Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, April 12, 1861
xml:
Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, April 12, 1861
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:mhr
student editorTranscriber:spp:cnk
student editorTranscriber:spp:iwl
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1861-04-12
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, April 12, 1861
action: sent
sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Auburn, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Washington D.C., US
transcription: mhr
revision: amr 2021-03-04
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Page 1
Friday April 12 th
My dearest Henry
The account of
affairs at Washington
alarms me for your safety
How much you must
be troubled and perplexed
by the distraction of
the country – I feel
condemned for sleeping
peaceably while you
are so disturbed –
Every ring of the bell
suggests the bearer
of some evil tidings –
Every body feels uncomfort-
-able from this state of
suspense but few seem
to apprehend the dreadful
consequences of the inau-
-guration of a civil war.
A few days must decide
I pray God that our
worst fears may not
be realized —
After a week of sunshine
the clouds are gathering
for a storm – the birds
continue to fill the air
with music & the
pretty crocuses ^still^ enliven
the borders of the garden
walks —
Fanny
Birth: 1844-12-09 Death: 1866-10-29
is walking every
day – her cough
gradually abating –
Miss Hosmer
Birth: 1843-11-17 Death: 1897-09-21Certainty: Probable
is to spend
some days with her
before returning home –
Lazette
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
goes every day
to Pisgah – she is hurried
with summer preparations
It makes my heart ache
to see her strength so
much diminished since
last Spring at this
time – though she
does not see the necessity
of an entire change in
her regimen she begins
to feel that her health
is no longer firm –
Last night she spoke
of consulting Frank
Hamilton
Birth: 1813-09-10 Death: 1886-08-11
– do you
think this advisable – if
you do I will go with her
to Buffalo or send for
him here as she shall
prefer – Disease which
may be arrested in its
early stages often becomes
unmanageable by neglect –
With many cares
and some perplexities
here, you are always
in my thoughts —
May God protect
you all —
your own
Frances