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

Date

1849-12-23

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post. Nell writes to Post about recent events in the abolition movement.

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

773

Location

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

Transcription

(page 1)

                  Boston December 23^d 1849
                 First Day 3. oclock: P.M.

Esteemed Friend Amy Post

      Frederick Douglass informs me of
his intention to return west in a few
days = and I am therefore prompted to
say a few words to You on Paper.
I. presume however You recieved [sic] my
Scrawl of a letter mailed some
days since.
   F.D. C. L. R. and
Chas. L. Reason( Professor of Belles
Letters in Central College) = all left
Yesterday morning for Forefathers
meeting at Plymouth–
the Evening preceding we were
together at the Boston Museum
and have enjoyed ourselves
well = from F.D. I. gleaned
a page of interesting Rochester
news.

(Page 2)

Per last Steamer I was favored
with a friendly letter from our
mutual friend William W. Brown
which brought to mind the
tribute awarded him in thy
last letter to me=
He is studying French intending
quite a visit to the Continent
and is apparently happy in the
association with George Thompson
and other brilliant and gifted
minds in the British Constellation
of Universal Brotherhood

I have thought some of
publishing in Pamphlet a few
facts = and statements relative to
to [sic] the Spiritual matters.
as food for the thoughtful=
      and curious

(Page 3)

though even in doing this I may incur
censure =but there are many who
want to Know more on the subject
and if I can furnish them without
violating = Law and Morality I may
do it = Let me ask You not to
mention this = but when you write
favor me with Yours and Isaacs
opinion_______________________
Should You get hold of those
Pamphlets on music to which I
referred in my last = they can be
forwarded by Mr Douglass when
he leaves for the Massachusetts
annual meeting—__________
The death of Dr Ruggles has
filled our hearts with sadness
for thus has been made a
blank not easily filled.
Last Saturday evening 15^th
I enjoyed a long wished for
opportunity of meeting with
Andrew Jackson Davis—

(Page 4)

It was a season long to be
remembered .I wished that
Isaac and Amy = Sarah
Jacob = Leah and Sisters
Mrs Bush = Sarah C. owen
Benjamin & Sarah Fish
George Willetts and other
congenial seekers were present
His wife read some of his
visions and during the
evening He imparted a fund
of information = items of experience
VC = to me it furnished an
abundant Spiritual Feast

               Monday P. M.
I learn that Mr Douglass leaves
immediately = I must therefore
Close = this and defer writing
to other Friends = My Kindest
remembrances to all
              I am faithfully Your
                              W. C. Nell

Annotations

William Cooper Nell, an abolitionist, is writing from Boston to fellow activist, Amy Post. Frederick Douglass was a former slave and abolitionist leader. Charles Lenox Remond was an abolitionist. Chas L. Reason was an African American Mathematics Professor.

William Wells Brown was a former slave, who became a lecturer and writer. George Thompson was a British abolitionist.

Spiritualism was founded by Leah, Catherine and Margaret Fox in Rochester several years earlier. Its followers believed that through mediums the living could communicate with the dead.

Dr. David Ruggles was an abolitionist, who mentored Nell, Douglass, Sojourner Truth. Andrew Jackson Davis was a Spiritualist healer. Sarah was Post's sister. Jacob was one of Post’s sons. Sarah Own, Benjamin and Sarah Fish, as well as George Willets were all friends of the Posts and part of their Spiritualist circle.

Tags

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/3064.

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