Letter from George Washington Seward to Samuel Sweezey Seward, July 20, 1833
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Letter from George Washington Seward to Samuel Sweezey Seward, July 20, 1833
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student editorTranscriber:spp:crb
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1833-07-20
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Letter from George Washington Seward to Samuel Sweezey Seward, July 20, 1833
action: sent
sender:
George Seward
Person
Name: George Seward
Birth: 1808-08-26
Death: 1888-12-07
Person
location:
Florida NY
Place
Name: City: Florida
County: Orange
State: NY
Country: US
Place
receiver:
Samuel Seward
Person
Name: Samuel Seward
Birth: 1768-12-05
Death: 1849-08-24
Person
location:
London
Place
Name: City: London
County:
State:
Country: GB
Place
transcription: aew
revision: crb 2015-12-16
<>
Page 1
Florida July 20th 1833
My Dear Father
This day completes the seventh
week since I took leave of you on the deck
of the Europe and with my best wishes for
a speedy voyage and agreeable journey returned
on board of the little Steam Boat and watched
the onward course of your gallant vessel
untill she appeared as a naked poplar.
far away on the very verge of the horizon
and yet we have not heard a lisp of
your progress—We feel very anxious to learn
how you bore the fatigue of the voyage and
sustained that which we all feared would
be too much for you constitution, sea-sick-
ness. We hope that it turned out well & that
you continued to gain strength, and will
eventually return with invigorated health
We are daily and hourly expect some tidings
but we may yet be destined to wait anoth
er week, but oh! forbid it should be much
over that, I went to Goshen
Name: City: Goshen
County: Orange
State: NY
Country: US
almost in the
full assurance that a letter would be there
but was dissapointed, I sometimes think I
will not go any more and then I reproach
myself for being so easily discouraged—
Well of the many topicks which I have
in keeping to write you, I know of none which
I suppose ^to^ of so much interest to me and may so
be to you as that of your little Grand Daughter
Sarah Cornelia
Name: Sarah Seward
Birth: 1833-06-08
Death: 1891-06-12
—for the first month we did not
but expect her life, She appeared to be sick and
very sickly, was poor indeed, but now appears
to have got entirely well and grows very fast
Page 2
She fills up and is now doing as well as we
could expect—She has the Seward mark the
red hair and blue eyes and as her Aunt Sarah
Name: Sarah Seward
Birth: 1811-08-24
Death: 1854-09-16
says she is a plump—Oh! you'll not see her
like in all the lands of Europe—
Tempe
Name: Temperance Seward
Birth: 1812-09-30
Death: 1848-10-18
is pretty much recovered and has
resumed the care of household matters—
As for our farming operations, I have succeeded
in securing the rye, it was a very good crop
and got in without the least damage not
any rain falling to interrupt it. I have also
secured two loads of wheat the remainder
would not do to cut untill another day or
two. I have cut some hay and stack it together
with some old straw on the back meadow
adjoining the bog meadows—I have cut
considerable of hay of the square and long lots
and the back orchard. I do not know what
to do with all of the hay. I must either
buy up a lot of cattle to eat it or else lose
the use of it altogether, to do the latter I
cannot hardly reconcile myself. I think
however—I will buy cattle and winter them
I think I can make a little out of the hay
in that way—My corn looks very well—
pasture has been plenty all the season, but
butter has been very low—I am in hopes it
may take a raise and—
I have sowed the fox hill lot on Polydores
Name: Elisabeth Seward
Birth: 1795
