Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, December 1, 1836
xml:
Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, December 1, 1836
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:mah
student editorTranscriber:spp:mhr
Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1836-12-01
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's persons.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "pla" point to
place elements in the project's places.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's staff.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's bibl.xml authority file.
verical-align: super; font-size: 12px;
text-decoration: underline;
text-decoration: line-through;
color: red;
Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, December 1, 1836
action: sent
sender: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
location: Cincinnati, OH
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Auburn, NY
transcription: mah
revision: crb 2015-10-14
<>
Page
1
Cincinnati Dec 1. 1836
My dear Brother
I have long delayed the an-
swer of your letter, because I have
been continually in the belief that I
should in a very few days make ar-
rangements to set off to see you and
take an opportunity to answer it in
person. I have been meditating an
enterprize (official) in Cleveland & having
prepared the way, it only remained for
me to arrange matters here so that I
could leave them with safety, & go.
From Cleveland it seemed but a small
matter to slip over to your new office
& pay you a visit, & to do this, soon
has been my constant expectaition. But
I find myself a much more necessary
article here than I had supposed; I
have found myself it impossible to get
away.
Within three days I have been
sent for by my employers to proceed
to Phila and am now in a struggle
to get off in three days more. It
Page
2
is still my purpose to visit you. My
route will be from N.Y. via Albany, Auburn
Westfield & home. So that by a running
fire I can see Fanny, the Judge
and yourself. You shall hear from me
again about it.
I have seen that you have been
in N.Y. & heard that you were in Phil
, and am glad. I have no late letter
from Cornelia
found time to visit her. Her doctor
stopped a night with us on his way to
Illinois & an hour on his way back.
He likes Illinois, but Cornelia will not
I think, consent to go. I do wish she
was somewhere in the world where she
might find society & enjoy friends
Well we give it up, but not in
despair. Genl Harrison
honored, honored beyond his deserving.
And now if Congressmen will only do
what the country has done, leave little
Mattie
that the election has resulted most
happily. God send that it may
be so. I have had the pleasure
Page
3
of a couple of interviews with Mr Clay
find him having more courage than
I had expected. I like Clay & al-
ways did, notwithstanding he would not
go antimasonry.
Stone
soaking, & shuffling, likely to get
through prety soon.
Marcia
in health than she was months
ago, but is still thin, weak &
pale. I have a thousand
anxieties about her, but I
know that she is in the hands of a
kind Heavenly Father. This she real-
izes, delightfully, and is calmer for
than I can be under our fears.
Perhaps a lesson of submission is necessary
for me, perhaps, oh I cannot write it!
It would seem to me that no man alive
would feel more broken up & ruined, in
the calamity hinted, at, than I should.
I pray to be delivered from the fear of it
& especially I pray to be submissive come
Page
4
what will.
Our family, otherwise, is remarkably
healthy. Give my kind regards to
sister F. & kiss the boys for all three for
Uncle
Your affectionate brother
B.J. Seward
Wm H. Seward Esq
Auburn
New York
Cincinnati. O.
Dec 1
Type: postmark
h
B.J.Seward, Dec 1st
1836
Chicago
Cincinnati Dec 1. 1836
My dear Brother
I have long delayed the an-
swer of your letter, because I have
been continually in the belief that I
should in a very few days make ar-
rangements to set off to see you and
take an opportunity to answer it in
person. I have been meditating an
enterprize (official) in Cleveland & having
prepared the way, it only remained for
me to arrange matters here so that I
could leave them with safety, & go.
From Cleveland it seemed but a small
matter to slip over to your new office
& pay you a visit, & to do this, soon
has been my constant expectaition. But
I find myself a much more necessary
article here than I had supposed; I
have found myself it impossible to get
away.
Within three days I have been
sent for by my employers to proceed
to Phila and am now in a struggle
to get off in three days more. It
is still my purpose to visit you. My
route will be from N.Y. via Albany, Auburn
Westfield & home. So that by a running
fire I can see Fanny
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21
, the boys
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
Birth: 1772-04-11 Death: 1851-11-13
and yourself. You shall hear from me
again about it.
I have seen that you have been
in N.Y. & heard that you were in Phil
, and am glad. I have no late letter
from Cornelia
Birth: 1805 Death: 1839-01-04
, but hope to hear that you found time to visit her. Her doctor
Birth: 1798-11-26 Death: 1865-01-05
stopped a night with us on his way to
Illinois & an hour on his way back.
He likes Illinois, but Cornelia will not
I think, consent to go. I do wish she
was somewhere in the world where she
might find society & enjoy friends
Well we give it up, but not in
despair. Genl Harrison
Birth: 1773-02-09 Death: 1841-04-04
has been greatlyhonored, honored beyond his deserving.
And now if Congressmen will only do
what the country has done, leave little
Mattie
Birth: 1782-12-05 Death: 1862-07-24
in the minority, I will say that the election has resulted most
happily. God send that it may
be so. I have had the pleasure
of a couple of interviews with Mr Clay
Birth: 1777-04-12 Death: 1852-06-29
&find him having more courage than
I had expected. I like Clay & al-
ways did, notwithstanding he would not
go antimasonry.
Stone
Unknown
(of Rochester) is in Louisville soaking, & shuffling, likely to get
through prety soon.
Marcia
Birth: 1794-07-23 Death: 1839-10-25
is something betterin health than she was months
ago, but is still thin, weak &
pale. I have a thousand
anxieties about her, but I
know that she is in the hands of a
kind Heavenly Father. This she real-
izes, delightfully, and is calmer for
than I can be under our fears.
Perhaps a lesson of submission is necessary
for me, perhaps, oh I cannot write it!
It would seem to me that no man alive
would feel more broken up & ruined, in
the calamity hinted, at, than I should.
I pray to be delivered from the fear of it
& especially I pray to be submissive come
what will.
Our family, otherwise, is remarkably
healthy. Give my kind regards to
sister F. & kiss the boys for all three for
Uncle
Your affectionate brother
B.J. Seward
Wm H. Seward Esq
Auburn
New York
Cincinnati. O.
Dec 1
Stamp
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21Frances Seward
1836
Chicago