Post, Hannah Kirby. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Post, Hannah Kirby. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Post, Hannah Kirby

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Date

1824-02-01

Description

Handwritten letter from Hannah Kirby Post to Amy Kirby Post, February 1, 1824.

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

412

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                   1^st day after noon 2^d month 1^st 1824
                                                AS desires her
love
Dear Sister
          Doubting not but thou would like to here [sic]
from us pretty soon I thought I would begin to give an
history relative to us, though I imagin [sic] I want to here [sic] from
you as much, having felt some uneasy about thee since I
herd [sic] of thy being turned out in the snow the day you
left us feering [sic] thou took cold and had a tedious journey I felt very
sorry you had such an unfavourable set out, yet it was cause of
thankfullness [sic] that you did not get wounded by the fall and that
nothing was broken to impede [sic] your progress, John admired that
you and the things escaped as they did, but I believed he marvel
=ed more to see thy eveness [sic] and courage after J returned I soon
went in to here [sic] from you, notwithstanding I heard of so much difficu
=lty I thought I felt much better than if I had not heard nothing
and since my thoughts has been much with you though I could tell
but little ware [sic] you wer [sic] as you altered your course. the weather
here has been very fine untill [sic] to day it is very cold, I think the
coldest that has been this winter we went to meeting but it was
very small no one under the galery [sic] the day you left dear little
Phebe fell with her eye on the post of a chair which hurt it
extremely it swelled to that degree that she did not see out if [sic] it
in one week she wore a cap and poltice [sic] several days it runn [sic]
so that I was much affraid [sic] the site [sic] was hurt tis much
better and can see as well as before though her face is very
sore in consequence of being drawn with the poltice [sic] cousin H did
not get home untill [sic] 7^th day afternoon said she had attended a large
Q Meeting and a great many babes the mothers of wich [sic] were
[paid?] off, and last evening she tolled [sic] us she supposed she was the
cause of it – William Crumell had an appointe meeting here
last 3^d day after noon, George [Bourn?] gone on to the west how far
I do not know   Phebe Field gave out on account of bad traveling has
been no slaying [sic] scarcly [sic] since you left P. F. was sent for from
the Q. M. to her son Richard who was very poorly with the
palpitation at the heart we have since herd [sic] that it has got
to be an inflamation [sic] in the head and is very ill if living
I feel very lonely and already begin to think the time long
that I have not seen you it appears more like 3 or 4 weeks
than one week and half however I get along very well
and find my cousins a great deal of company for me
was it not for them I think I should feel the privation
much greater. cousin H is kind enoughf [sic] to sleep with
me – Caty often imagins [sic] the [Squerin?] to be dead, she loves
to talk of thee and often does, dear little Mary is yet very
worring [sic] and not any nearer walking than when thou left
if any thing more cowardly they tell me she is much better
without me so much so cousin H begins to talk of my
weaning her but do not feel like it yet – John tells
us that George Donlap s request is in the hands of the
overseers which is not unexpected to us Thomas Hutcherson
and Eliza Paxton have gone also there [sic] black girl so that
Ann is left alone Thomas s father deceased which is the
cause of his going in stead of Mathias – Arigol Green senior

(Page 2)

has been quite poorly whith [sic] a week back the girls
have been uneasy about her, they now consider her gaining
Mary Tallcot and Margaret Potts at Meeting last 1^st day Marga
=rett said she was very much disappointed not seeing thee she exp
ected the [sleighing?] was so poor that you had not gone they
returned imediately [sic] home on Joseph’s account who was not
very will [sic] M has one month longer to stay in her school
what she intends to do then I know not – I have spent
one evening at Benjamin Howlands with John and Anna
Charles and Susan have got to housekeeping and look very
snugg [sic], we have lost some oats out of the barn since your
flight, Elijah thincks [sic] as much as 4 or 5 baskits [sic] full and I
think if we miss things much more we shall transport
Charles back again to his native place I feel ashamed to
think that we are the means of brining [sic] such a person in
the country the Tubbs family got extremely tired of him –
I saw Pricilla niece Maria at meeting, almost the first salu
=tation was “well Amy was [sic] left you Oh I pitty [sic] you because
I know it to be a great loss” I do indeed miss the [sic] very much
and when I look at thy profile on the wall (which I regret [sic]
not maid [sic] over again) it seems as though thou was gone were [sic]
I should never see the [sic] again, when thou goes in New York
I wish thou would have a treu [sic] one taken and send me I shou
=ld be much obliged and greatfull [sic] for it H Willis staid [sic] with me
untill [sic] 1^st day 7^th day William [Buhle?] W [Loins?] came after her, and
returned next morning early on account of the snow going so fast
I found her to be much company for me and missed the [sic] still more
after she returned home I spend most of the time in the kitchen
with Caty and have been spining [sic] some though I find it to
be troublesome work with a child – I am now in Johns [sic] room
riting [sic] and I will gust [sic] tell the [sic] how they are spending their time
cousin P a knitting & a darning stockins [sic] and cousin H a mending
a pair of gloves, this kind of employment on an first day eve
seems rather unpleasant to me, not that I think it a crime
but that it mite [sic] be spent devoted more for the inprovement [sic]
of the mind which I seam [sic] to stand in great kneed [sic] of --- my mind
was almost continually with you and cousin AW ^last 5^th day^ now I
suppose Rushmore sometimes I imagined thou was their [sic] partaking
with them in their pleasure and sometimes wounded by disap=
pointment on the journey when you set out I apprehended
there was no doubt but thou would be there seasonable but
John thinks it no ways likily [sic] but I know he is so prone to
looking on the dark side of things that I flatter myself with the
idea thou did reach there seasonable and am anxiously weigh
=ting [sic] to here [sic] the result, John says give my love to Amy and the
rest of the family I have returned that piece of poetry to SH
M Woods [thimble?] I took to meeting to day but none of the fami
=ly there I wonder what thou will say when I tell thee there
is a prospect of an increase in Sarah Howland’s family which
I believe is fact also M Tallcot

