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

1851-01-15

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post. Nell writes to Post about recent events in the Boston anti-slavery community.

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

884

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

Is Sarah married = or Betsey Foster?

                                        Boston January 15^th 1851
My Much Esteemed }
       Friend Amy Post }       Among the choice
correspondence now before       me ( a small
portion but Yet answered =) allow me to
   preface my letter to You by a specification
             Amy Post – Joseph H. Putman
Benjamin F. Clegget. Dorcas & Henry Collins
and an excellent one this day recieved [sic]
from no less distinguished a Personage than
Jacob Kirby Post   now at Long   Island
( I presume You are acquainted with him
and which by the way of Auld Lang Syne
is one that will afford me many a pleasant
reminiscence _= I shall forward an early response
     I am under many obligations to my good
friend Amy Post for her Kind letter
containing So much relative to my Sister
Frank = I Knew when Coming away from
Rochester. that there ^were^ those friends that
would Keep a watchful eye upon Frances
and Your letter and     Benjamins
fully confirm the Same = She must
truly have been in a critical state of
mind and Body. but Louisa and myself
now confidently believe that the worst
is over = and that Our Sister is in the
                              mending hand.

(Page 2)

I need not say to Amy & Isaac Post
that my heart Yearns to be once again
in Rochester and that indeed quite
soon. but circumstances do not now
permit my stating the precise time.
when = but word shall certainly be
imparted to No 36 Sophia St on my
ascertaining a probable approach
to that        happy moment
You remember my intimation of a long Journey
I have not Yet recieved [sic] the definite
final word == of course I shall have
more to tell you about it Soon.
I have for several days been unwell
with a Severe Cold. but am now in
the Convalescent order = and glad enough
to be So    I can assure You:
I am now sitting at a Table adjacent to
a Young Fellow and Girl Courting = it is
real fun = for an old Settler like me
who is probably done with such
matters .. for to tell You the truth I
have made no advance steps in that
matter since coming home and
am not at all prepared to say
  whether I ever shall or no

(Page 3)

The Mysterious Rappings have for some time
past been the theme of much discussion here
LaRoy Sunderland has an office where his
Daughter operates as a Medium = I attended
one of his Lectures = =and though I have
not the most confidence in Mr Sunderland
Yet to my mind the Knockings were apparent
But = there are Classes here and I am
familiar with many of the members and
often converse on the subject = at the lecture
above alluded to = much scepticism [sic]
was manifested = in various ways = but during
the Evening an intelligent (Colored) Lecturer
on Psychology = by the name of Peterson-
mentioned. that on leaving Mr Sunderlands
previous lecture = he went home much impressed
with the novelty of subject = and
while cogitating = and aspiring for an
interview with his ^a^ deceased Parent (whom
he had never Seen) Several distinct
raps gratified and surprised him
He said more = which the manner &
matter of made a favorable impression
upon the audience. Sceptical [sic] though
many were = (I was attended by
Joseph Putmans wife) and felt
moved as an offset to one who
termed the whole matter as Humbug.

(Page 4)

to narrate some of my Rochester
Experience = Concluding with an opinion
which You Know was mine while there
that = the Girls were controlled by
instead of controlling it -
Both Classes are on the increase
      Believers and Dissenters -
I merely tell what I saw and heard
and often interest a Social Circle
some frightened some amused = and some interested
I was much interested with Your remarks
on the Western N.Y Anti Slavery [sic] Society
that was when the Women wielded
thier [sic] wands so successfully = but
now I presume the glory has
departed =   Did You recieve [sic] a Note
from me by the Box of Fair Goods?
Mr Thompson had already answered You by
Miss Griffith.
Will You at a Convenient time hunt up for
me those Stars = as asked for in my last.
                              Monday mor Jan 20.^th 1851
Last Evening Mr. Chaplin – J.C Hathaway and others
addressed the Colored Citizens in Belknop St = no Collection
was announced . but on the spur of the moment
$ One hundred and Eleven dollars was subscribed
Considerable paid down on the Spot
My Love to all at Home = Please excuse this
                                          rambling Epistle from Yours Truly
                                                                           Wm C. Nell

Annotations

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

Sarah and Betsey Foster could be related to Stephen Foster, who was an abolitionist. Joseph H. Putnam was married to Caroline, the abolitionist leader, Charles Lenox Remond's sister. Benjamin F. Cleggett was Nell's brother-in-law. Jacob Kirby Post was Post's son.

"Auld Lang Syne" was a Scottish poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song.

Frances and Louisa were Nell's sisters. Nell refers to the Posts' home at 36 Sophia Street in Rochester. Nell refers to the growth of Spiritualism and the "knockings" that believers heard signaling a communication with the dead. LaRoy Sunderland was a Methodist minister and abolitionist.

Nell refers to the "Girls" Margaret and Catherine Fox, who started the Spiritualist movement. The Western New York Anti- Slavery Society was founded in Rochester in1842, and operated out of the Posts' home.

George Thompson was a British abolitionist and toured the United States as an anti-slavery lecturer. Julia Griffiths financed former slave and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass's newspaper, the North Star.

William L. Chaplin was arrested with a runaway slave. J.C. Hathaway became President of an anti-slavery society in Farmington in 1837.

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/3174.

Transcribe This Item