Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, August 31, 1837

  • Posted on: 10 March 2016
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, August 31, 1837

transcriber

Transcriber:spp:mec

student editor

Transcriber:spp:mhr

Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1837-08-31

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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, August 31, 1837

action: sent

sender: Benjamin Seward
x

Person

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

location: Westfield NY
x

Place

Name:  City:  Westfield County:  Chautauqua State:  NY Country:  US

receiver: William Seward
x

Person

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

location: Auburn NY
x

Place

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

transcription: mec 

revision: crb 2015-11-04

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Page 1

Chautauque Land Office
Westfield August 31. 1837
Dear Henry
All is well – although the losses of
a few, are sorely complained of & threats are
used. Our friend John Gage
Unknown
, happened to give
the opinion that we were in danger, in the
hearing of Caleb O Doughaday
x

Person

Name: Caleb Daughaday Birth: 1799 Death: 1872
– when the latter
thought it to be his duty to advise us to
house our books at night. But we have no
fears. No sensible man, far or near, censures
the course you have pursued a whit – & the
complainers are too few in number & too
destitute of sympathy in the public mind
to do any thing.
The Commisioners closed their dis-
tribution to day at One O Clock at Mayville
x

Place

Name:  City:  Mayville County:  Chautauqua State:  NY Country:  US
.
Notice had not been circulated of the paying
and many failed to be present: & so I suppose
there is quite an uncalled for surplus on hand
– very likely, according to the Commissioners de-
sire. – At Jamestown
x

Place

Name:  City:  Jamestown County:  Chautauqua State:  NY Country:  US
& in Mayville I re-
cieved about twenty one hundred dollars;
more than half Lumbermans.
Lee
x

Person

Name: Oliver Lee Birth: 1791-12-23 Death: 1846-07-28
you recollect paid out Buffaloe
Bills for Orders & certificates at the first.
Patchin
x

Person

Name: Thaddeus Patchin Birth: 1805-05-17 Death: 1892-05-17
wrote to his brother who called on
the Comptroller, who wrote Lee a sharp letter
& drew on the Commercial in Buffaloe
x

Place

Name:  City:  Buffalo County:  Erie State:  NY Country:  US
. So
when we come to meet in Jamestown Patchin
was present, but after all, Lee contrived to
obtain the certificates to some extent among
confidential friends.
Madam
x

Person

Name: Marcia Seward Birth: 1794-07-23 Death: 1839-10-25
and I had a delightful visit at
Patchins – Thank you for that.
Page 2

On my arrival a few hours since I
found a letter to you from R. Falconer
x

Person

Name: Robert Falconer Birth: 1780-12-22 Death: 1851-10-20

Prost informing me f that the Bank could
not remit us a draft for the $1,250 I put
up & notified him of on the 26 August. – also
that the difficulty of exchanging had be-
come so great, that the Bank was com-
pelled to terminate the agreement now
existing for the redemption of these bills.
– Also that they could not meet the
bills now out, in Phil
x

Place

Name:  City:  Philadelphia County:  Philadelphia State:  PA Country:  US
– and he adds
"It will be for yourself and the derectors
to determine whether any arrangement
can be made, under which you (we)
can recieve our bills – to which I will
call their attention as soon as may
be."
Tucker
Unknown
sent by Mallet
Unknown
$2,325 a
day or two since to meet a draft
expected to be returned. I did not
see him.
What can be done under all the
circumstances, I do not now determine
– perhaps I may, when I shall see
Tucker – or hear from you – but I will
think of it more than this hurried
hour admits of & after I have gone
over the Land [ Legers ]
x

Alternate Text

Alternate Text: Ledgers
& launched a
few more mortgage foreclosures, I
will try to effect whatever seems
most business like – & in the mean
Page 3

time, I think it best not to make any
change in the description of money
receivable.
Old articles come in about 3
or four per day: and the amount
received in cash has been about $1,800[ . ]
x

Supplied

Reason: 

Mr Keller
Unknown
called an hour since
& left this bill – says he had it from
me – Bradley
x

Person

Name: Collins Bradley Birth: 1808-01-19 Death: 1890-07-09
& myself were of opinion
that we should have condemned it
in a moment – still Keller was so
clear that he had it from me that
I gave him other fifty merely to use
leaving this bill for your
inspection & recollection. He
showed it to Lee who says
he saw two such about the time
you were at Silver Creek
x

Place

Name:  City:  Silver Creek County:  Chautauqua State:  NY Country:  US
& I
send it thinking it possible that you
might recollect something about it.
I see a letter from Weed
x

Person

Name: Thurlow Weed Birth: 1797-11-15 Death: 1882-11-22
& another
from Rathbone
x

Person

Name: Jared Rathbone Birth: 1791-08-02 Death: 1845-05-13
for you – but as yet
have not had time to look at
them.
Mrs said to me that you only
wanted to hear once a week that
all was well & about the amount
of our receipts – I received it as a
rebuke for burthening you with volu-
minous details – but I see I have
fallen into the same error. Pardon me.
Page 4

For years, my vocation has been
writing letters – the error I have fallen
into is therefore the more natural but
perhaps not the less pardonable.
Marcia is not so well.
Augustus
x

Person

Name: Augustus Seward Birth: 1820-05-18 Death: 1889-05-08
went off in fine spirits on
Monday morning: a lad with him
from Fredonia
x

Place

Name:  City:  Fredonia County:  Chautauqua State:  NY Country:  US
.
Your grateful brother
B.J. Seward
Whole receipts nearly $4,000
W.H. Seward Esq.
Auburn
N.Y.
B.J. Seward Aug. 31. 1837
Westfield NY
x

Stamp

Type: postmark

seward-pen
Unknown
1 Sept.
seward-pen
x

Person

Name: William Seward Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
B.J. Seward
Sept 1. 1837
date: 
Thursday, August 31, 1837
year: