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

1857-09-22

Description

Handwritten letter from William Cooper Nell to Amy Kirby Post. Nell writes to Post 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

1182

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                                              Boston Sept 22^d 1857
Kind Friend
                         Your very interesting and characteristic
letter of 14^th was duly recieved [sic] . and contents most
gratefully appreciated = =                     Since then I recieved [sic]
a line from Charles Lenox Remond from Salem Ohio
en route West =        If I was sitting down at 36
Sophia St or riding out to Rhoda De Garmos -
or Sarah Burtis ^with You^ there are many matters I should be
free to talK over in a friendly way of Charles
and others = Some of them I may allude to
however      at a subsequent period = He is doing
a good worK now for the cause and I am
quite sure is listened to with great interest
   Sarah is zealous and is aiming to become
a useful auxiliary-
                            I meant to have told You
of the Visit to Boston of Harriet and Louisa
    Jacobs and the great pleasure it afforded me-
     I accompanied them on a Visit to Mrs
     Maria W. Chapman at her Country Seat
     in Weymouth = where with her Sister Deborah
and Sister in Law Mary Chapman a Very
agreeable Season was passed
      Harriet had a long talK with
Mrs Chapman   and secured her
interest in her forthcoming BooK and

(Page 2)

any thing [sic] She can do towards perfecting it in
matter or manner may be relied upon
I shall be Very happy to read the
introduction if agreeable to Harriet
and will act as a Brother should .
in accordance with a promise made long
Since     and which I believe She has
confidence in.-
all You have said about the BooK and its Author
as also of the friendly interest cherished by Yourself
is understood .         accepted and will be
considered and adopted by me in the
manner        suitable to the wishes of all -
      I confidently expected being at Rochester
   this Summer = but my not reaching there
belongs to my long Chapter of disappointments
I want much to greet Jacob and his Jennie
and to renew my good times with the
Household = You have not told me lately
of Sarah Birney   or Mary PitKin -
nor Mary Johnson .    and Willie -
^Where is Joseph Post?^ I am Very glad You saw Benjamin -
You would confer a signal favor upon
Louisa and myself . if in a convenient moment
You could Call upon FranK=   They are remarKably
delinquent in their correspondence = She will
procrastinate = I want to hear about their
children = thier [sic] domestic comfort V=
Being in Rochester they should avail themselves

(Page 3)

of the Society    it was my privilege to associate
with   their omission to do this subjects her
almost      either to isolation =or fraternizing
with some who pull down rather than
build up       the Social Circle = at least I
   have reason to fear this to be the case
   would that Circumstances favored their
being near nearer Louisa and myself-
                             -
I have not Visited the Davenports nor
indeed do I attend Spiritual meetings or
Circles but very seldom=   though I have
many a word with SKeptics = always
Confidently defining my position
wholly regardless of the Humbugs they
explode or      Imposters they unveil-
It is a matter of Sublime     God given
fact to me. = I could fill a Volume on
this matter of ^with^ my Boston experiences and
observations among friends and SKeptics
but must       now       pass on to other matters

       Many thanKs for Your Kind wishes for
my presence among the Plums which in times
past I used to revel among W ^feast myself upon^-
        Mrs F. H. DraKe of Leominster    Mass
has Just sent a Box of Peaches for Messrs
Garrison . Phillips . Wallcut and myself
She always reminds me of Amy Post as does

(Page 4)

Mrs Ives of Salem Mass    I should be happy
to have them meet You in Rochester once
with the Circle        including Mrs Trevor of
LocKport = it would be a great satisfaction to
me .-
      Our Salem friends are now saddened by the
almost certain loss of Helens Husband
Mr Gillead on the Central America -
a few weeKs ago we all bid him fare
   God speed on his leaving Salem for Aspinwall
Helen left for New YorK 2 weeKs ago = expecting
him on the 13^th the day the Steamer sunK.
He may Yet have been Saved = but the
chances now LooK very slim -
Joseph Putnam returned with ^Helen^ Yesterday
from New YorK = Thier [sic] Sister Jenny at
    Mrs Platts in Bath is about being married
Joseph is the same as ever =done well in
Australia =and for the present is in the
business with his executive Wife .
-
Louisa is well and sends greeting
I have fine times playing with her little
six months old   Louisa Gertrude-
Ira now about 15 progresses rapidly in School
I believe he stands No 1 Yet-
        - Please generously distribute my regards to every one [sic] in the Circle
                                                        I remain Fraternally Yours Wm C. Nell

Annotations

William Cooper Nell, an abolitionist and former slave, is writing from Boston to fellow activist, Amy Post. Charles Lenox Remond was a lecturer and abolitionist. Nell refers to the Post family home at 36 Sophia Street in Rochester. Members of the De Garmo family were abolitionists. Sarah Burtis was woman's rights activist, Susan B. Anthony's second cousin. Harriet Jacobs was an abolitionist and former slave. Louisa was her daughter. Maria W. Chapman was an abolitionist and a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society. Nell refers to Jacobs's book, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Jacob was one of Post's sons and Jennie was his wife. Sarah Birney was a mutual friend of Post and Nell. Mary Pitkin took care of Post's youngest son, Willie, for a period. Mary Johnson was an African American woman who worked for the Post family. Joseph Post was one of Post's sons. Benjamin was one of Nell's brothers-in-law. Frances was Benjamin's wife. Louisa was one of Nell's sisters. Nell refers to the Spiritualist movement. Spiritualists believed that through mediums they could communicate with the dead. William Lloyd Garrison was a radical abolitionist and the editor of the newspaper, the Liberator. Wendell Phillips was an abolitionist, Native American advocate and lawyer. R.F. Walcutt published an anti-slavery pamphlet containing a speech by Reverend Bleby. Mrs. William Ives was President of the Female Anti-Slavery Society of Salem. The members of the Putnam family were abolitionists. Nell refers to his nephew Ira.

Tags

Abolitionism; Enslaved people; Family; 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/3472.

Transcribe This Item