Nell, William Cooper. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Nell, William Cooper. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Nell, William Cooper

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post, n.d. Nell writes to Post about a wedding he recently attended.

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

112

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

               Saturday 12 oclock A.M.          Had a
anti slavery office                                    shake of the
                                                                  hand from
                                                             Charles Sumner
                                                                  this morning
Dear Friend Amy
                             Just enjoyed an interview with
Wendell Phillips and William Lloyd Garrison
(these be my Gods) leaving the office with the former
and walking through State St. met Francis Jackson
returning here had a spiritual conversation with
John M. Spear who suggests the writing for publication
my experience among the Rochester spirits –
I have not yet concluded but may do so—
I intend (as invited) visiting himself and Daughter
the latter is a medium &   more of this anon
Mr Cash my Host where you called
with me= fell while trimming his    Sunday Eve 10 oclock
grape vine and the fall was fatal
The rainy weather has prevented my visiting
the Cambridge Circle of friends—
and I have spent the day with my former chum
Ben Weeden= and have thus revived many
pleasant plast associations-
in the old house opposite Belknap W Church
yesterday afternoon while with Mr Phillips
at his   house and the Depot had a talk
about Rochester= He remembers with much
pleasure You, Isaac and others of the
Select =and especially Mary Hallowell
   Last Thursday Eve I attended the wedding
of Geo W. Louther and Sarah Logan
and there enjoyed the signal pleasure
of meeting Harriet Jacobs and her Lovely
Daughter Louisa= who officiated as Bridesmaid

(Page 2)

I was with them next day and [obliterated]
accompanied the party to the Depot
Harriet told me she had Just wrote you a letter
21 Cornhill   =(Pleasant weather) Monday morning ^Sept 13^th^
Met Dr Bowditch Just returned from Avon springs
stopped to visit Douglass but he was absent.
thinks I have decidedly improved in health but
recommends West= I wish I dared to venture
a residence East =though loving the West
as You Know I do—
                                    Just heard Mr Garrison
relate an account from Andrew Jackson Davis’s
recent vision = imparting the modus operandi of
spirit rapping = ^he saw^ a child hovering over the
circle and making passes = producing
concussions of air Vc   I hope to find the details
in print soon an expected public expose     Little Ira
                            of the spiritual Knockings [has?]   anticipates much
                             turned out a failure                        pleasure meeting
                Sarah Birney may still hold the                 Willie & Mary Ann
                Medal for    Baking Dyspepsia Bread
In pursuance of my agreement
with you I intend traversing over
much of the Empire State this Fall
and Winter lecturing= (Health {Hope
                                               Joseph
                                             is well
permitting = but   oblige me by Keeping
                                    Harriet Jacobs
                                    promises to send
the information safely =Jacob some interesting
                                                          paper—
Eager again to see you all
                                                I shall be
                                                delighted
I subscribe myself Sincerely           to get a
                                                       line .
            [illegible] friend     Wm C Nell

Annotations

William Cooper Nell, an abolitionist, is writing from Boston to fellow activist, Amy Post.

During this period, Charles Sumner was a Senator from Massachusetts and a radical abolitionist. Wendell Phillips and William Lloyd Garrison were abolitionist leaders. Francis Jackson was a member of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society and the Boston Vigilance Committee. Members of the Committee fought against the Fugitive Slave Act, which made it illegal for anyone to aid escaping slaves.

John Murray Spear was a Universalist minister and became a Spiritualist. Spiritualists believed that through mediums they could communicate with the dead. Jonathan Cash worked with Nell to end segregation in public schools. Ben Weeden worked with the Vigilance Committee.

Mary Post Hallowell was the Posts' daughter, and married William Hallowell.

George W. Lowther was an African-American, abolitionist writer, who wrote a testimonial at the end of Harriet Jacobs's book, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. 21 Cornhill was the address of the Boston anti-slavery office.

William Ingersoll Bowditch served as Treasurer of the Anti-Slavery Society and his home was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Nell refers to former slave and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass.

Andrew Jackson Davis was a Spiritualist healer. Ira was Nell's nephew. Willie was Post's youngest son. Mary Pitkin was an African American woman, who worked for the Post family as a servant and became a close family friend.

"Baking Dyspepsia Bread" refers to a nineteenth-century remedy to cure Dyspepsia, or an inflammation in the lining of the stomach.

Tags

Abolitionism; Personal; Spiritualism

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Nell, William Cooper, “Nell, William Cooper. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2413.

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