Auburn April 6th
My dear Augustus,
Your father has this morning
left home again for a sojourn of many weeks
He goes from here to Cincinnati by way of
Buffalo— there he is to meet Mr Wilson
for whom he has undertaken this expedition
it is a continuation of the patent business
Mr Wilson intending to recover from such
persons as have been using the patent
with improvements subsequent to the expiration
of the term for which they made the
purchase of the original right— You will
have seen by the papers that the patent
cause was decided in Mr Wilsons favour
by the Supreme Court at Washington— It has
occupied a large portion of your fathers time
for the last year— They are to go as far
south probably as New Orleans and will
be absent six or seven weeks— I felt
more than usually unwilling to have your
father leave home — the children have
both been sick so much the last month
that I feel the want of his advice
and sympathy—The excited state of the

community since the Fleming murders has produced
a feeling of insecurity which I never experienced
before — how often I wish you could be at
home with me — Your father when he
purposed going by the way of New York intended
to visit you — of course he cannot now —
If you wish I will send Fred there before
he returns to college — he came home
a week ago for the spring vacation —
Shall he come now or would you prefer
to have his visit delayed until after the
June examination when if you remain
at the Point I intend coming myself? —
Fred seems in very good health though he
is thin — has grown nearly a ^foot^ since you
saw him — Your father came home from
Orange County soon after I wrote — Caroline
Canfield came with him only for a
short visit — she has returned to her
Grandfathers Seminary — The sale of the
real estate did not amount to any
thing I must defer particulars until I see
you — Grandpa Seward is old and feeble
and Julia is is nearly incapacitated for
work by successive attack of Rheumatism —
Grandpa Miller has been suffering with
gout the last two weeks he is now s
able to ride out but cannot walk—

We keep the horses yet but John is so much afraid
of them that I do not think they will be much
benefitted by having him for a groom —
Do you ride yet in the open air? One of our
horses is a fine saddle horse — Fred rides him
occasionally — Willie does not see any good
reason why he cannot ride and drive as
the older boys do — he is very much
engaged at this time in setting a hen
which Aunt Clara gave him it takes
him the whole time to feed her and
give her drink — then he is about constructing
a new coop—The trials of Wyatt
and Freeman both come on some time in
June — the general opinion is that both
will be hanged — it is impossible to deter-
mine at present but from all I hear of
Bill Freeman unless he was instigated to
murder the Van Nest family by some other
person he must be insane as he does not
profess to have any reason for selecting them
as objects of vengeance in preference to others
Mr Blatchford and family are about moving
into the house formerly occupied by Mr Noyes
opposite Judge Richardsons —Aunt Clara
Fred and Willie send love A Dieu
Your affectionate
Mother

Augustus H. Seward
U.S. Military Academy
West Point
AUBURN N.Y.
APRIL 7