                             5 of 2 Month and 5^th of the week

This day I have been to meeting and heard a great deal
of preaching from Willian Crunell again [and I] and I expect sou=
nd doctrine. [sic] after meeting John handed me a large package of letters
directed to Isaac Post, this indeed revived my spirits, but alass [sic]

(Page 3)

how soon to the conterary [sic] after getting home for the conten
=ts ^thereof^ were very unsavory, I was glad thou dear Sister had not
the pane [sic] of perusing them for I think thy feelings would
indeed have been wounded. (as mine were) I do not
wonder that mother could not believe the report I
should hope thou had wiser and more feeling children than
to be persuing or encouragin [sic] a thing of so much importance
and brother John even thought my IP and myself would
encourage thee if it would do only half way medling [sic] (for
the sake of having thee to dwell in this land) No far be
it from me to encourage any thing that would that would [sic]
render my ^dear^ sister unhappy. I had much ^rather^ live remote and
widely separated from all my friends all the days of my life.
I expected our friends entertained a better opinion of us
than it appears they do, however I expect thou hast satisfyd [sic]
them ^all^ by this time and I conclude as a further confirmation
thereof I will just say that I know of nothing of the kind
in hand, I have no doubt but that it has felt very un–
pleasant to thee to have such a report circulating when
thou returned but I hope it did not destroyed [sic] all the pleas–
ure and pleasure and satisfaction thou anticipated in meeting
them I have no doubt but thou art by this time again resto=
red into the hands of thy dear parents, and one evening as I was
sitting by the fire side it seemed almost as if I saw you meet
and theire [sic] arms widely extended to great [sic] thee a welcome inhabitant
^of^ their house again, yet at the same time ^I imagine^ there seems to be an
alloy presiding in their hearts, --- Phebe often speaks of her cous
=in Amy and thinks it is time for her to come home she says she wan
=ts see the [sic] very much and when she is runing [sic] about the room [obliterated]
is often talking to herself about cousin Amy – since writing
what I have about Mary she has gained in walking some [obliterated]
that she has walked almost across the kitchen alone tho I [think?]
it not likely she will her father will find her walking when
he returns as she seams [sic] to be so very cowardly she has crept her old
frock all out to raggs [sic] and I have made her another ---
last evening John and all his family went to P Haynes they
they pressed me to accompany them but I declined their invita
=tion however they had not been gone long before John Haynes came
with his cutter with an express for me, well after taking so
much [obliterated] trouble I thought It would be rather ungenerous not
to accept accordingly I went and dont know that I have cause to be sorry
the ground is at present lightly skimed [sic] with snow how my IP will get
home I know not am affraid [sic] he will meet with difficulty as I
apprihend [sic] you did in getting down, I very often think of aunt Phebe
wither [sic] she will not return with Isaac if I thought you went quite
down with the sled then I should have some hope, but as I think it
so unlikely I do not flatter myself much cousin Han^n^ah says pleas [sic]
remember me to all of your family and to dear Amy in particular
for she has indeed a large share Elijah says give my repects to A
and tell her I want her to come back, Catharine sends a bushel of love
and James sends his complements [sic] to miss Amy Kirby, James I think
has been a better boy since you left – John will be a better master
for him than the one he has – this letter J takes to Aurora to
day as he goes in search of one from Isaac who I ^never^ wanted to here [sic] from
more or see more though I endeavour [sic] to abide in the patience
Jethro [Woobs?] daughters are now anticipating a tour to the west
as far as Seneca Lake Benjamin & wife with them the children also
I think I should much rather content myself at home this cold weath
=er. my love to all the family and [illegible] and {Lou?] Dont know that I
have much more at this time and I guess thou will think it time to stop
much love to cousin LS and all the family was glad to here [sic] she and cousin
W was at fathers once more I remain thy affectionate sister H Post

(Page 4)

since writing what I have respecting R Field I have
heard he is yet living and is now labouring under great
exercise of both body and mind he has become a trew [sic]
and humble penitent. his mother had not slept any in
three nights and that there was no room in the house
but he could be heard the brass andirons was removed
out of his site [sic] and a pare [sic] of dogs to suply [sic] their places
by his request        in great hast [sic] HP

[Text in center of page, written upwards]

Aurora NY                                        18²[Geny?] 9

                   Jacob Kirby
                             Jericho
                             Long Island
                             for Amy Kirby

Tags

Enslaved people; Family

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Post, Hannah Kirby, “Post, Hannah Kirby. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2710.

Transcribe This Item