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

1852-12-22

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post. Nell writes to Post about his experiences as an anti-slavery lecturer.

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

963

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

By way of commemorating Our Birthday I presented
a record of events on the 20^th of Dec 1852 which I will
bring with me to show You
Wednesday [obliterated]        }                Boston Dec 22^d. 1852
11. oclock P.M.}

Esteemed Friend Amy Post}        I have Just
returned from the Boston Bazaar ^which opened to day [sic]^ and
where I have promised to attend until its
close = - The day has been a most
auspicious one    Cold & Clean =the attendance
- very encouraging and Just before breaking up
the sum of             Eight hundred and fifty odd
dollars was announced taken. This afternoon I
enquired of Deborah Weston if the Rochester
Box had come = and when She told me no
I felt not a little disappointed = but having
occasion directly after to go to the anti slavery [sic]
office =was greeted by the welcome sight of the
expected Box: I lost no time in conveying
- it to the Hall = and on telling Miss Weston that
I felt some curiosity as to its contents –She
requested my opening it = It would have
been flattering indeed to You and the Circle
to have heard her commendations of the
article = Just useful ones as were in demand
there having depend upon it You could not
have made a more acceptable Selection
but of this I presume You will learn officially

(Page 2)

an almost unprecedented quantity of
articles has been forwarded from Europe
arriving doubtless to ^in^ a certain degree to the
influence of Uncle Tom

This evening while talking at the Fair with
Miss Eliza J Kenny = on the spiritual matters
I remarked = that despite all that had
been put in as offsetting the theory -
I Yet found it easier to accept than
to reject. unexpectedly to us = this was
confirmed . by Miss Kennys hand moving
rapidly on the table = as the She declared
wholly beyond her control..

She Sends her best love to You.
9=o’clock               Thursday Eve 23^d 1852
Seated in Mrs Scotts large room having
enjoyed listening to a splendid Music Box
(18 inches long). I will before retiring , pen down
a few more lines = - I. had the pleasure to day [sic]
of Seeing AbbyFoster and Sallie Holley
and this reminds me of the old Gentleman
Peter Still introduced to me last Sunday by
Francis Jackson = He informed me that
Sarah Hallowell had gone to Long Island
His letters of introduction to the several clergyman
I expect will result very profitably-

(Page 3)

He speaks very gratefully of Isaac and Amy Post

                            Anti Slavery [sic] Room Jan 4. 1853
Since writing the above I. have recieved [sic] Your letter of
Dec 23^d for which many thanks = Just listened to a
pleasant scene between Misters Phillips Garrison . May
and Sallie Holly , she has Just returned from Fall River
where she had an audience of 1,500 = and got several
Liberator Subscribers == Mr Phillips made a fine speech
^she has visited Rev. W.F. Holland at East Cambridge^
at the Bazaar last evening = it closes to night [sic] -
proceeds when I last estimated 3600dollars
Miss Deborah Weston wishes me to tell You that never
was a more acceptable Box than Yours from Rochester
the entire ^the entire^ contents were sold in a few hours
so much for sending Useful articles the
people like Oliver Twist wanted more
Parker Pillsbury has offered an amendment to
Uncle Tom as represented at the Boston Museum
and which has been accepted by the Manager
who tendered to Mr Pillsbury a free ticket for
one Year for himself and family -.
        How I do wish You had all accompanied the
Box for more reasons than can now be told-
one attraction would have been the Spiritual
Convention which was respectable in attendance
and very interesting in matter and manner
Ably Kelley Foster is advised by her Physician to cease her
public speakers = she has the Bronchites [sic] -

(Page 4)

I lectured at Canton on Monday Dec 27^th -
a little Baptist Vestry filled = I recieved [sic] however
but little pecuniary profit = the people were
attentive and are preparing for a meeting of
Charles Lenox Remond = Parker Pillsbury thinks
of my accompanying him to New Hamphire [sic]
I shall then complete my Eastern Jaunt by being
at the Massachusetts annual meeting the
last week in January =      then God willing
I shall wing to Rochester for a brief
visit with my loved friends
Next Saturday I superintend a Childrens Festival
(about 70) at Mr Bowditchs in Brookline (wish
Willie and Mary Ann were to be present)

I then expect to leave that Evening for
Salem = and attend Sunday the Essex County
meeting in Danvers = Professor Wm G. Allen
will accompany me = He will soon be in
Rochester

                               Thursday Jan 6 1853
The Liberator is now being is now being mailed . You and Isaac will
rejoice in its new dress = The Bazaar done nobly
Your thousand dollars Mr Garrison sends to You
greeting ==
                      So Sarah is at Long Island = I hope to find her
at 36 Sophia St when I reach there -
I have Just sent a letter to Harriet and Louisa Jacobs
hope John will be lucky in Australia = how richly he
deserves success = This morning recieved [sic[ an excellent letter
from our mutual friend Jerry -
Trust that Sarah Thayer and John E. Robinson will each recieve [sic] a good
                                                              fat legacy

Annotations

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

Deborah Weston was one of the founding members of the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, which depicted the slave experience. Eliza J. Kenny was an abolitionist, who gave up her reform work to become a Spiritualist medium. Spiritualists believed that through mediums they could communicate with the dead.

Abby Foster was an abolitionist and woman’s rights activist. Sallie Holley traveled as an anti-slavery lecturer with Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone and Sarah Remond, and other members of the American Anti-Slavery Society. Peter Still was a former slave, who became an anti-slavery lecturer to raise money to buy his family's freedom. Francis Jackson was an abolitionist from Boston, who was affiliated with the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society, the American Anti-Slavery Society and the Boston Vigilance Committee.

Sarah Hallowell was Post’s sister. Wendell Phillips was an abolitionist. William Lloyd Garrison was a radical abolitionist and the editor of the Liberator. Samuel J. May was a radical American reformer, who advocated for woman's rights and abolitionism. Parker Pillsbury was a minister, an abolitionist writer and a woman’s rights activist.

Nell refers to Canton, New York. Charles Lenox Remond was an American orator and abolitionist. William Ingersoll Bowditch served as Treasurer of the Anti-Slavery Society, and opened his home as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Willie was Post's youngest son, and Mary Ann helped to take care of him.

William G. Allen was the editor of the National Watchman, a Temperance and abolitionist newspaper. Nell refers to 36 Sophia Street, the address of the Post family home in Rochester. Harriet Brent Jacobs was a former slave, and later the author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Louisa was her daughter. John was Jacobs's brother. Jeremiah Sanderson was a free black man, who moved from Boston to California to pursue business opportunities. Sarah Thayer was a relative of the Post family.

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/3253.

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