Auburn April 20^th
My dear Mother
My previous letters to
Father have informed you of our ill fortune
on the 17^th. At six oclock on that evening
I went to supper and before dark Dennis had
locked the barns and gone home, having no
occasion whatsoever to go into there with a light[ . ]
About a quarter of eight while I was down town I
heard the first cry of fire. I immediately started
for the barn and reached there within four minutes
from the time the first alarm was given, the
flames had then enveloped the cow shed and
south part of the barn and the smoked had
probably suffocated the horses several minutes
before. Before I could bust the lock from
the door the whole inside was one mase of smoke
and flame, and almost as soon as the door
was opened the floor had fallen in, the cows
in the mean time had broken through the
fence & made there way into the garden unharm- ^ed^
I immediately directed the things to be removed
from the carriage house, which was only half

accomplished when we were driven out
by the fire. I then went to the house
locked the main part entirely up, and
with the exception of the kitchen and office
openend neither room or passage, Mr McClallen
and Mr Warden kindly assisted me so that
but few persons were let in at all & these only
to bring in books &c taken from the carriage
house, nothing whatsoever about the house
was either damaged or broken & the garden
was equally fortunate. Four Policemen
whom I found were immediately busied and
kept during the night, as soon as the fire
has subsided the yard was cleared and
so far as I can see nothing has been
stolen. Next morning I commence at five
oclock and before night had cleared away
& piled up the burnt timbers and had the
yard enclosed by a high tight board fence[ . ]
Today I have been repairing the fence between
our yard & Mr Woodruffs. Tomorrow I
shall commence & hope to finish a shed
for the cows, at Pisgah, as there is no
room for them at Aunt Clarys. Before

you reach home I hope to have things
in tolerable good order again. Aunty has
been very unwell but is notw much better &
quite busy about the house, since the fire
she has concluded to remain here. Jenny has
been staying with her for the past day or
two and has promised to remain during next
week, the week after or about the first
of May she goes to New York with her Mother
& Libbie.
The fire first originated in the cow shed and
was discovered by a son & daughter of Blanchard Fosgate. I have been to see them today and
learn enough to fully satisfy me that the
barn was set on fire.
I was not quite sure but what Father might
be at Tarrytown, so I telegraphed him there
in hopes that perhaps he would come up here
but I hear or see nothing as his being there
so I suppose he did not go[ . ]
Love to all, Jenny, send love
Your affectionate son
Will

Mr Laughtlin a foreman in the prison
slipped & fell from the wood shed while in
the act of putting water on the roof, his shoulder
& [ w ] rist were dislocated but not broken. I had
him brought into the house & afterwards taken
to his boarding house. He is now under Dr Briggs
care & doing finely[ . ] I have been to see him
several times[ . ]
Will April 20
1860