Willis, Mary W Kirby. Letter to Isaac Post.

Title

Willis, Mary W Kirby. Letter to Isaac Post.

Creator

Willis, Mary W Kirby

Contributor

Post, Isaac, 1798-1872

Date

1849-01-12

Description

Handwritten letter from Mary W Kirby Willis to Isaac Post, January 12, 1849.

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

725

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                                Jericho 1^st Mo 12^th 1849

                                I was highly delighted with thy
letter brother Isaac written some weeks since, which
I fully intended to have replied to long before this, but
the disposition to put off for a qualification pre
vailing, has robbed me of what little I then had in
store. I think this is but seldom a better time
than when the letter is received. thee expressed a
wish to hear from John Plummer after his return
he has quite recently arrived after an absense [sic] of
6 weeks I think, he went into Virginia as far
as their [sic] were any friends and meetings being remote
that it took more time than he anticipated, he
sais[sic] Slavery is death to all enterprize [sic] ^there^ they have
no bridges over the streams ^and rivers^ of water so that at one
time he and a friend being travelling in a Car
riage and coming to a river the it was to [sic] high
to cross with the waggon [sic]and they could not cross
over, but John inquired the distance to the
nearest friends house? the answer was ten miles.
he then said I will take off my over coat and
go on foot. A drover being in waiting also
with cattle said to him take my horse and
leave him at the Friends house untill [sic] I come
and insisted on his taking him, but J … commenced
his journey on foot and alone about fifteen minutes
before 3 P.M. and pursued his course over the –
[Continues on page 2 beginning “mountain and arrived”]

[Text left margin running top to bottom]

have you heard of Thomas Wrights death of [Hudson?] and that Jacob Willets son of Joseph seems on
the decline by the suffering of those [sores] called scrofula and scurvy

[Text top margin inverted]

If this does not [tire?] thy patience
too much I hope for a contin
uation it is indeed desirable
to hear often from you

(Page 2)

mountain and arrived to the destined place a little
after five, with a shirt wet to his back but recieving [sic]
a hearty welcome that he got before bed time [illegible]
and felt ready nesct [sic] morning to pursue his journey
twenty miles to the meeting accompanied and taken
by his friend where he lodged, he sais [sic] many Slaveholders
are convinced of the injustice [obliterated] of ^slavery^ he had a meeting
among them in a court-house very many assembled
filling the house and a great many colored ones came
also many more than could get in the house, he
looked over the mul multitude as they sat stair
=ing [sic] him in the face, for they seemed as if they would
stare a man out of countenance, he said a thought
presented what will be the consequence. however after
a time he felt something to communicate and they
became quiet so that they might almost have heard
a pin fall on the flour [sic]. the colored people are nearly
all very light color he saw only four or five of a dark hue
among them, he went to see Rebecca [Naushurst?] Sons
they are settled on a large farm of 400 hundred acres with two
dwelling houses on it one of log and the other a frame
building each of which they inhabit and are situated
about 18 miles from Washington he sais[sic] the land is good and
there are a number of farms for sale in those parts which
he considers may be bought cheap. he gives an interesting
history much more than ^I can^ give thee an idea of. he has not returned
his [minute?] yet. but as the subject has taken up much of the
paper I must leave it to make room for something subjects
Judith Fleet died a week ago have lived to the advanced age of 85 years

(Page 3)

four of which she has sat up in which position she quietly
ceased to breath [sic] while her son James and Daniels new wife
were sitting by her on percieiving [sic]a little change of breathing
they took the candle to her and percieved [sic]it to be the last breath.
two days after a meeting of friends was held at their house
in which Rachel Hicks bore testimony. but of which we
did not witness, it being on meeting day and as we had sat with
the family the day previous to it we felt esccused [sic], it was an exceed
=ing rainy time. On seventh day last the remains of Sam
=uel Leggett of Whitestone was committed to the grave which
was very sudden news to us. he had inflamation [sic] of the lungs
on third day evening seemed more unwell and about ten
O Clock he died very unescpected [sic] to the family and thus he is
gone while aunt Esther Lawrence yet remains very gradual
declining. Joseph sits by me a talking about brother George
who is on a visit to NY and he thinks he will be up here soon
as it is snowing nicely and has been during the night so that
their [sic] is a prospect of sleighing. We think from appearances we
shall loose [sic] J ….. after a while by his frequent visits to West=
bury. A. E Thurston sais [sic] in a letter to me “that we hear report
about your present Joseph relative to matrimony, perhaps
he may settle himself in that line much sooner than his
namesake and predecessor, and to get a Westbury girl too
he will evince his good judgment, and reap the benefit
of it also.”-- Father Kirby’s leg and ankle looks better the
swelling is considerably abated, but the pain and distress in
the bottom of his foot continues to trouble him he walks but
little and poorly otherwise he seems well with the escception [sic]
of a cold. he goes out but little sometimes a pleasant day he gets out to

(Page 4)

[Text normal top margin]

meeting and he and mother went to see cousin Isaac [Downey?]
on a cold day and on frozen ground but they returned safely
they found him very poorly but pleased to see them and
said he had been thinking that he should never see them
again. I felt rejoiced that they had been although if I
had known of their prospect I should have feard [sic] the under
taking. mother seems active and in usual health with the esception [sic] of cold

[Text middle running bottom to top]

Jericho N.Y.
Jan 12^th
                                Isaac Post
                                     Rochester
                Monroe County N.Y.

[Text bottom margin inverted]

Although out of place and but little room T… [Pleasants?] of Virginia sais[sic] in
reply to G. Frost on the subject of friends emigrating to Virginia who is adverse
to it. ”that of all the northern people, friends [profess?] more of the
confidence of Slaveholders than any other class; more even than
the” northern men of with Southern feelings”. no room for man brother
Henrys family ^are^ nearly as usual in regard to health. how are my sisters
and what engages their particular attention so entirely that they do
not feel inclined to write to us sister E.. Mott has been to fathers [sic] the
past two weeks engaged in quilting. with much love and affection for
all as if named I remain MWW.

Tags

Abolitionism; Family; Quakers

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Willis, Mary W Kirby, “Willis, Mary W Kirby. Letter to Isaac Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 21, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3016.

Transcribe This Item