Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, December 24, 1861
xml:
Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, December 24,
1861
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:crb
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1861-12-24
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, December 24, 1861
action: sent
sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Washington D.C., US
receiver: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
location: UnknownUnknown
transcription: crb
revision: ekk 2015-07-01
<>
Page
1
Teusday Dec 24th
My dear Sister
How much I long for
a talk with you this morning.
The signs of the Times are
so dark that my heart
fails me. I cannot write
what I would say.
Important events are so
rapid in their progress that
every day gives a new
colouring to the future
prospect. Just as all things
were tending to a comsum-
ation of our domestic
difficulties the selfish course
of England promises to derange
if not to destroy all.
A few days will determine
[top Margin] Henry Fred and Anna
the P.M. Generals
and I are at school and Augustus
is gone for the day. Love to Clara
Sister.
Page
2
the course of the British
Government. The speculations
of the Newspapers are not reliable
y though you can glean
some truth from much
error. Henry
incessantly and so energetically
that I am continually appre-
hensive that his strength
will give way. I send a
scrap from a Baltimore paper -
note the sentence marked and
I will speak of it in another
letter. Gen. Scott
not have returned at this time
did he not think his coming
a matter of serious importance.
As yet all is surmise. It is
a great comfort to talk with
a man of sound judgment
like Augustus
myself is a looker on.
Last evening Charles Sumner
was here with many
Page
3
other persons. I did not
see him. General Meigs
came into the back
parlour and sat a while
with us. He lamented
the suffering of the poor
horses who were without
shelter last night. They
are building barracks, and
sheds for horses as fast as
they can but as he said
such things cannot be done
in a day. The constant
movement of different Brigades
makes all calculations dif-
ficult. We have not yet
been able to ascertain where
Capt. Kennedy
are. I wish you could look
on the Arena this morning
from our window. There is a
constant line of Army wagons
and horsemen single and
in squads.
Page
4
Occasionally you see an omnibus
or a carriage but they are
exceptional. Frederick
not hear from Albany yet
but will take care of Aunt
Clara's
be anxious about it - if she
can help it. I imagine we
may have mistaken or I may
[ have ]
Reason: the closet & spoons of which
you speak. Jenny
you where those are I left for
use. I put them with her
silver she may have placed
them in the china closet.
I hope the forks will come
before the dinner of next
week. - they are needed
to make the 24. There is to
be a dinner of 18 00 Friday of this
week. Mr Pomeroy
invited guests - but I believe he
has gone or is going home. Mrs
Ashley
all her knowledge of etiquette has
sent no answer - the invitation
has been out many a week Fred
[left Margin] is this morning to send for their answers!
Teusday Dec 24th
My dear Sister
How much I long for
a talk with you this morning.
The signs of the Times are
so dark that my heart
fails me. I cannot write
what I would say.
Important events are so
rapid in their progress that
every day gives a new
colouring to the future
prospect. Just as all things
were tending to a comsum-
ation of our domestic
difficulties the selfish course
of England promises to derange
if not to destroy all.
A few days will determine
[top Margin] Henry Fred and Anna
Birth: 1834-03-29 Death: 1919-05-02
dine atthe P.M. Generals
Birth: 1813-05-10 Death: 1883-07-27
today. Fanny
Birth: 1844-12-09 Death: 1866-10-29
and I are at school and Augustus
is gone for the day. Love to Clara
Sister.
the course of the British
Government. The speculations
of the Newspapers are not reliable
y though you can glean
some truth from much
error. Henry
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
labours so incessantly and so energetically
that I am continually appre-
hensive that his strength
will give way. I send a
scrap from a Baltimore paper -
note the sentence marked and
I will speak of it in another
letter. Gen. Scott
Birth: 1786-06-13 Death: 1866-05-29
wouldnot have returned at this time
did he not think his coming
a matter of serious importance.
As yet all is surmise. It is
a great comfort to talk with
a man of sound judgment
like Augustus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
, who like myself is a looker on.
Last evening Charles Sumner
Birth: 1811-01-06 Death: 1874-03-11
was here with many
other persons. I did not
see him. General Meigs
Birth: 1816-05-03 Death: 1892-01-02
came into the back
parlour and sat a while
with us. He lamented
the suffering of the poor
horses who were without
shelter last night. They
are building barracks, and
sheds for horses as fast as
they can but as he said
such things cannot be done
in a day. The constant
movement of different Brigades
makes all calculations dif-
ficult. We have not yet
been able to ascertain where
Capt. Kennedy
Birth: 1827 Death: 1863-09-22
& his companyare. I wish you could look
on the Arena this morning
from our window. There is a
constant line of Army wagons
and horsemen single and
in squads.
Occasionally you see an omnibus
or a carriage but they are
exceptional. Frederick
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
does not hear from Albany yet
but will take care of Aunt
Clara's
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
lot. She must not
be anxious about it - if she
can help it. I imagine we
may have mistaken or I may
[ have ]
Supplied
you speak. Jenny
Birth: 1839-11-18 Death: 1913-11-09
can tellyou where those are I left for
use. I put them with her
silver she may have placed
them in the china closet.
I hope the forks will come
before the dinner of next
week. - they are needed
to make the 24. There is to
be a dinner of 18 00 Friday of this
week. Mr Pomeroy
Birth: 1824-12-31 Death: 1905-03-23
was one of the invited guests - but I believe he
has gone or is going home. Mrs
Ashley
Birth: 1836-05-26 Death: 1912-05-14
who is among the invited with all her knowledge of etiquette has
sent no answer - the invitation
has been out many a week Fred
[left Margin] is this morning to send for their answers!