Revision as of 12:39, 5 March 2015

[1]

via Canada [underscored] 4th St. – 4 July 1863 – Saturday night

Dear Ann

I have had a quiet time today

         the

amidst all ^ nose & the burning of powder.

I had an unbroken sleep last night; & woke at 1/2 past 7 – I suppose from the report of guns or crackers, or both. – After glancing at the pa= =per, when I had breakfasted, I lit my cigar & walked down the Bowery; & after allowing many cars to pass me, I at last got into a yellow one below the Central Market, & thus reached the P[ost] O[ffice] at 10 o’clock, where I added the P.S. in pencil to my letter to you via Bremen, & posted it. I then found another letter in our Box: - it was for Miss Gilpin, & having some blank envelopes in my pocket, I walked to Gilpin’s Reading Room & directed one to her at Cornwall [NY]. – I wrote at the Post Office, (Whilst waiting for the chance of other letters) a long pencil p.s. to a letter I had written last night to Sarah, & acknowledged a blank envelope from her, postmarked “Darien [Conn] 4th July,” returning to me you letter via China. I had some hopes of getting a “Still-water” [Minn] letter from Harriet today; but was disappointed. Just as the P[ost] O[ffice] was finally closing at noon, I took my departure, & quietly walked homewards. On my return up town I found the bulletin-boards had attracted large

[2]

crowds, by the announcement of Victory for Gen[era]l Meade, after the 3 days fighting ending last night, & a congratulatory address on this occasion from Mr. Lincoln, accompanying gen[era]l Meade’s Official Dispatch of last night to Gen[era]l Halleck. – It were needless to add that I

           or more thankful

felt the happier ^ in consequence. – I was much heated & rather tired when I got home, a little before 1, after being 4 hours on my feet. – Mary opened the door for me & asked me at what hour I wished to dine. I said it was best to let one dinner answer for both; & so named 4 o’clock for the purpose. –

After washing hands & face & changing my shoes for slippers, I took Mr. Hutchison’s arm -chair & another one into the porch, and a volume of the Country Parson’s Essays, & settled down comfortably in my favorite L position; & thus divided the time between reading & napping until 3 p.m. when I set to work with the watering can: for the Ther =mometer, after reaching 76 [degrees] had fallen sever

al [degrees]: & I felt rather cooler than was agrrea

ble; & by 4 p.m. I felt more hungry than I had been for many a day: - & so I enjoyed my dinner very much. I left much [struck-through] more than twice as much as I at – new pota-

toes inclusive; & I topped off with a rem

=nant of sponge cake, but left the larger

[3]

share of said remnant & accounted it plentifully with plumb-jam, for the Misses Nugent; for which alterative the junior one made her acknowledgments with a bow & curtsey! - I then betook myself to the arm-chair in the porch, & read but did no more napping; but did some puttering in the garden – training & water- =ing. One part of my reading was so very amusing, that I burst out into an uncontrolla- =ble fit of laughing. – It was an epitaph on an Alderman of 4 lines, each line com =posed by a brother alderman.

When I went into the garden after coming up town, I was surprised to see that the Cape Jessamine had put out a flower, full bloom & decidedly odorous. The plant is in a very thri- =ving & healthy state, & has many flower buds on it. – I ordered T[ea] at 8, & ate 2 slices of bread with relish along with it. I turned out a 8 1/4 for a walk, & went up the 4th avenue, expecting to find a grand display of fire works in Madison; - but, as was the case last year, they were all over before I got there; and I had all the inconveniences of a crowd without any amends. By degrees I got ahead of the crowd, & pursued my walk as far as 42nd St. – Walking back along the 5th Av[enu]e, when I got to Delmonica’s, there were boys crying “Extree Herald,” & I laid out 5¢ on a copy: - but I need hardly add, it was

[4]

5¢ thrown away, as the Extra matter pub- =lished by the Herald at 8 1/2 p.m. was only what was placarded on the Bulletin board at noon. - \ I was just 10 when I ended this walk \

I hope the other members of the family may have spent the day as satisfactorily as I have done, & that they are all feeling as well as I now do, after my 7 mile’s walk.

The City is now all still & quiet; & I have heard neither gun nor cracker since I sat down to write this letter. – it is now 1/4 past 12, & I am about to go th rounds & then straight off to bed.

July Minimum Max[imu]m 1 68 80 2 71 1/2 79 3 72 81 4 72 1/2 76 1/2 5 69 72 6 70 73 7

Mortality weeks in [18]63 ending June 27 – 407 July 3 [overwritten] 4 – 396

last year June 28 – 361 July 4 [overwritten] 5 – 339

in [18]61 June 29 – 455 July 6 – 393

July 6th – Monday night. – I did nothing in the shape of correspondence yesterday. – It was a dark & gloomy day, light rain for a few minutes after 9, & incessant light rain from noon until about 4 or 4 1/2 p.m. – I rose at 7 1/2. The congregation at St. Tho[ma]s was thin. Dr. Morgan was not there, but some stranger in his place to aid his assistant, & the stranger preached. There was a collection; - for what I know not. After service I walked down to the P[ost] O[ffice] & finding a letter (franked by Mr. Bayard) for Miss Gilpin, I went to the Reading-room to re-direct it to Cornwall & posted it, - & then walked home to my solitary dinner. – I had a nap, & after T[ea] I walked to 53rd St. & back, & when I came back I read until bed time, in Dr. Drapers new book. – His style is not good, & he uses too many technical terms, not intelligible to those who, like me, are

[5]

(5) not [underscored] scientific: - nevertheless it is replete with interesting matter & with many ideas altogether new to me. –

