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

1853-07-21

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post. Nell writes to Post about developments in the Boston abolitionist 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

995

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

Boston July 21. 1853
Thursday Night 12. oclock
all alone at Mr Phillips House

[Four lines of text written diagonal across right margin of Page 1]

Douglass
Calling for
[G. W.?] Putnam
only thinK of it.

My Kind Friend Amy Post
       I. have Just indulged in a
Moonlight stroll across Boston Common
and now previous to embarking for
Shut Eye town will pen down a few
preliminary lines to let You and friends at
36 Sophia St Know that I am once more
“home again” though as You all Know
not from a foreign Shore-
   Had a happy time at Dorcas Collins
found Abby in excellent spirits = and
enjoyed a pleasant season with the
JenKins and Dells = at Waterloo
a good time with the Mc ClintocKs
= spent one night at Zenas BrocKetts
and was made happy in his family
augmented of course by the Society of
Louisa Jacobs = (since I reached Boston
have recieved [sic] a letter from John S. Jacobs
Australia = He was about proceeding
with Joseph to the mines =
at Albany Called upon Lydia Mott
and stopped at Topps = he was absent
in New YorK where I met him and
   had fine times albeit he was
   somewhat indisposed-

[Text aligned vertically along right margin of Page 1]

$1 E.P.W. took one of my Pamphlets
and tendered me one dollar

(Page 2)

Refreshed at Wassiac in honor of Joe Putman
took the Harlem route to New YorK
met there Some old time
friends = Several Convention
members – Langstons both
W. H. Day = Pennington V=
Please say to Mary Hallowell that
Dr Smith told me he was obliged to
leave as he did = he appeared much
pleased with Wm & Mary as of
Course I Knew he must be
Remond went to Philadephia
before I reached New YorK he has
not Yet got to Boston
I Could tell You much of
my times in New YorK
but must hurry on
we had Breakfast at
Downings = Teas at C.B. Rays
V= and with public
meetings V= made a good
Visit = thought of my
walK down   Grand Street

[Text aligned vertically long left margin of Page 2]

with Langston had a good time with
                   Oliver Johnson.

[Text aligned vertically along right margin of Page 2]

Tell Isaac my Bottle of Medicine
empted itself in the Carpet Bag ).

(Page 3)

who stopped there You remember.
with Amy and Sarah Some time
ago Visited Georgiana Putman
at Williamsbugh [sic] = She will be at
Boston in a few days to spend her
Vacation-
a letter has been recieved [sic] from
Joseph H. Putman = at Rio Janiero [sic]
where they had put in for water
his health far from good.
John M. Langston and myself left
Gotham Tuesday in the Bay State
had White folks accommodation
Visited Commencement at
Harvard College with him
and took tea at Francis JacKson
with Sallie Holley = they being
Oberlin Classmates = She
urged his dedication, himself
to the anti slavery [sic] cause
She SpoKe of Your Sarah
and my urging her Eastern
mission = and Miss Porter ( I think
advising her not to visit New England

(Page 4)

She is about Visiting Rochester enroute
Westward-
Wm H. Ashurst (of London
the Edward Search of the Liberator
is here =   brings good news from
Geo Thompson- I should not be
surprised if he(GT) would once more
Visit the United States.
a Slave has Just been taKen
from a Vessel in the Harbor
and made a freeman =
quite a stir is making as the
owner is here = the friends are
vigilant but Cautious } more
                                  anon
Mr V Mrs Lewis = WatKins Mr Grimes
Send lots of grateful regards
to You Isaac & the friends
they laud You in the highest terms
and if they did not I should cross
them from my BooK-
I want to say ever so many things
to every body [sic] at home and will
when I send a letter = love to all
           Ever Your . William C. Nell

[Text aligned vertically along left margin of Page 4]

[obliterated]

Annotations

William Cooper Nell, an abolitionist and former slave, is writing from Boston to fellow activist, Amy Post. Wendell Phillips was an abolitionist. Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist leader and former slave. Georgiana Putnam was an abolitionist, who was fired for holding a large meeting to petition segregation in schools, while being a principal in the district. Nell refers to 36 Sophia Street- the Post family home. Mary and William Jenkin opened their home as a station on the Underground Railroad, as did the Bonnell-Dell family. Thomas and Mary Ann McClintock were both involved in the woman’s rights and abolitionist movements. Louisa Jacobs was the daughter of author and former slave, Harriet Jacobs. John was Harriet's brother.

Lydia Mott was an abolitionist and woman's rights activist. E.P.W. refers to Edmund P. Willis- Post's brother-in-law. Joseph H. Putnam was an abolitionist and married activist, Charles Lenox Remond's, sister- Caroline. John Mercer Langston was born as a free black child in Virginia. Langston worked as an abolitionist.

Mary was the Post's step-daughter, who married William Hallowell. Dr. Smith was the first African American to earn a medical degree and run to a pharmacy in the United States. Oliver Johnson was one of the founders of the New England Anti- Slavery Society. Isaac was a pharmacist, and may have prescribed Nell medicine. Sarah was Amy's sister. Sallie Holley and Francis Jackson were woman's rights activists. Radical abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, edited the newspaper the Liberator. William H. Ashurst was a British solicitor and an advocate of women’s rights. George Thompson was a British abolitionist and orator. The "friends" Nell refers to are the Society of Friends, a Quaker group, who supported the abolition of slavery. The Lewis, Watkins and Grimes families were fellow abolitionists.

Tags

Abolitionism; Personal

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/3284.

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