Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, August 22, 1834

  • Posted on: 10 March 2016
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, August 22, 1834

transcriber

Transcriber:spp:rag

student editor

Transcriber:spp:sss

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1834-08-22

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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, August 22, 1834

action: sent

sender: William Seward
x

Person

Name: William Seward Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10

location: New York NY
x

Place

Name:  City:  New York County:   State:  NY Country:  US

receiver: Frances Seward
x

Person

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

location: Auburn NY
x

Place

Name:  City:  Auburn County:  Cayuga State:  NY Country:  US

transcription: rag 

revision: ekk 2015-06-23

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Page 1

New York Friday evening
My dearest Frances,
I can scarcely tell you how I have spent the time since
writing my former letter. I have been much with Weed
x

Person

Name: Thurlow Weed Birth: 1797-11-15 Death: 1882-11-22
and of course the
time thus consumed was agreeably occupied. I have met a great many
other persons all of whom have exhibited towards me a measure of hospital–
ity as well as respect and esteem which might well enough make me
as vain as you know I once was and for aught I know all the world
yet continue to suppose me. But there was a difficulty at Albany
x

Place

Name:  City:  Albany County:  Albany State:  NY Country:  US

that made me anxious to escape from it. In the uncertainty which
hangs over the great political question of the Whigs they all looked to
me as being able in some way to bring order out of confusion. This has
been impracticable. And in the result speculations concerning myself
have been pressed upon me in such a manner that I could not encour-
age nor yet, regarding the sources of them, resist. It has been ascertained that
at the moment when J. B.
x

Person

Name: John Birdsall Birth: 1802 Death: 1839-07-22
was first notified by the opposition that he would be wanted
as a candidate he was writing in direct hostility to their views and principles
in the Argus. The inconsistency between opinions then promulgated & those he
must now express is so glaring that he cannot be presented as a candi-
date. There is a wide and deep settled opposition to Vplk.
x

Person

Name: Gulian Verplanck Birth: 1786-08-06 Death: 1870-03-18Certainty: Probable
In this state of
things I was expected to prove either that your particular friend would or could
not be the right candidate and this was forced upon me by the conver-
sation of Judge Woodworth
x

Person

Name: John Woodworth Birth: 1768-11-12 Death: 1858-06-01
Judge Spencer
x

Person

Name: John Spencer Birth: 1788-01-08 Death: 1855-05-17
John Townsend
x

Person

Name: John Townsend Birth: 1783-06-14 Death: 1854-08-26
& such men.
I left Albany to avoid it and here I came last evening. The difficulty is
about the same here perhaps worse. The idea is in the minds of many
those who like to cherish it and they are many obtrude it, those who do
not because they have wiser judgments or other partialities will doubt-
less hold me responsible for it.
The Court meet at 12 to day. An effort will be made to adjourn
on account of the cholera. But the cholera has to all interests disap-
peared only 12 new cases and six deaths were reported yesterday and
the board of Health considering the disease as no longer entitled to
notice have been adjourned until Monday.
Tracy
x

Person

Name: Albert Tracy Birth: 1793-06-17 Death: 1859-09-12
& Aunty
x

Person

Name: Harriet Tracy Birth: 1800 Death: 1876
have been to Connecticut
x

Place

Name: Connecticut City:   County:   State:  CT Country:  US
. I do not know whether they
Page 2

have returned to the city. Jennings
x

Person

Name: Benjamin Seward Birth: 1793-08-23 Death: 1841-02-24
& Marcia
x

Person

Name: Marcia Seward Birth: 1794-07-23 Death: 1839-10-25
have just returned from Massa- chusetts
x

Place

Name: Massachusetts City:   County:   State:  MA Country:  US
and are to leave town again as I understand on Monday
I have not yet seen them. I passed them last night on their way
to their house when I was on my return from my unsuccessful
visit there. I presume I shall see them this evening.
Weed is to be here this morning. I have just seen Rathbone
x

Person

Name: Jared Rathbone Birth: 1791-08-02 Death: 1845-05-13
who
is going to the East to see his wife
x

Person

Name:   Birth:  Death: 
. She has not yet been seen in
Albany. Richard R. Ward
x

Person

Name: Richard Ward Birth: 1795-11-17 Death: 1873-12-08
has called upon me to have me
take up my residence at his house and “will not take no
for an answer. You remember him – he owns the property at
Little Falls
x

Place

Name:  City:  Little Falls County:  Herkimer State:  NY Country:  US
. Moreover he wants you to let him take one of your
boys and adopt him. I suppose he must wait until the boy
is larger. I think it most probable the Court will adjourn
without transacting any business. I shall keep this letter until
after-noon and will then be able to tell you something more
definite about the matter.
Sunday morning. 5 o’clock
My dear Frances, Having been prevented by
company at dinner from closing this letter yesterday I have risen early
to send it by this mornings boat. The court of errors met yesterday
present 2h. The report of the Board of Health was that there were
only 12 cases and 6 deaths and that the pestilence was now so
nearly gone that there was no necessity for continuing the daily
meetings of the Board. The Court of Errors 20 to 5 resolved to hold
the term here. But I think it will be a short one.
I am staying at Bunker’s in Broadway. Jennings & Marcia
are in town for two days only. Tracy is here at Henry Dana Wards
x

Person

Name: Henry Ward Birth: 1797 Death: 1884
and looking very well. W. Kent
x

Person

Name: William Kent Birth: 1802-10-02 Death: 1861-01-04
spent the day with me
yesterday and I spent the evening with Jennings & Marcia
Page 3

I hope to get into a more systematic way of correspon-
dence. At present you must receive this miserable
scratch not doubting that I love you above every other
thing in the world. Make my love to all the family
Your affectionate Henry
Remember me to Lazette
x

Person

Name: Lazette Worden Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
when you write.
Page 4

Mrs. William H Seward
Auburn
STEAM BOAT
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Stamp

Type: postmark

ALBANY AUG 24
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Stamp

Type: postmark

seward-pen
x

Person

Name: Frances Seward Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21
Henry August
1834
date: 
Friday, August 22, 1834
year: 
place_node: