Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, September 12, 1837
xml:
Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, September 12, 1837
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:kac
student editorTranscriber:spp:keh
Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1837-09-12
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's persons.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "pla" point to
place elements in the project's places.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's staff.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's bibl.xml authority file.
verical-align: super; font-size: 12px;
text-decoration: underline;
text-decoration: line-through;
color: red;
Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, September 12, 1837
action: sent
sender: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
location: Westfield, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Philadelphia, PA
transcription: kac
revision: crb 2015-11-04
<>
Page
1
Westfield Sept 12. 1837
Dear Henry
I wrote you on Saturday last
from Warren, giving the opinion that all
would be well. I knew but little then
& have since seen that appearances
were as fallacious. Still, I hope all is
safe - but if it turns out to be so, it
has been brought about by a struggle
and against an even chance that
it might have been far otherwise.
I have a Lumbermans Bank draft
in the United States Bank at four
months for the $4.190 I took down
with me, adding 60 in interest, with
Lowry's
guarantie for the payment. But
it cost me long negotiations through
Saturday & yesterday till 1/2 past five
to obtain it. I have just arrived
came through today.
The Bank is evidently in trouble.
[left Margin]
Mr. Falconer is a fine old gentleman but he is chapfallen
and is so in clutches that he cannot act—he sends regards.
Page
2
Hall
shepard
news. Irving has just returned from
Cincinnati & St H Louis
says, $18,000—$40,000—$80,000 in specie
but I shrewdly suspect he did not
bring a cent. Falconer
are m. Mr. F.
will lose his office.
I asked Mr. Falconer if his interpretation
of his own letter to me, was a withdrawal
of his private guarantie to which he
answered that it was. The want of
frankness among those who knew all &
the little I heard from others soon satis-
fied me that everything was at stake
- but I dared not to whisper a dispo-
sition not to receive their bills for fear
that my application to have those I held
redeemed would be rejected.
The first offer of the modest
pair Irving & Lowry, after long consul-
tation was to take the present sum
& what we might hereafter receive & give row
[left Margin] Julian
Page
3
as their individual note at 4 mo pay-
able in Ohio Bank proper—and I obtained
the draft & guarantie, in the hope on their
part that we would continue to receive as
usual, upon the strength of collections to
be made by Tucker
not received a dollar for a week &
shall not, unless Tucker guarantees the re-
demption. This I will ascertain in a
day [ or ]
Reason: hole two.
[ Lowry ]
Reason: hole & Irving offer their
[ guarantie ]
Reason: hole that the Lumbermans
[ Ban ]
Reason: holek checks on Phil shall be
[ prompty ]
Alternate Text: promptly met at 4 mo for all we
may hereafter receive. But I waived
it under pretext of reliance upon re-
ceipts sooner from Tucker, not wishing
to give 4 mo. So I suppose you
will think—if otherwise, I dare say
we may yet obtain drafts at 4 mo
with their guarantie—inform me.
Lewis
a good time—Ell Gerry comes in
slow—all is safe. We have
Page
4
taken $1.500 & more in the last 6 days,
Mrs. Dickson
Your grateful brother
B.J. Seward
Ps. I ought to add that I have no
confidence in Tuckers receipts as a
resource for us because the Bank
would not instruct him to pledge a dollar
to me—the truth is they need & hope, I
suspect, to turn this over to Chautauqua Bank
in payment.
W. H. Seward Esq.
now in Philadelphia
Single
WESTFIELD N.Y.
SEP
13
Type: postmark
h
B.J. Seward
Sept 12, 1837.
h
B.J. Seward
Sept 12, 1837.
Westfield Sept 12. 1837
Dear Henry
I wrote you on Saturday last
from Warren, giving the opinion that all
would be well. I knew but little then
& have since seen that appearances
were as fallacious. Still, I hope all is
safe - but if it turns out to be so, it
has been brought about by a struggle
and against an even chance that
it might have been far otherwise.
I have a Lumbermans Bank draft
in the United States Bank at four
months for the $4.190 I took down
with me, adding 60 in interest, with
Lowry's
Birth: 1805-10-22 Death: 1852-02-23
& Irving's
Birth: 1792-12-15 Death: 1868-08-24
, joint & separateguarantie for the payment. But
it cost me long negotiations through
Saturday & yesterday till 1/2 past five
to obtain it. I have just arrived
came through today.
The Bank is evidently in trouble.
[left Margin]
Mr. Falconer is a fine old gentleman but he is chapfallen
and is so in clutches that he cannot act—he sends regards.
Hall
Birth: 1784 Death: 1877-04-01
has just returned from a visit toshepard
Birth: 1802-04-05 Death: 1881-08
, with as I fancy, no favourablenews. Irving has just returned from
Cincinnati & St H Louis
Unknown
, with as reportsays, $18,000—$40,000—$80,000 in specie
but I shrewdly suspect he did not
bring a cent. Falconer
Birth: 1780-12-22 Death: 1851-10-20
, Hall & all are m. Mr. F.
Unknown
says that Shepardwill lose his office.
I asked Mr. Falconer if his interpretation
of his own letter to me, was a withdrawal
of his private guarantie to which he
answered that it was. The want of
frankness among those who knew all &
the little I heard from others soon satis-
fied me that everything was at stake
- but I dared not to whisper a dispo-
sition not to receive their bills for fear
that my application to have those I held
redeemed would be rejected.
The first offer of the modest
pair Irving & Lowry, after long consul-
tation was to take the present sum
& what we might hereafter receive & give row
[left Margin] Julian
Unknown
says all well in Florida.as their individual note at 4 mo pay-
able in Ohio Bank proper—and I obtained
the draft & guarantie, in the hope on their
part that we would continue to receive as
usual, upon the strength of collections to
be made by Tucker
Birth: 1805-10-05 Death: 1874-04-25
. But we have not received a dollar for a week &
shall not, unless Tucker guarantees the re-
demption. This I will ascertain in a
day [ or ]
Supplied
[ Lowry ]
Supplied
[ guarantie ]
Supplied
[ Ban ]
Supplied
[ prompty ]
Alternate Text
may hereafter receive. But I waived
it under pretext of reliance upon re-
ceipts sooner from Tucker, not wishing
to give 4 mo. So I suppose you
will think—if otherwise, I dare say
we may yet obtain drafts at 4 mo
with their guarantie—inform me.
Lewis
Birth: 1801-08-07 Death: 1879-10-12
has just come in—has had a good time—Ell Gerry comes in
slow—all is safe. We have
taken $1.500 & more in the last 6 days,
Mrs. Dickson
Birth: 1798-03-07 Death: 1837-09-10
is no more. Your grateful brother
B.J. Seward
Ps. I ought to add that I have no
confidence in Tuckers receipts as a
resource for us because the Bank
would not instruct him to pledge a dollar
to me—the truth is they need & hope, I
suspect, to turn this over to Chautauqua Bank
in payment.
W. H. Seward Esq.
now in Philadelphia
Single
WESTFIELD N.Y.
SEP
13
Stamp
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10William Seward
Sept 12, 1837.
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25Frederick Seward
Sept 12, 1837.