Death: 1797
place with buckwheat, so that if we should
be so fortunate as to have a tolerable crop of
you need be be afraid of wanting that very de
sirable item of good living next winter—
Cattle is high at this time, I believe I shall fat
and sell some of the poorest of the cows and
purchase others in their stead—
Page 3
Another attempt has been made to remove the
Post office and has succeeded petition in the old
way was got up and circulated privately but
they was detected when William A Wood
Name: William Wood
Birth:
Death:
thinking
that he was entitled to the office started him self
as a candidate & did not do but very little
being fully satisfied that a removal would take
place—A letter was directed to me by the
Assistant Post Master General
why a change of site was required to which
I replied about a fortnight after -the papers
oath bond &c came on for Nathaniel Jennings
Name: Nathaniel Jennings
Birth: 1800-12-10
Death: 1865-06-27
I hold a [ stament ]
Alternate Text: statement of the affairs of the Office
and for your inspection—Thus have these
men acquired a triumph, but it shed no hon
or, they got it by secrecy and underhandedness
and now they have it, let them enjoy it—
Curtis
Name: Roswell Curtis
Birth: 1796-08-19
Death: 1873-02-16
and Dr. Chapman
Nathaniel Jones
Name: Nathaniel Jones
Birth: 1788-02-17
Death: 1866-07-20
administering the oath and
making the certificates, I strongly suspect
that he had a hand in the machinery
I never saw people
so busy and use such
strenuous efforts Men
and horses were put in requisition, they
traveled far and near the strongest argument
used come from Amzi A Jessup
Name: Amzi Jessup
Birth: 1791-11-12
Death: 1871-08-17
, who said that
in the time it would take him to get out of his
waggon, tie his horses come to the door, knock, no
person hear him go down in to the kitchen & back
to the office he could ride a mile, this was his great
objection for which he was laught at by not a few
Doct Horton
Name: James Horton
Birth: 1805-12-17
Death: 1879-03-21
continues to board with us I think
that it will turn out to his advantage and to mine
he has debts against many persons who have not inclina-
tion to pay the money but who work for me and pay the
account in that way—he appears to be growing in the
confidence of the people very fast, Mr. William Poppens's
wife
Page 4
The Great Democratic party be their mouthpiece
The Albany Argus and Independent Republican are
endeavoring to drive Van Duzer
Name: Isaac Van Duzer
Birth: 1802-05-08
Death: 1841-11-27
from the ranks and file
column after column of address pro and con comes out
in the paper—Van Duzer vindication himself for not voting
and signing the address of the Members of the Legislation
and the Editor endeavoring to show that he is opposed
to the party—he has a strong irritation to go to
New York
Name: City: New York
County:
State: NY
Country: US
and take the practice of his old master
who is about to sail for Europe—
Tanner
scolds pretty considerably at times—William Co
is about the same though we get along pretty
well together—As my sheet is filled out it is
a fair warning that I must quit—
In the hopes of soon hearing of you I bid you
god speed in ploughmans phrase
Your Affectionate Son
GW Seward
Florida NY
July 22 1833
Paid 10
Hon Saml S Seward
Care of BJ Seward No 16 G Sassam
St New York
Care Baring Brothers & Co
London
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
G W. Seward
July 20, 1833
Florida July 20th 1833
My Dear Father
This day completes the seventh
week since I took leave of you on the deck
of the Europe and with my best wishes for
a speedy voyage and agreeable journey returned
on board of the little Steam Boat and watched
the onward course of your gallant vessel
untill she appeared as a naked poplar.
