Florida 24 Jan 1835
My Dear Henry
We are anxious to hear how our dear
Francis is since your return home. Will you
have the goodness to write without delay and state
particular as to her health. It gives me great pleasure
to reflect that you are [ agaim ] placed in a situation
where you can enjoy the company of your family[ , ]
your friends and the pursuits of your profession
[ unalloied ] with political [ intreague ] . My ardent
desire is that you may long be suffered to remaine
in this retirement as the most honorable station,
still when I read Thomas H Bentons fulsom
production as an e ^u^ logy on the life of Martin Van Buren, Written no doubt by Van Buren him-
self[ , ] I heartily wis[ hed to ] see it [ riped ] up and
exposed to the Worl[ d, a ] nd felt willing you
should so far leave your retirement as for
ours to strip them of their assumed Worth
known only in [ intreague ] [ , ] duplicity and
fraud. I thought of mentioning to you
a few of their base misrepresentations
but knowing you will discover them at a
glance I forbear to trouble you with a single
remark on this barefaced slander on public
information. My health is growing daily
more delicate, the complaint in my side is
becoming more tender and troublesome[ . ]
I am pretty much confined to my room[ , ]
sometimes ride a few miles in a pleasant
day. Ma ^s health is also delicate. If your business
permits I shall be pleased to have you
spend a few days with us when the river
opens. No word of the Road yet[ . ]
Truly and Affectionately Yours
W^m H Seward Esq [hole] Sam S Seward

Florida
Jan/26
183/4
William H Seward Esquire
Auburn
Cayuga C^o
New York
S.S.Seward
Jan 24. 1835