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

1855-03-16

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post. Nell writes to Post about recent events related to the Fugitive Slave Act.

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

1062

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

    I am soon to accept Jerrys invitation
    of spending a few days with his family
    at Wareham

                             Boston March 16. 1855
                             Sunday PM. 4 ½ oclock

My Esteemed Friend
                     Amy Post
                                    Dr. Delany
expecting to leave in the morning for
Westward Ho (and who will Soon be
here for this letter) has Somewhat
hastened my acKnowledgement of Your
Characteristic Kind letter of 3^d inst
I. recieved [sic] it on my return from
Salem where I had enjoyed Ten
days the Hospitalities of the Putman
and Remond families = for You perhaps
have not Known that for nearly
3 months I. have been an invalid
and though now much better
and feeling an encouraging prospect
Yet I. have passed through a Crisis
which though Some thought little of
many of my friends regarded it as
Serious and indeed now have
thier [sic] apprehensions = a Series of Colds
each but partially cured at last brought
an emission of blood from the left
Lung = Dr. Bowditchs examination
    led his assuring me = that there was no

(Page 2)

Ulceration and but little if any
irritation = =for one weeK I did
not leave my room = Mrs Weeden
^and Kept^ my Landlady was very attentive
my Sister Louisa . God bless Her
was with me most of the time
and the medical sKill of Dr Bowditch
with the Kindness of friends have
through Providence = placed me on my
feet again = though for 2 months
Six weeKs I have not been out evenings
after I left my room I remained in
the House a long time indeed for me
at one time Wendell Phillips Esq
Chas Lenox Remond and Joseph H Putman
were my Company = it were
I almost thought it a privilege to be
SicK = if Such a Trio of Visitors Could
thus meet in my Sanctum
     Had I not been SicK in all probability
I should have been present at the
arrest of Shadrach and stood a
Chance to share the glory now
monopolized by a few of my friends
Stigmatised as Rioters =but let
us work our on = faithfully for
                                ^as we may.^
“The Night is long that never finds the Day

(Page 3)

I wish I could tell You my experience
in the Fugitive Slave department
Since the excitement = but there will
not be room for me to commence
all the talK I would have with You

While at Salem =both families done thier [sic]
   best for my comfort and at Mrs. Putmans
Herself and Daughters all =rivalled [sic] each other
in thier [sic] contributions of Kind offices while my
Valued friend Joe and his wife were
always putting thier [sic] Heads together for the
my happiness = I cannot detail = but
   let me add a line concerning one
of whom You and Sarah have so often
heard mention of at 36 Sophia St = Helen
never appeared to me more interesting –
She now supports herself as Tailoress
and bids fair to become as we say here
a Star Woman = Who the Individual is
that is to recieve [sic] the promise of her Heart
and Hand is as much of a mystery
to me however as ever—
Yours is always a welcome name with
the family =–
Charles Lenox Remond soon expects to
Commence HouseKeeping with his
amiable Bride (Every one admires Her

(Page 4)

Yesterday. Wendell Phillips Esq. and myself
appeared before the Legislative Committee at
the State House in favor of a monument to
AttucKs the Colored man who first fell
in the Boston Massacre 5^th March 1770.
Mr. Garrison is better and told me how sorry
he felt in not being able to accept Your
Home as his while Kind offer = He seems
to be ^as^ partial towards the Post = Circle as I
Claim the honor of being myself-
As You have Seen and heard George
Thompson =I need not say one word
on the matter
I have made but a poor letter = and
must even now draw to a Close =I
must prepare a line for FranK
What truth is there in the Expose of
Rochester KnocKings = Knee Joints Vc –
I wish Leah would find it convenient to
leave my Musical Scraps and BooKs with you
You will surely tender my expressions
of Kind Remembrance to all the Household.
If I am not burdening You with requests I will
put down the Numbers of the North Star missing
1850 }             I am to answer Jacobs 2d letter this
No 10 Feb 29 .} Evening
"    27 June 27 .}              I am Gratefully Your Friend
"    38 Sept 12 .}                  William C. Nell
"    39 "       19th
"    40 "       26

Annotations

William Cooper Nell, an abolitionist and former slave, is writing from Boston to fellow activist, Amy Post. Nell refers to Jeremiah Sanderson, a free black man who worked for education reform. Dr. Martin Robinson Delany was an African American abolitionist and physician. Joseph Putnam was an abolitionist and Charles Lenox Remond's brother-in-law. Remond was an abolitionist leader. William Ingersoll Bowditch served as Treasurer of the Anti-Slavery Society, and opened his home as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Wendell Phillips was an abolitionist, Native American advocate and a lawyer. Nell refers to the arrest of escaped slave, Shadrach. Nell references a quotation from Macbeth: "The Night is long that never finds the Day". Georgiana Putnam was Joseph Putnam’s sister. The Boston school district fired Georgiana because she supported a petition to end segregation in schools. Sarah was Post's sister. Nell refers to the Post family home at 36 Sophia Street in Rochester. William Lloyd Garrison was a radical abolitionist and the editor of the Liberator. George Thompson was a British abolitionist and orator. Frank was one of Nell's sisters. Nell refers to the Spiritualism movement, whose followers believed that through mediums they could communicate with the dead. Leah Fox Fish was the older sister of Spiritualist founders, Margaret and Catherine. Abolitionist and former slave, Frederick Douglass published the North Star. Jacob was Post's son.

Tags

Abolitionism; Medicine; 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/3352.

Transcribe This Item