I walked 7 miles on the 4th, 9 on the 5th, & only 4 today. – Altho’ I rode down this morning, it was almost 11 1/4 ere I reached Gilpins’ room. When I got to the office, I found Walker there; & after a while William come in, to hear what news in Harriet’s letter which he had seen on my desk, & of which I hand you a copy. – When I had just begun to copy it, I was interrupted, most unexpect- =edly, by a call from Col[onel] W[illiam] Gilpin! [‘Col...pin’ underscored] He arrived yester =day on a steamer from San [struck-through] the Isthmus, & is last from San Francisco. As Matthew had not made his appearance, it devolved upon me to entertain him for 1/2 an hour, or so, until M[atthew] came in. He is now looking very well, but told me he had been much otherwise before embarking. In riding across the country to San Fr[ancis]co, the stage he was in, or on, was upset, & this broke one of his ribs: [‘broke...ribs’ underscored] but the voyage had set him up. I enlightened him as to the condition of his Mother, Sisters, Rich[ar]d & Miss Dil. /worth; & urged him to embark at 3 1/2 p.m. in the Mary Powell for Cornwall; but he said he could not spare the time, & was bound (via Phil[adelphi]a) for the far West again – to wit Denver City! [Co]

I gave this report of him to them at Cornwall, by writing a letter via 3 1/2 p.m. mail Elizabeth: & before I had closed my letter, yours of 22/23rd ulto [22/23 June] via City of Washington was delivered to me very seasonably, as it contained note for Elizabeth which I enclosed in mine - & I also enclosed

[6]

to her a copy of Harriet’s letter from St. Paul [Minn], after reading which E[lizabeth] must feel all the better pleased at having abandoned the Journey.

Bye the 12 3/4 mail I wrote a few lines to Sarah to

                                    we

tell her of Harriet’s’ letter & that ^ were all reassem= =bled after the 2 days holiday, & all well –

After I had read your letter, & dispatched that to Elizabeth, I referred to your [A/current?] for [18]’62 to be sure that I had all the items correct for the re- =turn of your Income; & if I [havenot][struck-through] have time I may pay a visit tomorrow morning to the Assessor, corner of 14th & 8th Avenue, to hand in both your return & my own. –

As there is a steamer for N[ew] O[rleans] tomorrow, I wrote to Rutson acknowledging his letter of 26 June, reporting the one today from you, & enclosing him a fresh letter of Credit for $250 a month for 6 mo[nth]s ending 20 Jan[uary]y 1864. And as I made 2 press copies of my manuscript copy of Harriet’s letter. I enclosed one to him, & mailed my letter as I went by the P[ost] O[ffice], with Matthew, on our way to dinner. –

Matthew dined with us; & the meal consisted of cold lamb, green peas, new potatoes, a pie & some fresh raspberries. –

I took a nap after dinner, & saw nothing more of the 2 W’s [William and Walker]; & I know nothing whatever of their adventures at Turners.

The Tribune, instead of the Times, was by some mistake left at the house this morning; & I found much interesting matter in it that

[7]

I read before going down town. – There was a copious series of extracts from Fanny Kemble’s Southern Experiences on her husband’s Rice Estate in G[eorgi]a or So[uth] C[arolin]a, & I read them all. – They are not calculated to help the So[uthern] cause in England, or to make Mr. Mason feel good. –

I have had scarcely any time to skim the Manchester Guardian since you left, or for some time before. But yesterday, after my nap & before T[ea], I took up the 4 latest copies.

I stuck a pin at the following item: - “The “Spectator states that out of the 8 essays sent in “at Oxford for the Chancellor’s prize for the best “Latin Essay on the present American struggle “-the subject proposed by Lord Derby – 7 are “on the Northern side.” – This seemed to me a verification of the remark of Mr. Hamilton’s brother in law, Dr. Markham, to one in 1861 – “The “Times” isn’t England.” –

I see there is again talk of L[ouis]. Napoleon [III] in= =tending to recognise the So[uthern] confederacy as an independent power, - but I don’t expect it.

Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg [Pa.] seems to have been in every way more important than that at Antietam [Md.] last year. But perhaps it is too soon yet form a correct opinion on the subject. –

There seems to be some danger of N[ew] Orleans being recaptured, or at least of Gen[era]l banks being compelled to retire from Port Hudson [La.].

No[rth] Carolina is becoming very discontented.

[8]

Matthew told me this afternoon, that he had heard today a report that one of W. Steward Brown’s sons was killed at Gettysburg.

I called this evening at No. 19 G[rea]t Jones St. with your note for Matilda Van Ness. The servant told me she had left town, but that her brother was there, & that she would hand it to him.

I was unaware of Dr. Russell’s death until told of it by your letter today. – His brother in law, the Rad [stuck-through] R[everen]d Mr. Chapman died whilst I as last in England. – I never saw either of them after I left school; but tried hard to see the former in [18]’39. He then held a living in Bishopsgate, [London, UK] & lived in a small square near the Church; but his hour of audience being before 9 a.m. & I living in St. James St. [London,UK] I could not compass it. –

I shall be very glad if poor Mary Wakefield should derive any relief from Homoepathic treatment, as well as much surprised; for I apprehend she is too low in bodily strength to [derive and from?] Homoepathy. –

I wish that one of her nieces would soon come to Sedgewick [UK] & “relieve guard.”

Gold opened today at 38 1/2, in lieu of 48 1/2 this day week. – Littledales again press us today to sell cotton; but Matthew tells me there is now “no market for Cotton”

yours affectionately R[utson] Maury

[Marginalia] It is high time we had another letter from Tobin.