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Via [Steamer] Edinburgh [underscored] 5 Hanover St. [New York, NY] 24th July 1863 – 4 p.m. Friday

Dear Ann

I enclose a letter to you rec[eive]d today from Nan – but written, as you will see 6 mo[nth]s ago! [‘6 months ago’ underscored] – If I was disappointed in opening the envelope, how much more would you [underscored] have been, had you been in my place. –

It was only 2 days ago that a d[ra]ft on Maury Bro[ther]s for $50 – was presented, drawn by M. S. Gilpin in favor of R H M & Co. on 25 Feb[ruar]y. – From the fact of our having had nothing later from nan than 11 May (& that was via [Steamer] Nassau [underscored]) I must think there is excessive vigilance in intercepting correspondence all along the lines.

I enclose copy of a sweet, amiable, charitable [‘sweet...table’ underscored] [?] of Fontaine’s that reached me yesterday. Matthew took the little note to Mr. John A. King Jr. & left it at King’s Sons soon after noon yesterday.

Mrs. Duer was then alive - & that was all!

  (say at noon)

This mo[rn]ing ^ Mr. A Gracie Sr. called at our office, & told us that she died this morning, & is to be buried at Jamaica on Sunday; & it is my intention, of course, to go there. –

Matthew had gone back to Cornwall [NY] this after= =noon, as usual, to return to the city [New York City] on Monday.

I had one of James’ tremendously long letters at 9 pages-thick, [heavy?] fool’s-cap, & he wants me to send 4 pages of it to Fontaine. I shall make a copy of the whole & send it to you, separa =ting what you are to shew to Fontaine, & waht you are to withold. – But it will not be a pleasant undertaking in this warm weather.

He begins his letter 8 July & winds it up on the 13th - & sent it by private hand. –

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The same steamer brought me a letter from Rutson yesterday, dated 15th. – In a p[ost] s[sript] he says he does not know what are William’s plans for the future, but thinks he had best not come to N[ew] O[rleans], but go either to St. Louis [MO] or Cincin =nati [OH], where he has friends. – This is a most complete ‘non–sequitur [‘non’ underscored], of course. He urges this reason on the ground of William’s want of capital. That want is undeniable; & yet it is a good reason for going thither, as he will thus be aided by business from these very friends at St. L[ouis] & Cincinnati; & if he were to settle in either of those places, he would only be a rival [underscored] in trade. – R[utson] has too much sense not to understand all this; but I fancy he has an idea of embarking him= =self[‘himself’ underscored] in the kind of business that William followed in N[ew] O[rleans] & now intends to resume, & so he wants W[illia]m to keep away! –

The other day, when I laid before W[illia]m the letter from Ja[me]s of 3rd July, in which he says that the climate of N[ew] O[rleans] does not agree with Rutson or his wife, nor his child. – W[illia]m pointed to that part of the letter, & said “I am glad of it”![‘I...it’ underscored] – I was shocked, as you may suppose, & replied – “You are think= =ing of yourself only.” [‘yourself only’ underscored] – “Yes,” he said, “I “want them to go away, if I go there.”

It is perfectly horrible to me to see this everlasting bickering & quarrelling of these nephews of ours, & their plotting & [mining?]

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against one another! [‘plotting...another’ underscored] – I mean these 4 old= =est ones. – James is the only one who has shown a disposition to aid each of the other 3. – His present wish (as you will see by his letter of 8/13th. inst [8/13 July], when I send you a copy of it) is to have Fontaine back again in N[ew] O[rleans] - & he is contemplating taking him into partnership with him. – But James is over head [& ears?] in bankruptcy; & I have told him it is utterly out of the question for him ever to succeed, until he has obtained a release.

His present letter (8/13th) enters into this question, & I just confess it fills me with dismay, when I look at his embarrassments, & the difficulty of getting rid of them: - for he has no money, no assets of any kind, & it would require a large sum [‘large sum’ underscored] to make up only a minimal [underscored] divi= =dend of 10 or even 5 p[er]cent. –

What nonsense, then, I say – for Fontaine to link his fortunes – or mis[underscored]-fortunes – with James! – It is only like the blind leading the blind! - & both together falling into the ditch.

But it strikes me that perhaps Ja[me]s has an idea of carrying on his business at N[ew] O[rleans] un =der Fontaine’s name. [‘under name’ underscored]

Yours affectionately Rutson Maury

25 July – 9 1/4 a.m.

I see the paper announcing the death Mrs. Duer, says – “Her funeral will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday at Trinity church Hoboken.”

The former part of the announcement in

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this morning’s [NY] Times is as follows “In Weehawken N[ew] J[ersey] on Friday July 24, “Caroline, wife of Denning Duer & daughter “of the late James Gore King, in the 50th “year of her age.” –

On my asking Sarah about the locality of side Trinity Church, which she explain= =ed as far as she knows: - she added “I believe we are all going. – I was pleased to learn that this is the intention of the 2 W’s [Walker and William] & Sarah. – We must dine on our return from Hoboken.

Office 10 3/4 a.m. Gold 125 7/8 – A letter from Jody accepting my invitation to himself & wife & saying they will be with us by 7 1/4 this ev[en]ing. (D.V.)

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Copy [underscored] 12 Bloom St. [Liverpool, UK] July 11 / [18]63 Rec[eive]d 23 July

Rutson Maury Esq[uire] – New York

My dear Uncle Rutson

Things are entirely unchanged, except in so far the news from your side affects us. – I begin to have some hopes that the capture of Phil[adelphi]a & Balt[im]o[re] & the demolition of that sink-hole of iniquity – that modern Babylon, exceeding in wickedness old Babylon in the proportion of Civilization of Barbarism – that town that is impure as its namesake was pure – Washington – may end the War & bring the Abolitionists to their senses.

Aunt [Ann] left today for Watford [UK] & London[UK]. – As she was leav =ing, she gave me a note & a book for Mr. John A. King, to be handed him on the steamer. – I found he had gone last week; therefore I send you the note now, & if

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Aunt [Ann] thinks proper, shall forward the Book by next Saturday’s steamer.

Will you please let Walker (if he has not already done so) go to the office of [Inman’s?] Line, & get a parcel of Clothing to be forwarded to Colo[nel] W[illia]m Harding from his brother. – They went on last Wednesday’s boat to his care.

Your affectionate nephew Matthew F[ontaine] Maury

P. S. I think I shall sail for New Orleans in Oc= =tober – late. –