Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.

Title

Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.

Creator

Post, Mary Robbins

Contributor

Post, Isaac, 1798-1872

Date

186-?

Description

Handwritten letter from Mary Robbins Post to Isaac Post, 186-?

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

1282

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

Dear All Fourth day afternoon
As we used in the long past to comme
-nce with “I embrace this opportunity” so now I lay down
my mending of which I have quite a pile to send a
line by Willet who talks now of leaving here in the
morning and has gone today to make some farewel [sic]visit
I told him he should go to J Rushmores and Marys uncle [James?]
too if he had time I said the large boys leaving school unse
-ttled him but I thought after that letter had gone that it was
not so much that as the information that he could go in the
store which had made him so But here comes J with the paper
and what is better still a letter from Rochester I have read the
interesting letter and it was just what we wanted to know
only a great many questions arose which were not answered
we have been so anxious about you all fearing it was even
worse than it appears. Bad enough it is no doubt I am
so glad brother did not attempt to go through the wa
-ter ^to^ the store he has so much courage It might have
been a fatal experiment It seems to me we have cause
for thankfulnesss that you are all spared when there was
so much danger and how remarkable so few lives lost
It must baffle description the wild fury of the rushing water
I really don’t remember what pittiful [sic]story I told that mad [sic]
you think my “physical powers were so tossed about as to
present any exercising my brilliant talents” I remember
I had a headache when I wrote but that is so common an occ
-urrence that I did not know as I told of it and you
all know that care does not rest as lightly on me as on
many others and I guess I am failing for mole hills

(Page 2)

are somewhat like mountains nowadays but
I am trying to be as young as I can Charles Titus’s
and Henry Posts daughters came after school to stay the nig^ht^
in the house The girls are at Jericho for a few days
Last night we had a scientific lecture small audience
it might have interested me had I been learned enough
to understand it On next sixth day night J D Hicks gives
a lecture on natural ^history^ Next week we have one on the Warfare
of [Truth ?] This week every evening has been occupied except
lst and 5^th Speaking of M Rushmore I don’t know as it is
a cancer on her eye and S Fishs remedy was published in
the Herald of Progress some years ago and Phebe Titus Henrys
wife tried it for a long time she is pretty poorly now
Sarah Whitson is the wife of Abraham Whitsons son Charles she
is very poorly has gone home but her head is very much
distressed probably from the same cause and little
hope of recovery I suppose you had heard of J Motts
sale it has been so long ago I believe it was sold for a
division I felt differently from thee about its being sold
so long as it was held together and with the feeling
in relation to it there would be no improvement around
and it looked very much out of repair Mary F
Titus told me to day they called to see E last first
day they had got moved and partly settled the house
quite small but looked comfortable no doubt
there will be some addition or change to make it
commodious enough I proposed going to see her a
few days ago but Joseph was not going quite so far
in the village Our teacher is going to leave possibly
very soon her brother from Illinois is expected soon
when he comes she will and perhaps go home with
him for the summer uncertain about her return
here Don’t know who will teach perhaps Esther Post

(Page 3)

3 Catharine Post went today to Willets Point
there are 12 or 1400 wounded there now mostly from
Shermans army little luxuries and comforts are
still needed arm slings pads &c are frequently ask
-ed for It is at a fearful cost this war is carried on
so many maimed and shattered for life to say
nothing of the unnumbered dead and the many
who sit solitary and alone desponding in their
great bereavements of any coming joy to brighten
their future home life only the great joy of its
being the means of freedom and blessedness to
millions who with praise and thanksgiving
receive the great boon can lighten the drear
present Does it not seem very wonderful so
much has been effected such a mighty change
in public sentiment but I fear sometimes it is
only with many a transient feeling not deep
and sincere borne along by the impulse of the
moment and liable to be washed out by the next ^wave^

(Page 4)

4 It appears the Liberator is to be concluded the pres
-ent year its mission being ended by the entire
abolition of slavery - This may be propper [sic] but I fear
there will be great need of outspoken and vigilant
efforts to guard the freedpeople and their rights from the
unprincipled who do abound all over I fear there
are many like those L Coleman spoke of under the
pretence [sic] of philanthropy are cruelly injuring them
it is so praiseworthy to go among them they are
looked at as being true misionarys [sic] of good that
many go who have no real interest in them
Phebe Rushmore is delighted with being at Norfolk
but she enjoys most of all going to their houses to
talk with them - I have not seen any of her letters
they are said to be very interesting In one she said
she should think more of the Irish than ever she had
3 or 4 to clean a room they were so slow and stupid
^and she had to stand over them all the time^
one Irish woman would have done more than all of them
she teaches sewing and general housekeeping cleanli
-ness &c I thought I would not take a large piece of paper
[Text continues vertically along right edge]
as it would be sufficient

(Page 5)

Isaac Ketcham it has been reported had sold his
farm but think it must be a mistake as we hear
nothing further Mitchel Ladd and Co have failed
to a very large amount report says 600 000 Stephen
Post one of the firm they have been doing a dashing
business and very many had expected the results only
it came sooner than was anticipated they had Hen^ry^
[Lydias?] and Edmunds money and we hear they are
paid off and the house Tho^mas^ Ladd bought last spring
for 30 000 $ belongs to his wife and his farm in Ohio
mortgaged to Isaac Gifford for money he had given
Hannah I don’t know as these are facts only report
so don’t speak of them to any until it is ascertained
to be true perhaps this is the way I don’t know
how business is done it does not quite square with
a certain rule laid down some centuries past which
whatsoever &c You speak of its being quite cold
it has been different here quite spring like our
folks have sowed oats and people are preparing and

(Page 6)

planting potatoes making gardens cleaning house
and all such work [we?] Perhaps you will come
on to the anual [sic] meeting I wish it might be one
of harmony especially if it is to be the last how sorry
for such as we cannot bear to differ from to censure
each other in the manner that has been I think many
things might be omitted without any sacrifice of
principle   Avis Birdsal was buried today they
lived at Purchace There was a funeral at our
meeting today one of Isaac Hamphursts grand
daughters from N Y   Robert W Titus has spoken
in their meeting   James Conklin has come up
and commenced farming on R R Willets place that was
Ann Titus has gone to her fathers on a visit her brother
is to be married tomorrow to a presbyterian I don’t
know what arrangements are made between them
about religion & its observances It was so pleasant
to get a letter from you hope you will continue
in well doing Love to all as ever your sister Mary

Annotations

MRP is probably referring to the devastating flood that inundated much of downtown Rochester during March 17-19, 1865
Liberator was the abolitionist newspaper edited by William Lloyd Garrison from 1831until the end of the Civil War
J. D. Hicks
Lucy Colman was a Rochester abolitionist; worked to integrate Rochester’s public schools; lectured for the American Anti-Slavery Society and for women’s rights; matron of the National Colored Orphan Asylum in Washington, DC during the Civil War
Obiturary for Stephen R. Post in New York Evening Post, December 26, 1899: Mr. Post was of Quaker descent. Early in life he entered the produce business, and for many years represented Mitchell. Ladd & Co., a provision-house of Chicago, in this city.

Tags

Abolitionism; Civil War; Women's Rights

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Post, Mary Robbins, “Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3570.

Transcribe This Item