Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Jacobs, Harriet Brent

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Date

186 ?

Description

Handwritten letter from Harriet Brent Jacobs to Amy Kirby Post. Jacobs shares with Post the letter she wrote to the Tribune in response to an article the newspaper published about slave trading.

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

1257

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

Cornwall June ^25^th^

My Dearest Amy
I stop in the midst
of all kind of care and per
plexities to scratch you
a line and commit to you
a breach of trust which
I have never breath to
any one [sic] therefore I cannot
ask the favor of any one [sic]
else with out appearing
very Ludicrous in their
opinion I love you and can
bear your severest criticism
because you know what
my advantages have been
and what they have not
been when I was in New York
last week I picked up a
paper with a piece alluding
to the buying and selling of

(Page 2)

^Slaves^ mixed up with some of
Mrs Tylers views I felt so
indignant [obliterated] with the
impulse of the moment
I determined to reply to
it were to leave next
day I had no time for thoug^h^
but as soon as every body [sic]
was safe in bed I began to
look back [and] that I might
tell the truth and every
word was true accept [sic] my
Mother and sisters it was
one whom I dearly loved
it was my first attempt
and when morning found
^me^ I had not time to correct
it or copy it I must send
it or leave it to some fu
ture time the spelling I
believe was every word cor

(Page 3)

rect punctuation I did not
attempt for I never studied
Grammer [sic] therefore I know
nothing about it but I
have taken the hint and
will commence that one
study with all my soul
this letter I wrote in reply
I sent it to the Tribune
I left the same morning
the second day it was in the
paper it came here while
Mr W was at dinner I glanc
ed at it after dinner he took
the paper with him it is
headed Slaves Sold under
Peecliar [sic] Circumstances it
was Tuesday 21st I thought
perhaps it might be co
pied in the North Star
if so will you get two
and cut the articles out

(Page 4)

and enclose them to me
I have another but I can
not offer it before I can
read over the first to see
more of its imperfections
please answer this dear
Ammy [sic] as soon as possible
I want to write you a long
letter but I am working
very hard preparing the
New house Mrs W cant
give me any assistance she
is ^so^ feeble give a great deal
of love to all my much
loved friends kiss dear-
Willie for Dah and a
heart full of warmest
and happiest congratuala
tions to Dear Sarah and beg
you to give them for me
I must stop god bless
is my prayer Harriet

Annotations

Harriet Brent Jacobs, an author and former slave, is writing from Cornwall, New York to Amy Post, a close friend and benefactor. At the time she wrote this letter, Jacobs was living in the home of her employer, Cornelia Grinnell Willis and Nathaniel Parker Willis. The Willises had paid for Jacobs's freedom from slavery. Abolitionist and former slave, Frederick Douglass published the North Star. Willie was Post's youngest son. Sarah was Post's sister, who had recently married Edmund Willis.

.

Tags

Abolitionism; Enslaved people; Personal

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Jacobs, Harriet Brent, “Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3546.

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