Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Jacobs, Harriet Brent

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Description

Handwritten letter from Harriet Brent Jacobs to Amy Kirby Post, n.d. Jacobs expresses her desire to receive a letter from Post and shares her concern over her brother's debts to William Cooper Nell, a fellow abolitionist. Jacobs describes her situation with her employer Mrs. Willis and her desire to see her daughter, Louisa.

Subject

Post, Amy Kirby, b. 1802

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

79

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

My Dear Friend
I have taken my
pen to write to you the third time
without recieving a line from you
^you^ do not know what a pleasure it is to me
to have word from you to feel that
you are still my friend but it is hard
for me to write while things remain as
they are they burden me so heavily that
my letters can afford you no pleasure
when my Brother wrote me last spring
I felt that he was ready to settle his
affairs but when I learned from Mr
Nell that nothing had been done I can
not tell you how sad I felt not that
I doubted my Brothers honesty but
but I felt that he had not been very
sucesful [sic] else his debts would not have
remained until now I have regreeted [sic] it
so often that I did not go with him
if it were not for the many deep
obligations that I am under to my kind
friend Mrs Willis and it would be ve
ry ungreatful [sic] to leave her while her
Husband health is so feeble for some
times he is taken so sudenly [sic] that one
dont know what the next day may
bring forth if it was not for this
I would now gladly go with my friend
Mrs Bush how sorry I feel to think
she she must leave when she will be
so unfit for a long and tedious jour
ney with the ease of an Infant I wish
I could relieve her of that care Louisa
who is still out West feel so disap

(Page 2)

pointed I felt she might there be en
abled to support herself by teaching I
have done all that I could to fit
her for the situation but you know that
the name of colour here retards your
progress in everything please tell dear
Mrs Bush that I recieved [sic] her letter and
will soon answer it
and now my dear friend let me
thank you for your kindness in taking
my bed I had intended to write you
but I put it of hoping that I might get
another letter from my Brother in his
short letter he said nothing of Joseph
the previous letter he was with his
Uncle hard at work but my dear
friend I hope all may yet be well
and in my next letter I may be enable
to tell you that my Brother is free and
if he should return to California or
anywhere that I can possibly go I shall
make every effort to do so situated
as I am my Brother and son away
no home for Louisa to came to it makes
me very unhappy for their sakes every
body is kind to me I ought not to complain
and dear Mrs Willis has entreated me
to send for Louisa to make her home
with me I love her for her kindness
but Louisa would not be happy to live
in that way she wants to seek her own
livelihood where she thinks she can be most
useful but I should dearly love to see you may
God bless you and yours and bestow all the
happiess that my hear wishes you my love to all
your family and friends kiss dear little
Willie always yours in love Harriet Jacobs

Annotations

Harriet Brent Jacobs, a former slave and abolitionist is writing from Cornwall, New York to Amy Post, a close friend and benefactor. Jacobs is living with Cornelia Grinnell Willis and Nathaniel Parker Willis as their housekeeper. The Willis’ were abolitionists and paid for Jacobs’ freedom. William Cooper Nell was an abolitionist and mutual friend of Jacobs and Post. Abigail Bush was a leader at the Seneca Falls woman's rights convention in 1848. Joseph was Harriet's son. Louisa was Jacobs's daughter. Willie was Post's son.

Tags

Personal

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Jacobs, Harriet Brent, “Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2380.

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