Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Augustus Henry Seward, February 7, 1856

  • Posted on: 4 May 2022
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Augustus Henry Seward, February 7, 1856
x

transcriber

Transcriber:spp:bpt

student editor

Transcriber:spp:amr

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1856-02-07

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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Augustus Henry Seward, February 7, 1856

action: sent

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

location: Washington D.C., US

receiver: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01  Death: 1876-09-11

location: Cape Sable, FL

transcription: bpt 

revision: jxw 2022-04-12

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Page 1

Washington Feb 7th—
My dear Son,
I received your first
letter from Cape Sable
in one week after it was
written which makes you
seem much nearer to
us than last Winter –
I am sorry my letters
do not reach you – this
is my 4t — – I infer from
your letter that the [ ex- ding ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: exceeding
cold of this season
does not reach you, I
feel quite inclined to go
then too and live in a
tent on that pretty beach –
The Thermometer here on
Monday the 4t must have
Page 2

stood many degrees
below zero, as it is
admitted to have been
the coldest day of the season.
Aunty
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
& Aunt Clara
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05

write that it is also very
cold at the North –
There has of course been
much suffering here among
the poor – Clarence
Birth: 1828-10-07 Death: 1897-07-24
and
his family
x Birth: 1852-02-26  Death: 1927-04-04  Birth: 1828-05-22  Death: 1906-12-09 
came at the
time expected, also Uncle
Polydore
Birth: 1799 Death: 1872-04-23
and Frances
Birth: 1836-02-16 Death: 1910-02-06

Uncle Polydore and Clarence
remained but two days –
the others are here yet –
Clarence spent last
Sunday here – returned
to N. York again Monday –
The season has been
about as gay as usual
Page 3

I think it well
that the observance of
Lent is a check upon
this dissipation which
cannot fail to be in-
jurous in its consequen-
-ces when long indul -
-ged. Among the numer-
ous parties our family
have attended there has
been one at Mrs Wood’s
Birth: 1811-04-09 Death: 1875-12-02

(Gen Ta Taylor
Birth: 1784-11-24 Death: 1850-07-09
’s daughter)
and one at Gen Webbs
Birth: 1802-02-08 Death: 1884-06-07

I send your card
or rather the envelope
to Mrs Wood’s – Mrs
Wood taking it for
granted that you were
the married son –
One came from somewhere
Page 4

addressed to Mr & Mrs
Seward Jr – which Willie
Birth: 1839-06-18 Death: 1920-04-29

has appropriated – Will
says he is very tired
of parties and very glad
there is an end of them —
Thomas Miller
Birth: 1817-07-09 Death: 1864-07-23
came the
4t and went with the
ladies the two last eve-
nings – he seems much
pleased with Frances
Birth: 1836-02-16 Death: 1910-02-06

His sister-in-law
Birth: 1837-04-10 Death: 1920-09-26
whom
I once thought he would
marry is engaged to a
Mr Hunt
Birth: 1833 Death: 1881-05-21
of Ditroit
M Thursday evening –
A letter came from Aunty
last night saying that
Uncle Worden
Birth: 1797-03-06 Death: 1856-02-16
was failing
very rapidly and she
Page 5

would not probably
survive over a few days –
Father
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
took the cars
this afternoon to go to Can-
andaigua
by the Southern
road– I fear he will
be detained by a snow
storm as no mail comes
to us from the North this
evening – Father was to
have gone to Saratoga
some time next week
and will go there now
before he returns here –
It makes me sad to
think I shall not see
Uncle Worden any more
here – my thoughts go
back 31 years when he
was a young man just
married – full of hope
& health – the retro-
Page 6

spect is painful – it is
more pleasant to look
into the future where
the weary are promised
rest – Aunty writes –
“Worden does not suffer at
all – is not in possession
of his senses but a few
moments at a time” –
I had a letter from
Frances
Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24
last week, she
said her father was
failing rapidly - she &
her family
Birth: 1822-02-03 Death: 1888-11-24
remain at the
Hotel yet – Little Frank
Birth: 1854-02-13 Death: 1931-05-23

grows interesting to them
all daily – You may
hear before this reaches you
that Banks
Birth: 1816-01-30 Death: 1894-09-01
is finally
elected speaker by the
adoption of the plurality rule
Page 7

The Democrats changed
their candidate nominating
Mr Aikin
Birth: 1806-01-26 Death: 1887-09-06
a southern man
who was supported by the
greater part of the Know
Nothings who dropped their
candidate – 27 voting for
Aikin – 7 for Banks the
remainder scattering –
This is considered a great
triumph of Republican
principles – The final vote
stood Aikin 100 – Banks
103 – It will be a useful
triumph if it places the
K. N. – in a true position —
A letter from Aunt Clara
last week says all is
well at Auburn
The Auburn House was
burned down about ten
Page 8

days ago – McClallen's
Birth: 1791-09-07 Death: 1860-11-16

shop took fire one morning
from the stove pipe of an
adjoining building but was
put out without much in
-jury – Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
writes to
his father that the N. York
delegation to Pittsburgh will
be in all respects a strong
one. We have had two
dinner parties since I
wrote – Anna
Birth: 1834-03-29 Death: 1919-05-02
has not been
well for a week past but
is better – she sends love
as do all – Take care of
your health & May God
preserve you in safety –
Mother–