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

1853-02-19

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post. Nell writes to Post about their mutual friends that he has spent time with.

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

974

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

Boston Feb 19. 1853
Saturday 3.PM

Esteemed Friend Amy Post.
               When Oh when
will the wanderer from
36 Sophia Street return?
If this question has ever been
asked I can only reply =
Soon quite soon -
      The late damp weather
left me too hoarse to
warrant getting up my
meetings in Connecticut
and Rhode Island
but I am now nearly
good as new = and
will put off on my
March at earliest
arrangement

(Page 2)

Frederick Douglass is Yet
about the Vicinity. He lost
the chance of seeing
Uncle Tom = at the Museum
but did not lose the
opportunity of a long interview
with Mrs Stowe at
Andover = He has had but
a few minutes talk with
Mr Garrison = I do not
think he enjoys himself
here as formerly = but
John Dick has Just acknowledged
mine and Your letter = sometime
since and sends his Kind regards
to You with a promise of
soon writing = He does not
seem to Know that Phebe
Thayer is in the same City of
Philadelphia with him
Here comes from the Mail

(Page 3)

an excellent letter from
Dorcas Collins telling me
among other things that
Phebe and Abby are quite well
and that they lately attended
a spiritual Circle = where on
the tables being moved
they (Phebe and Abby) were
charged as having
                 with moving it
So my friend Joseph is
off again for California
He has my last wishes for
Health and Prosperity
a few days since Mr Wallcut
recieved [sic] from Norton Bush
his Mothers subscription
and Liberator direction to
California = How changed
have become matters in
Rochester = and indeed in
Boston too = Joe Putman
leaves soon for Australia –

(Page 4)

a blending in of sorrows
that will indeed make
the appellation to me a true
one = Knight of the
rueful Countenance
Frank and her Baby are
having a fine time here
I shall be about there long
enough to recieve [sic] one more
letter from You
How is Sarah = I shall be
truly sorry not to find
her in Rochester .
Give my Love to every
body [sic] at home I need
not nor is there room
here to name them
I suppose You and Isaac will
attend the New England
Convention in May
I remain Most Sincerely Yours
                         Wm C. Nell

[Text aligned vertically on Page 4]

Lucy Stone I learnt the other day
Knows Amy Post

Annotations

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

Nell refers to the Post family home at 36 Sophia Street in Rochester. Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist and former slave. Nell refers to Harriet Beecher Stowe's book Uncle Tom's Cabin, which was performed as a play during this period. William Lloyd Garrison was a radical abolitionist and the editor of the Liberator. John Dick worked for Douglass as his printer for the newspaper, the North Star.

Phebe and Abby Thayer were relatives of the Post family. Nell refers to the growing Spiritualist movement, whose followers believed that through mediums they could communicate with the dead. Mr. Wallcut published an anti-slavery pamphlet containing a speech by Reverend Bleby. Norton Bush was married to the woman's rights activist, Abigail Bush. Joseph H. Putnam was an abolitionist and married to Caroline, Charles Lenox Remond's sister. Remond was an abolitionist leader.

Frank was one of Nell's sisters. Sarah Hallowell was Post's sister. Lucy Stone was a woman's rights leader.

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/3263.

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