God, that I be= =live He will afford them strength & consolation.
At Welfield Place they must feel that they have lost the man [underscored] of the family, their prime friend & co[u]nsellor. Mary must miss him greatly as adviser in her financial matters, & other business. I find it difficult to realize the fact that I am never to see Tom Addison again, in this world. – He was so kind to me on all occasions & seemed always so pleased in doing anything to promote my comfort or happiness, that I shall miss him very much indeed, if I [were?] return to L[iver]pool, And I am glad I saw so much of him during my last visit.
Poor Capt[ain] Maude too. I liked him much, tho’ I saw but little of him. – I little thought his career was to be so brief.
It is well for Emily that she has a child to look after, or she might think there was nothing left on ealt[struck-through] earth worth living for. –
I shall look forward with deep interest for your further reports of all the family, & all the more so because it seems
was
so lately that I ^ among them, & daily connected with so many of their plans & movements. – And I am right glad that you are now in my place, & able to help & console them so much more effectually then I could have done.
I am glad too to see by your letter to Sarah today, that you seem to have made up your mind to remain until the 7 Nov[ember]
[3]
I do not admire the letter to you from Walker that I enclosed to you today. – He seems bent on blunting his feelings by what he calls “Philosophy.” – I have done my best to soften him, & to win his confidence; but it seems all in vain.
I do not intend sitting up again until 3 or 4 a.m. to point out the path to happiness here & hereafter; for it is only wasting my time. –
Your letter solves the riddle about Fontaine’s plans – Perhaps you may get further light from his Uncle Horatio, if you should chance to meet with him; as I fancy it was he who furnished the money for his passage; for in his letter of 15th to James at N[ew] O[rleans] [Louisiana] he speaks of Uncle H[oratio]’s sorrow for Walker’s accident. –
I now enclose the copy of James’ letter to Duncan Sher= =man & Co[mpany.] – Yesterday when Matthew had read these two letters to that firm & Robert L. Taylor, I proposed that, when he had time, he should see the parties & present these 2 letters, as the more likely way of securing for James’ the needful discharge: & I think he will do so.
Before I went down town this morning I had made up my mind to find Gold up to 150, or some such figure, & had also determined that I would take upon myself the conse =quences as affecting Mr. Clunas. His limit for the sale of the $2000 of Reading [Railroad] Bonds was 115, combined with Sterling at 140, & a margin of 2%, rather than miss the sale. As the Bonds were sold at 117, this (including the said margin) required us to remit at not more than 144 for Banker’s bills. But on Friday, when we first heard of the sale, such bills were at 147.
Today we got the money, & settled the account by remitting him J. G. King’s & Sons on Barings,[Barings Bank, London, England] as tho’ we had bought the Bill at 144, tho’ we paid 151 1/2 for it. It is my own private [‘my own private’ underscored] affair to stand in the gap, as I tell Clunas; & I say that if his inde= =pendence rebels, then, as regards this difference, he must consider it an affair between Mrs. [underscored] C[lunas] & myself, & a little mo =ments of “aul[d] lang syne” twist her & me. But I dont tell him what we paid for the Bill – I trust he will consent to this ar= =rangement; for I hate to be instrumental in the losses of
[4]
others, & if anywise blameable I would far rather bear the loss my =self. – I am obliged to you for writing as you did to Rob[er]t Such but I wrote to him myself at the time I named D[octo]r Barlett’s death to you.
We were expecting to sell 400 bales Cotton to day, but could work up the buyer to the requisite price, or work down the price for the bills. –
W[illia]m Sabine – alias the young parson – called here yesterday, as Ann informed me, to enquire about Walker. Yours affectionately Rutson Maury
[5]
[New Orleans?] 11 Sept[ember] 1863
Mess[ieurs] Duncan Sherman & Co[mpany]
Dear Sirs
I had hoped until the death of Mr. Starke [who?] was killed in battle, to have been able to make some sort of a settlement with him, & remit you on account
the
of ^ claims against me, transferred to you by [Thorberry?] Bro[thers] & William P. Wright. – As matters stand, how[ever?] & between Secession & my inability to do any business while my debts to you & others are hanging over me I am utterly ruined; & for a year past have been dependent on my uncle, Mr. Rutson Maury.
Will you kindly grant me such a release as will enable me to do something towards earning my bread?
My may rest assured that if Fortune should by & bye favor me, my greatest pleasure will be to call & settle accounts with you I am, dear Sirs. yours truly (signed) James Maury
A similar letter was addressed at same time to Rob[er]t L. Taylor E[s]q[uire]
James’ letter to his Uncle Rutson of 11th Sept[ember] enclosing these two to Duncan Sherman & Co[mpany] and Rob[er]t L. Taylor [?] [enclosed?] the following memorandum:
“Starke was killed at Antietam [Maryland]. W. E. Starke. He was then Brigadier General, & charged at the head of his brigade. – His sone was killed about 3 months before “With all his faults he passes great courage. “
