Letter from Samuel Sweezey Seward to William Henry Seward, December 17, 1836

  • Posted on: 10 March 2016
  • By: admin
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Letter from Samuel Sweezey Seward to William Henry Seward, December 17, 1836
x

transcriber

Transcriber:spp:mah

student editor

Transcriber:spp:sss

Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1836-12-17

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Letter from Samuel Sweezey Seward to William Henry Seward, December 17, 1836

action: sent

sender: Samuel Seward
Birth: 1768-12-05  Death: 1849-08-24

location: Florida, NY

receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10

location: Westfield, NY

transcription: mah 

revision: crb 2015-10-14

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Page 1

Florida 17th Dec 1836
My dear Wm Henry
Mr Thomas A Cummin
Birth: 1814-03-28 Death: 1885-03-24
of New York
who is now in business for himself and a very
sensible fine young man is on his way to Chicago
will call at Westfield and deliver you this.
You will confer a favor on me by receiving him
kindly and rendering his stay with you as
pleasant and comfortable as possible.
Nothing very material has transpired
Since you left Florida Religious anxiety
and attention is the all absorbing business
in all this region of Country at present.
I think it commensed at Eden Ville about
the time you left this, and has been spreading
Ever since and in every direction. That district
fearfully alarmed are preparing to receive the prize
few are left that do not publicly declare it
is good for them to have been there.
Edwin
Birth: 1799 Death: 1872-04-23
declares that 6 or 8 weeks ago old
things were done away and all things
had become New. He is a usefull mem-
ber of society and his deportment has
entirely changed. A protracted Meeting
has been going on for Ten days past in this
place and you can have no conception
of the thorough work that is going on. The
[ Clergemen ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: Clergeymen
are from the Methodist Epispocall
Church. They are Sober still and [ indefatacable ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: indefatigable

in their work. Some of them are well educated
and handsome Speakers.
My [ heath ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: health
continues much as when you left
except a few very ill turns when I suffered so
much that I would gladly have bid [ adiu ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: adieu
and
gone home to be no more When these afflict-
ing scenes arive I cant but lament your
distanse and absence but still I know it is
right and I wish to be resigned
Page 2

I am fully sensible that my stay here is but
short and can cheerfully say Gods will be
done. I think however when this change comes
your presense will be desireable as soon as
Convenient. I often reflect on the weight
of business my departure will devolve on
you, but even in this I have consolation
was I about to place a [ distetute ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: destitute
family and
connections on your hand for support my
heart would [ ake ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: ache
for you but thanks be to
a kind providence the reverse of this is
the case. There is enough to place every branch
of the family who are dese ^r^ ving and to
whom you will be bound to distribute it
well off, and to remunerate
To reward; to recompense; to requite; in a good sense •
yourself for
all your trouble and fatigue. I have
selected a man
Birth: 1802-09-27 Death: 1878-12-20
in whom I place great
Confidence to assist you in this arduous
business. I have no doubt but you will be
pleased with him. My outstanding demands
are now in a [ wholsom ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: wholesome
plain and safe course
of opperation. On this part you can have no
trouble. On the distribution you and your
friend will have my [ expliset ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: explicit
directions
which I shall expect by you strictly to
attend to. The material difficulty will
arise from the necdussety necessity of your becoming
Guardians of those who need the kind
assistance of a brother and a friend.
I have spent much of my time in years
past in this arduous
High or lofty in a literal sense • Attended with great labor; difficult •
but consoling course
A man never is nor ever ought to be so
happy as when he is [ concious ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: conscious
he is doing right
The most impressive object that presents it-
self to my mind is your Caire attention
and Love to your dear mother
Birth: 1769-11-27 Death: 1844-12-11
. I hope I have
amply provided for her but she will still
require kind supervision and advise.
Page 3

The Methodist [ Epislocal ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: Episcopal
society have
agreed for a lot, get nearly enough
subscribed and intend building
a church in Florida in the spring
Dr Pitts
Birth: 1786-11-18 Death: 1853-04-20
and Co are up from New York
and actively engaged in [ m ]
x

Supplied

Reason: hole
aking
preporations for starting their factory
and Mills as early as possible.
Gentlemen from New York are
looking out for farms in the [ vicinty ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: vicinity

of Green Hill
The Creditors of our
tenant at Summervill
fall on him last week with
out mercy which compeled
me to take legal measures
to save what I could of my
stock on the farm and rent
I employed Monell
Unknown
to relieve
myself of the burden but found
him a [ mear ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: mere
baby in these thing[ s ]
x

Supplied

Reason: hole

we shall be very extensively the
loosers. In such cases I regret your
absence. Not that I regard paying
others but because I find them so
totally deficient. We have not
heard from GWS
Birth: 1808-08-26 Death: 1888-12-07
since you left
us. Neither have we heard a word
from Auburn. Will you write
as often as possible, it is always a
great pleasure to hear from you
and your dear family. Your
Affectionate Father
Saml S Seward
W H Seward
Page 4

I had made up my mind to make
it an object to Thomas A Seward
Unknown
to come
and live with me and assist in my
business. But E. present standing if
sustained will prevent the [ necdussety ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: necessity

of this. Oh! That a kind providence
may suport him. As I find my strength
daily declining and my passage to the
[ toom ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: tomb
very short I think it not improper
to say that it is my wish that my remains
be placed in a good M. coffin That enclosed
in a lead one and plased in a dark
cellar untill a good vault worth say
from $500 to a $1000 can be built
Your kind letter from Albany was Recd
The remarks you made on the wishes of
ETP
Unknown
will become fully weighed and attended
to. You know he and some others have now
been inclined to come out front with their
Father. Therefore anything you may
draw from them and suggest to me
may be of use.
William Henry Seward Esq
Westfield
Chatauqua Co
New York
Politeness of T.A.
Cummins
Esqr
Chicago Ills.
Jan 27
x

Stamp

Type: postmark

Hand Shiftx

William Seward

Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
S.S.Seward
17 Dec 1837