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

1857-06-07

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post. Nell writes to Post and asks about their mutual friends.

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

1164

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

Sunday 5 . O . clocK P.M

alone in my Bachelor sanctum } Boston June 7: 1857

   My Esteemed Friend Amy Post

          Your long looKed for and Very
   welcome communication of April 28th
has constantly been appealing to me for acKnowle
acKnowledgement_ = but I will neglect it no
longer     = though I need not waste time or
         paper in stringing out apologies for my
delay          You are always indulgent and I
will          looK upon myself as already excused
         I was really beginning to               wonder
what had happened at 36 Sophia St .
If sicK       I supposed news would have
reached me =         but no matter I was
fortunate to . at length recieve [sic] the letter
and in the plenitude of my gratitude
therefor [sic] will preserve silence on that
theme   at least        for the time being
                   New YorK and Boston
Anniversaries have occupied much of my time
as You can well imagine = I did wish Isaac
and Amy had been present at one or both .
for Your enjoyment as I thinK would have
been ample .         of which Let Susan B. Anthony
give You her             opinion = if She has not
                                   already done so .

(Page 2)

    Some weeKs since T. C. Hallowell came into
the office when I was alone to renew his
Liberator subscription = I never met him
before .    but we soon found out each
others     relative position to the Rochester Circle.

     At New YorK I was pleased to meet
Susan B. Anthony Lucy Coleman in company
with A.T. Foss      whose belligerant - slite [sic] of
Speech seems not       commendable to Your
    Non combative Spirit. = I also met
   FredericK Douglass at a tea party at
Young Downings = present Dr Smith
Charles Remond et al = we got along
Smoothly =       I happened in on Broad St
at       Downings Saloon one evening early
when who should I be pleased to sup
with      but    F.D. and Geo Willets-
   the former tooK occasion to inform me
that he Yet read the Liberator and was
much interested with Mr Garrisons
recent address    on temperance -
    at some public meeting he alluded
favorably to my BooK=       Services Vc
          Remond has done much good by his
debates recently with Douglass. = He
engages the coming weeK in Providence
and may      at            other places.
  The people got hold of facts and

(Page 3)

arguments of the Garrisonians that they
might not otherwise - and on reflection
they are in many instances adopted .

        Is Miss Griffith as You suppose
Seriously   sicK?      If she does not
recover = the loss of her Services will
   be signal and heavy to F . D -.

     I was interested though not much surprised
   with the speaKing interview between You and
F.D. -
               I have a little Baby neice [sic] =
about 3 months Louisa and Ira are quite
proud     It is a healthy fine Child .
               I am surprised that FranK
does not call and see You = why She
Keeps So close at home I really cannot
understand. =
                               When You write do give
me Some items of information = concerning
Sarah Hallowell Willis and Husband
William and Mary Hallowell . _
The Fishes = Burtis . Anthony . Murrays Vc

of Jacob and his Bride = Sarah P. Remond
gave me an interesting account of the
pleasant Scenes at        the Wedding -
            How I would have enjoyed it-

(Page 4)

Joseph and his responsibilities –
Sarah Birney = Mary Johnson
Mary ( Wait for the Wagon ) PitKin
Willie         Post = =       Does he remember
Mr C . Nell ? - I. Know not when to
anticipate being again at Rochester
but would be     Very happy if this
Summer   Such       an   opportunity could
be mine -

   Remember me to Isaac Post
and          the        entire Circle as
the chance occurs. _

[Four lines of text aligned vertically along right margin of Page 4]

Please accept
the accompanying
group of
       Representative Women….

    I meant to have told You that
Harriet and Louisa Jacobs were in New YorK
and SpoKe much of the Rochester friends
             I have Just had some pleasant times
at Mount Auburn . _ - Nahant -
Bunker Hill    V=         with Salem friends
including Carrie Wise and Martha Mendenhall
from Philadelphia = they hoped to be present at
the Waterloo meeting with Oliver Johnson-
      I am in tolerable health = hope this will find You all
                                             Number One   I remain Ever Yours
                                                                                               Wm C. Nell

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. The New York anniversaries refer to abolition of slavery in the British controlled West Indies in 1833. Susan B. Anthony was a woman's rights leader. T.C. Hallowell could refer to a relative of the Post family. The Liberator was a newspaper that radical abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison published. Lucy Coleman was a woman's rights activist. Andrew T. Foss was an abolitionist lecturer for the Massachusetts Anti- Slavery Society. Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist and former slave. Charles Lenox Remond was also an abolitionist. George Willets was a relative of the Post family. Julia Griffith was a British abolitionist, who supported Douglass's newspaper- the North Star. Louisa and Frances were Nell's sisters. Sarah Hallowell Willis and Edmund P. Willis were Post's sister and brother-in-law. William and Mary Hallowell were Post's son-in-law and step-daughter. The Fish, Burtis, Anthony and Murray families were also abolitionists living in the Rochester area. Jacob, Joseph and Willie were Post's sons. Sarah Birney was an abolitionist and a mutual friend of Post and Nell. Mary Johnson was a black woman who lived and worked for the Post family for a period. Mary Pitkin helped to take care of Willie- Post's youngest son. Harriet Jacobs was an abolitionist and former slave. Louisa was her daughter. Oliver Johnson was an abolitionist and newspaper editor.

Tags

Abolitionism; Temperance Movement; Women's Rights

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/3454.

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