far away on the very verge of the horizon
and yet we have not heard a lisp of
your progress—We feel very anxious to learn
how you bore the fatigue of the voyage and
sustained that which we all feared would
be too much for you constitution, sea-sick-
ness. We hope that it turned out well & that
you continued to gain strength, and will
eventually return with invigorated health
We are daily and hourly expect some tidings
but we may yet be destined to wait anoth
er week, but oh! forbid it should be much
over that, I went to Goshen
Place
full assurance that a letter would be there
but was dissapointed, I sometimes think I
will not go any more and then I reproach
myself for being so easily discouraged—
Well of the many topicks which I have
in keeping to write you, I know of none which
I suppose ^to^ of so much interest to me and may so
be to you as that of your little Grand Daughter
Sarah Cornelia
Person
but expect her life, She appeared to be sick and
very sickly, was poor indeed, but now appears
to have got entirely well and grows very fast
She fills up and is now doing as well as we
could expect—She has the Seward mark the
red hair and blue eyes and as her Aunt Sarah
Person
says she is a plump—Oh! you'll not see her
like in all the lands of Europe—
Tempe
Person
resumed the care of household matters—
As for our farming operations, I have succeeded
in securing the rye, it was a very good crop
and got in without the least damage not
any rain falling to interrupt it. I have also
secured two loads of wheat the remainder
would not do to cut untill another day or
two. I have cut some hay and stack it together
with some old straw on the back meadow
adjoining the bog meadows—I have cut
considerable of hay of the square and long lots
and the back orchard. I do not know what
to do with all of the hay. I must either
buy up a lot of cattle to eat it or else lose
the use of it altogether, to do the latter I
cannot hardly reconcile myself. I think
however—I will buy cattle and winter them
I think I can make a little out of the hay
in that way—My corn looks very well—
pasture has been plenty all the season, but
butter has been very low—I am in hopes it
may take a raise and—
I have sowed the fox hill lot on Polydores
Person
place with buckwheat, so that if we should
be so fortunate as to have a tolerable crop of
you need be be afraid of wanting that very de
sirable item of good living next winter—
Cattle is high at this time, I believe I shall fat
and sell some of the poorest of the cows and
purchase others in their stead—
Another attempt has been made to remove the
Post office and has succeeded petition in the old
way was got up and circulated privately but
they was detected when William A Wood
Person
that he was entitled to the office started him self
as a candidate & did not do but very little
being fully satisfied that a removal would take
place—A letter was directed to me by the
Assistant Post Master General
Unknown
stating the reasonwhy a change of site was required to which
I replied about a fortnight after -the papers
oath bond &c came on for Nathaniel Jennings
Person
I hold a [ stament ]
Alternate Text
and for your inspection—Thus have these
men acquired a triumph, but it shed no hon
or, they got it by secrecy and underhandedness
and now they have it, let them enjoy it—
Curtis
Person
Unknown
are secure thisNathaniel Jones
Person
making the certificates, I strongly suspect
that he had a hand in the machinery
I never saw people
so busy and use such
strenuous efforts Men
and horses were put in requisition, they
traveled far and near the strongest argument
used come from Amzi A Jessup
Person
in the time it would take him to get out of his
waggon, tie his horses come to the door, knock, no
person hear him go down in to the kitchen & back
to the office he could ride a mile, this was his great
objection for which he was laught at by not a few
Doct Horton
Person
that it will turn out to his advantage and to mine
he has debts against many persons who have not inclina-
tion to pay the money but who work for me and pay the
account in that way—he appears to be growing in the
confidence of the people very fast, Mr. William Poppens's
Unknown
wife
Unknown
died a few days since, it is pretty generally healthyThe Great Democratic party be their mouthpiece
The Albany Argus and Independent Republican are
endeavoring to drive Van Duzer
Person
column after column of address pro and con comes out
in the paper—Van Duzer vindication himself for not voting
and signing the address of the Members of the Legislation
and the Editor endeavoring to show that he is opposed
to the party—he has a strong irritation to go to
New York
Place
who is about to sail for Europe—
Tanner
Unknown
stays with us yet. She is very good help butscolds pretty considerably at times—William Co
Unknown
is about the same though we get along pretty
well together—As my sheet is filled out it is
a fair warning that I must quit—
In the hopes of soon hearing of you I bid you
god speed in ploughmans phrase
Your Affectionate Son
GW Seward
Florida NY
July 22 1833
Paid 10
Hon Saml S Seward
Care of BJ Seward No 16 G Sassam
St New York
Care Baring Brothers & Co
London
Person
July 20, 1833
date:
Saturday, July 20, 1833
receiver:
sender:
year: