Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, August 25, 1838

  • Posted on: 4 October 2017
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, August 25, 1838
x

transcriber

Transcriber:spp:ahf

student editor

Transcriber:spp:sss

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1838-08-25

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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, August 25, 1838

action: sent

sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24  Death: 1865-06-21

location: Auburn, NY

receiver: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01  Death: 1875-10-03

location: Canandaigua, NY

transcription: ahf 

revision: crb 2017-03-16

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Page 1

Saturday, Aug 25th 1838
My dearest Sister, Though I am very tired and more
than half sick I will write today so as not to disappoint
you in a letter this week— I went Teusday with Henry
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10

to the Utica convention— I was very little inclined
to go having no acquaintances there and the weather
being so exceedingly warm but Henry seemed to desire
it so much that as I was well I could not
well refuse— Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
went with us – we left here at
1/2 past 7 in the morning in company with forty
other passengers chiefly delegates – were 4 hours
getting to Syracuse on the railroad, there we were
overtaken by Mr
Birth: 1799 Death: 1839-08-25
& Mrs Lucas
Birth: 1794-01-12 Death: 1876-05-12
who were in a barouche
belonging to some gentlemen from Seneca Falls who
were of their party also Henry's evil genius Warren
Birth: 1797-09-25 Death: 1879-05-08Certainty: Possible

Mrs Lucas was anxious to have me change with Mr Lucas
and come into the barouche but I preferred the stage
on many accounts— There were four coaches left
at the same time our party consisted of Bishop
Onderdonk
Birth: 1791-07-15 Death: 1861-04-30
Mr Smith
Birth: 1784-04-09 Death: 1847-01-12
a clergyman, Mr Bowles
Birth: 1810-05-02
clergy-
man of Batavia Billy Bostwick
Birth: 1797-02-19 Death: 1845-10-06
wife
Birth: 1809-05-01 Death: 1845-09-28
and child
Birth: 1830-12-20 Death: 1895-03-13
and
S. Goodwin
Birth: 1807-11-26 Death: 1879-05-13
. Mrs Bostwick is an intelligent agreeable
little woman strange as it may appear. the heat
and dust were hard enough but I had also a violent
nervous sick headache all day which by the time
I arrived at Chittenago had become so unendurable
that I talked of returning home by canal – however
my head being a little relieved after dinner I continued
my journey – I attempted to ride on the box between

[top Margin] this man as you may perceive was not in favour of Henrys nomin-
ation but still had no sympathy in common with one so base as
the author of the letter. The next mail after our return brought
a letter from Weed written a few hours after we left in where he stated
that John A. King
Birth: 1788-01-03 Death: 1867-07-07
(a Bradish
Birth: 1783-09-15 Death: 1863-08-30
or Granger
Birth: 1792-12-01 Death: 1868-08-31
man I forget which) of Long Island said
Warren came to him in Utica a perfect stranger and commenced his
usual account of Henry’s unpopularity – saying all the most influential
men here were opposed to his nomination.
John A King is a gentleman – of course he appreciated Warren – his
malice overleaps itself – dont repeat one word of this from
me.

Page 2

Henry and the driver but though we had less dust and
more air the height made my head whirl as fast
as the wheels and I was glad the next stage
to resume my old seat – we did not get into Utica
until nearly 12 and then could not get admittance
into any publick house all were overflowing – I had
no acquaintances to whom I felt at Liberty to apply in this
emergency unless it was Mrs Devereux
Birth: 1788-06-12 Death: 1868-08-08
and my acquaintance
then was chiefly with her husband
Birth: 1774-08-05 Death: 1848-12-10
– seeing no other
way we con[ c ]
x

Supplied

Reason: 
luded to go then. The Bishop was invited
to make his home at Mr Hollisters
Birth: 1812-03-17 Death: 1863-12-16
. Mr Smith Bowles
and Goodwin got out at Baggs concluding to stay in
the bar room all night. Mr & Mrs Bostwick were
left with us to the mercy of the inhabitants. We drove
first to Mr Hollisters to leave the Bishop – after ringing
a number of times he succeeded in getting admittance
Mr Proal
Birth: 1796-09-24 Death: 1857-09-15
the clergyman at Utica met him at the door
the Bishop told him the situation of his fellow passengers
Mr Proal then came out and told us that Mr Deverux
was from home and his house was already full of guests
adding that Mr Hollister wished us to stop there until
we could make some better arrangement, this proposal was
seconded by Mr Hollister himself who came out to the
carriage, the Bishop called for us to come along, we
finally consinted not liking the prospect of a night
in the street. Mr Proal said he could give Mr &
Mrs Bostwick a bed at his house but as his wife
Birth: 1756 Death: 1839-06-14
was
absent and he only lodging there that must be the extent
of his hospitality. I felt very uncomfortably thus intruding
myself upon perfect strangers – the Bishop dear good man
made it all smooth and somewhat relieved me by saying
Mrs Hollister
Birth: 1815-08-06
was a Miss Stanton
Birth: 1815-11-12 Death: 1902-10-26
of Albany. I know the family
but when I left Albany Jane Stanton alias Mrs Hollister was
a young girl who had not yet made her debut in
society. They live very handsomely and were truly
Page 3

hospitable doing everything to make us comfortable and at ease-
We met at the breakfast table beside the Bishop, Mr Shelton
Birth: 1798-09-11 Death: 1883-10-11

of Buffalo and Porter
Birth: 1800-01-06 Death: 1864-05-22
of Albany Mr Proal & Mr and
Mrs Bostwick. After breakfast Henry went to Baggs and
succeeded in obtaining the promise of a room in the 4th story.
The Hollisters would not allow us to go away until after
dinner. Mr & Mrs Bostwick also found a home places being
provided for the clerical delegates. Mrs Hollister urged me
very much to remain with her while I stayed in Utica but
I prefffered being at a public house on some accounts and knew
that the place which we relinquished would be occupied by
clergymen who were without homes – Mrs Hollister had a young
babe
Birth: 1838-07-16 Death: 1881-07-09
– had been out of her room but a few days – she looked
very feeble and I knew was making exertions to which she was
entirely unequal. After dinner we walked to Bagg's to examine our
room I never saw a house more crowded among a hundred others
we found Converse
Birth: 1798-11-21 Death: 1860-03-21
and Mary ann
Birth: 1805-05-02 Death: 1848-01-09
going to Skaneateles they would
have stayed all night but could get no room. Mary ann was
very glad to see me, my reception was much warmer than if I
had been alone. Mrs Lucas who came in town about 12 that
morning spent the afternoon with me – their lodgings were
at a private boarding house near us. Thursday we spent the
whole day at the convention I had previously heard the
subject of division so much discussed that the debates
were very interesting, among other ^was^ Dr Hawkes
Birth: 1812-05-26 Death: 1868-04-20
of N York
I wish you could hear him speak his oratorial powers
are decidedly superior to any one I have ever heard. I regretted
that a lame foot kept me at home in the evening but Uncle
Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15 Death: 1882-11-22
came and stayed with me so I passed a pleasant evening
Weed was going to Chenango for his family who have been
there some weeks. We talked over every thing especially the
conduct of Tracy
Birth: 1793-06-17 Death: 1859-09-12
and the reptile Warren. You cannot conceive
of the malice of the latter towards Henry, his chief object in
going to the Convention I doubt not was to prejudice as many minds
as he could – he is sending circulars all about the state to promote his
views and writing letters to every body – this morning Henry received a
letter from a gentleman from N. Burgh saying he had received so singular
a communication from a perfect stranger that he felt bound to apprise
Henry, he then copies Warrens letter to him without the name saying
it was sent to him as confidential – I wish you could see the letter
he asserts the most positive falsehoods – finally wishes the gentleman to
cooperate with him in preventing H-s nomination. The gentleman sent the
letter to Henry adding that he had not expressed any preference as to a
candidate but awaited the decision of the Convention
1st page
Page 4

I shall have abundance more to tell you when I come out which I
intend doing soon – write me when you think of going to Avon
again. We returned yesterday in company with J Spencer
Birth: 1788-01-08 Death: 1855-05-17Certainty: Possible
Mr
Unknown

& Mrs Provost
Unknown
and sister
Unknown
Dr Whitehouse and Goodwin, came from
Syracuse after dark through a dense fog the latter part of
the way I have a violent cold and am still lame, we were
obliged to walk from the railroad – I was so completely ex-
hausted as to be scarcely able to get into the house – had
the palpitation of the heart an hour. I have been in bed
all the forenoon
The former part of the day, from the morning to the noon •
Clara
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
is almost dead with the heat –
I intend she shall go with Henry when he returns to Chautauqua
but previous to that I am coming to see you – dont say you expect
me for I want to see you alone when I come. The furniture must
remain in status quo until next week – the bedstead was to be finished
Wednesday or Thursday – I hope I shall like it because three weeks is
a long time to wait for another. Tell Frances
Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24
Gus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
has a pair
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN N.Y.
AUG 25
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Stamp

Type: postmark


[left Margin] of young rabbits, soft creatures they are, I have no letter from
since last week Wednesday, your own sister Frances – I hope
you will not fail to hear Dr Whitehouse
Birth: 1803-08-19 Death: 1874-08-10Certainty: Probable
preach tomorrow
I was delighted with his conversation.