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

1853-08-31

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post. Nell writes to Post about opportunities for African American teachers.

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

997

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                      Last day of Summer !

Esteemed Friend.            Boston August 31. 1853
                     Amy Post
                                        Last night sleeping
at Wendell Phillips’ house = I dreamed of
Amy Post and Sarah Hallowell and this
morning on reaching the anti slavery [sic] office
was presented by Mr Wallcut with Your
excellent letter. I need not tell You that
I most eagerly perused its contents = and
I earnestly      wished that Circumstances
Could but so blend as to promise my soon
Shaking You both by the hands and
gleaning Satisfaction from Your faces -
but alas! alas! = I must for ought that I
Know content myself with the desire.
   I mean to extract from Your letter the
narration of the Slave family and
show it to You and others in the
Liberator.-      You will see in this week
an extract from a letter of Langstons
and my remarks relative to Frederick
Douglass = tame words indeed = the
wonder is that he excluded from
his Column = = “but wait a little longer
     Mr Garrison has recieved [sic] a letter
from Robert Purvis = I suppose some
mention of it will be made soon
Sincere friend Wm C. Nell

(Page 2)

I was to have accompanied Wm J. Watkins
to Newport and hold an anti slavery [sic] meetg [sic]
last Sunday Evening = but I did not complete
my arrangements in time = the fashionable
season is about winding up = the Colored
Elite of Boston are anticipating a reunion
with those from other cities = a gay
time indeed = Newport is to me rich in
association = there happens now to be there
as residents and Visitors = Several of my
most intimate female friends in days
Lang Syne = one that I was on the point of an
engagement with = and others that waKed
up a very tender feeling in my heart.
It was a Newport when on a visit to
one of the above that I first saw
Caroline E. Remond = though Cupid did
not at that time pierce me with his
dart =     but enough on this matter.
By the Bye I lately had a very fine
time at Salem = Georgiana Putman whom
I visited at Williamsburgh has been spending
her vacation at home = she left last friday
        Miss Wood was indisposed I did not
See her= She has Just returned from
the Canadas = and soon leaves with
Sarah P. Remond on a tour to Philadelphia

Having heard that a Female Teacher is

(Page 3)

wanted at Bath Steuben Co N.Y. (where Mrs
Platt lives) I am negociating [sic] for Jenny [Mary?]
Putman or Louisa Jacobs = Do You
remember talKing with me of a piece in
the Standard written by Harriet Jacobs?
I forwarded a copy to Louisa Jacobs =
and have since recieved [sic] a letter from her
Mother denying the authorship -
Her letter is dated – Idlewild = a
romantic retreat of N.P. Willis
Mother and Daughter may both soon
arrive in Boston. – You remember I
intimated an acquaintance with a
Young woman here who had manifested
a preference for me V= = I have made no
advances nor do I expect to- there or
perhaps any where [sic] = - as the Lady is an
inmate of Mr Watkins family = please be
careful in conversation with him or
any one [sic] else = Dont understand me as
disparaging her for I mean nothing of the
Kind.
         I learn that Dorcas Abby & Phebe
have made thier [sic] trip to Cayuga
I. almost cried when remembering
my share of good cheer last Year
with them-          “Oh that I had
wings”= or what would be more
than an equivalent = plenty of money

(Page 4)

My sister Louisa is now again pleasantly
situated as a House Keeper [sic] = I dined with
her and the two Iras last Sunday =
My handsome BooKs = and all my
Collection of Daguerreotypes they consider an
attraction on the centre table and Mantel
piece = They have not Yet room my
Bachelor Sanctum – they are about maKing
Some new move for Iras Schooling
Mr Watkins breaks up his Independent School
and I cannot endure the thought of his
entering the Smith School .
Do whenever You see the Burtiss
Anthonys= De Garmo = Fish = tender
                             John E. Robinson
my Kindest regards         I shall never
forget them .
                            Glad of the anticipated Spiritual
                                       Convention    I have Just been read
                                         Judge   Edwards tract
My affectionate remembrances of William
and Mary Hallowell = Jacob = Joe Sarah
Birney = Mary and Willie = and Sarah
Hallowell = tell her that I hope she
will induce her Husband to visit Boston
with her before many Seasons have passed
away [obliterated] How I would love to meet the
Whole Circle as of Yore with Isaac Post
and Fredrick Douglass included at 36 Sophia
Street = but this wish brings to mind such a
   chapter of reminiscences = that I must stop for want
                                            until soon. I am ever Yours

[Text aligned horizontaly along left margin of Page 4]

Mary Johnson on too & Eunice and George

Annotations

William Cooper Nell, an abolitionist and former slave, is writing from Boston to fellow activist, Amy Post. Wendell Phillips was an abolitionist. Sarah Hallowell was Post's sister. R.F Wallcutt published an anti-slavery pamphlet containing a speech by Reverend Bleby. Radical abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, edited the newspaper, the Liberator. John Mercer Langston was born a free black child in Virginia and became an abolitionist. Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist and former slave. Robert Purvis and William J. Watkins were both African American abolitionists.

Nell refers to "Auld Lang Syne", which was a Scottish poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song. Caroline Remond was abolitionist, Charles Lenox Remond's sister. Georgiana Putnum was a teacher in a school for African American children. Sarah P. Remond was a relative of Charles Lenox Remond. Jenny Putnam was an abolitionist. Louisa Jacobs was author and former slave, Harriet Brent Jacobs's daughter. The Standard was an abolitionist newspaper. Idlewild was the name of Nathaniel P. Willis and Cornelia Willis's home in Cornwall, New York. Nell refers to his brother-in-law and nephew- both named Ira. The daguerreotype was an early form of photography.

Sarah Burtis was woman's rights leader, Susan B. Anthony's second cousin. The De Garmo and Fish families were mutual friends of the Posts and Nell. Jacob, Joseph and Willie were Post's sons. Sarah Birney was a relative of the Post family. Mary took care of Willie, when he was a child.

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 24, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3286.

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