Letter from Charles Sumner to Frances Miller Seward, October 14, 1856
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Letter from Charles Sumner to Frances Miller Seward, October 14, 1856
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:mec
student editorTranscriber:spp:msr
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1856-10-14
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Letter from Charles Sumner to Frances Miller Seward, October 14, 1856
action: sent
sender: Charles Sumner
Birth: 1811-01-06
Death: 1874-03-11
location: Philadelphia, PA
receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Auburn, NY
transcription: mec
revision: tap 2017-10-14
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Page
1
Philadelphia 14th Oct. '56
My dear Mrs Seward,
I have had nothing
which I call a positive
"relapse"—nothing more
than the ups & downs
of a convalescence. In-
deed, during the last fort-
night I have become
conscious of returning
health. But it was
only during the last week
that I fully resigned
all idea of speaking
Page
2
during this contest. This I
did under the urgent in-
junction of my physician
who insisted that I could
not do it except under
peril of being an invalid
throughout this winter &
perhaps longer.
I was confined by
the opinion of my friend
Dr Howe
from Boston to visit me.
He said that I was better
than he had expected to
find me; but that I had
Page
3
before me weeks if not months
of reclusion, I trust weeks only.
I am now doing so
well, & am in many
respects so far restored, that
I am quite uneasy that
I am not a little better.
My present aim is to
be completely restored when
Congress meets, which
I shall be surely, unless
I have some unexpected
drawback.
Meanwhile I am
on exile from Massa-
Page
4
chusetts; & it is yet
unclear whether I shall
be able to return to
vote; not that I could
not go very well, were
I a private citizen, but
that I could not bear
the excitement which I
am told would be could
that I must undergo there
Hard—very hard—all this!
How grandly & beautifully
your husband
My physician tells
me now something of the abyss
out of which I have been lifted.
Ever sincerely yours,
Charles Sumner
Page
5
C. Sumner
U.S.A.
Mrs Seward
Care of Hon W. H. Seward
Auburn
N.Y.
BOSTONOCT16
Type: postmark
h
1856 April.
Philadelphia 14th Oct. '56
My dear Mrs Seward,
I have had nothing
which I call a positive
"relapse"—nothing more
than the ups & downs
of a convalescence. In-
deed, during the last fort-
night I have become
conscious of returning
health. But it was
only during the last week
that I fully resigned
all idea of speaking
during this contest. This I
did under the urgent in-
junction of my physician
Birth: 1818 Death: 1888-12-20
who insisted that I could
not do it except under
peril of being an invalid
throughout this winter &
perhaps longer.
I was confined by
the opinion of my friend
Dr Howe
Birth: 1801-11-10 Death: 1876-01-09
, who came up
from Boston to visit me.
He said that I was better
than he had expected to
find me; but that I had
before me weeks if not months
of reclusion, I trust weeks only.
I am now doing so
well, & am in many
respects so far restored, that
I am quite uneasy that
I am not a little better.
My present aim is to
be completely restored when
Congress meets, which
I shall be surely, unless
I have some unexpected
drawback.
Meanwhile I am
on exile from Massa-
chusetts; & it is yet
unclear whether I shall
be able to return to
vote; not that I could
not go very well, were
I a private citizen, but
that I could not bear
the excitement which I
am told would be could
that I must undergo there
Hard—very hard—all this!
How grandly & beautifully
your husband
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
spoke at Detroit.My physician tells
me now something of the abyss
out of which I have been lifted.
Ever sincerely yours,
Charles Sumner
C. Sumner
U.S.A.
Mrs Seward
Care of Hon W. H. Seward
Auburn
N.Y.
BOSTONOCT16
Stamp
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21