Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, March 10, 1834
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, March 10, 1834
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:keh
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1834-03-10
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, March 10, 1834
action: sent
sender: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
location: New York, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Albany, NY
transcription: keh
revision: ekk 2015-10-07
<>
Page
1
Wm Henry
You are the very best brother I ever
had except six. Thank you a thousand
times for the prospect of getting your
letters. I had heard that they
were out, and already had deter-
mined to see them somehow in
a neat little scrapbook – gotten
up on purpose to contain them –
appropriately lettered & set in my
bookcase: – and I have been won-
dering if sister Frances
make herself busy to get them to
me: – but it is all arranged. Tell
friend Weed
Whig – because the Whig man has
mixed up all sorts of things with
it, as if anti masonry
thing to follow alone – and I am
a little fearful that Thurlow is
scarcely anti masonish enough for me.
Page
2
I will send him the subscription for
a year, by the first gentleman I see
going to Albany.
Your late letter alarmed me
exceedingly. As I read it over hastily
and sayw the terms protest, and
cannot &c and the strong language
it bore, I had the queerest sensa-
tions imaginable. I have long
known that I ought to be sent to
the Penitentiary, & now thought I
the time has come. Still as I had
always intended & in the main succeeded
in doing justice to you, I could not
for the skin of me tell for what par-
ticular sin, I was about to be killed.
On a more attentive perusal, the
matter was unriddled & I found re-
lief. It is all right. The note
that Harry Seward
of the three which you are kind
enough to say you have calculated
upon, and I suppose it is past due.
Page
3
Wakemans, I learn is due the 1st April
– it is possible that Harrys is due
some months after, but I think not.
His inducement to call my attention to
it is that he dislikes to send it to
Auburn for collection & lose the pre-
mium for a draft – & as he has been
a thorough going-steel friend of mine I
can scarcely allow him to do so, at
his own cost. If it be just as con-
venient for you to pay
it in Albany, you may
send it to me at my
risk and I will send you the note
– if not inform me & I will tell
him to send it to Auburn. Wakemans
I suppose has gone to Auburn.
Your announcement that you cannot
visit us this Spring grieves us much.
We had hoped to see you here – with
Sisters Frances & Cornelia
Your Brother
B.J. Seward
NY 10 March 1834
[left Margin] h
NY. 10 March 1834 Page
4
I send to Frances the first of a series of
letters from the Mediteranean by the Prince of
Letter writers, a Chaplain on board the Delaware
– Stewart
read three columns of excursive description
& have but three ideas left.
Hon. Wm H Seward
now in
Albany
NEW-YORK
MAR 10
Type: postmark
hB.J Seward
March 10. [ 1836 ]
Alternate Text: 1834
Wm Henry
You are the very best brother I ever
had except six. Thank you a thousand
times for the prospect of getting your
letters. I had heard that they
were out, and already had deter-
mined to see them somehow in
a neat little scrapbook – gotten
up on purpose to contain them –
appropriately lettered & set in my
bookcase: – and I have been won-
dering if sister Frances
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21
would notmake herself busy to get them to
me: – but it is all arranged. Tell
friend Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15 Death: 1882-11-22
, I have dropped theWhig – because the Whig man has
mixed up all sorts of things with
it, as if anti masonry
A man whose occupation is to lay bricks and stones • A member of the fraternity of the free masons •
were a poorthing to follow alone – and I am
a little fearful that Thurlow is
scarcely anti masonish enough for me.
I will send him the subscription for
a year, by the first gentleman I see
going to Albany.
Your late letter alarmed me
exceedingly. As I read it over hastily
and sayw the terms protest, and
cannot &c and the strong language
it bore, I had the queerest sensa-
tions imaginable. I have long
known that I ought to be sent to
the Penitentiary, & now thought I
the time has come. Still as I had
always intended & in the main succeeded
in doing justice to you, I could not
for the skin of me tell for what par-
ticular sin, I was about to be killed.
On a more attentive perusal, the
matter was unriddled & I found re-
lief. It is all right. The note
that Harry Seward
Birth: 1793-04-15 Death: 1871-08-27
has is oneof the three which you are kind
enough to say you have calculated
upon, and I suppose it is past due.
Wakemans, I learn is due the 1st April
– it is possible that Harrys is due
some months after, but I think not.
His inducement to call my attention to
it is that he dislikes to send it to
Auburn for collection & lose the pre-
mium for a draft – & as he has been
a thorough going-steel friend of mine I
can scarcely allow him to do so, at
his own cost. If it be just as con-
venient for you to pay
it in Albany, you may
send it to me at my
risk and I will send you the note
– if not inform me & I will tell
him to send it to Auburn. Wakemans
I suppose has gone to Auburn.
Your announcement that you cannot
visit us this Spring grieves us much.
We had hoped to see you here – with
Sisters Frances & Cornelia
Birth: 1805 Death: 1839-01-04
Your Brother
B.J. Seward
NY 10 March 1834
[left Margin] h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10William Seward
I send to Frances the first of a series of
letters from the Mediteranean by the Prince of
Letter writers, a Chaplain on board the Delaware
– Stewart
Birth: 1795-10-16 Death: 1870-12-15
. I do not like Cox
Birth: 1793 Death: 1853Certainty: Probable
– one mayread three columns of excursive description
& have but three ideas left.
Hon. Wm H Seward
now in
Albany
NEW-YORK
MAR 10
Stamp
hB.J Seward
March 10. [ 1836 ]