Ketcham, Rebecca. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Ketcham, Rebecca. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Ketcham, Rebecca

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Date

1867-01-13

Description

Handwritten letter from Rebecca Ketcham to Amy Kirby Post, January 13, 1867.

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

1591

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                            Jericho First month 13^th 1867

    Dear Amy & the dear ones
                          Matilda spoke to me ab
meeting to day, said she received a letter from
thee yesterday, & thee desired to be remem
berd [sic] to me, it revived sweet friendship, & was
glad allso [sic] to be remembered by thee, I sometimes
feel as if you were trying to do your work as you
pass along from day to day, many trials have
attended you in your journey, but if they make
us better let it be so, I am re^a^day to think they
have not been lost on you dear friends,
How does dear loved Catharine do, her sweet pati
ent spirit is to be felt, she feels the change that has
surrounded her in their loved family, some
-times the greatest trials are not from visible
causes, down deep not known to others, _ I have thought
it be more like home to her near her relatives at Rotcher [sic]
than here, (exuse [sic] me I dont know any thing about it
Marga does really seam [sic] better, for a long time
I could say she was smarter or not so smart, but
it really she now does really seem better if it does but
                                                            [cash?]

(Page 2)

she has been out to spend the day, the first
Willet came after ^her^, & Emma they all had a very
pleasant time, have reason to think, it is referd [sic]
to as being agreeable,_ I have not been to -
Samuels & seen the babe yet & mother yet, I was
there a week before the little stranger came,_
have had much to regret I did not go more before
Catharne [sic] less,_ The neighbours are in usual
health, Caroline Willets has got home from Corning
sometime ago as you have heard, & is very
smart, walks out has been here, how long she would
have lain in that helples [sic] state cant tell, if some
of her friends that ^who^ had been very much helpt [sic]
by the treatment there, had not prevaild [sic] with
them to let it be tried, her aged father said maybe
it was best, but he did not expect to see her again,
not so with the mother, she barely consented, felt as if
they had taken her child away, _
Two weeks ago to day Charles Willets s wife
was brought up & laid in our burying ground
she died with inflamation [sic] of the bowels,
suffered [sic] very much, made a peaceful
close, left 5 children the younger 3 years the eldest
                                                 15

(Page 3)

it is said they were a united happy couple
she wanted to be laid by his side where he would
be laid, _ We hear from Phebe & William
often, Phebe in particular, she & Marga write
each week, perhaps you are aware Phebe
has great family trials, has kept it to her
self as long as she could, but she has comfort in
her sons John & Willy, they bord [sic] with her
John has a good situation in a store, his
employer places full confidence in him,
Willy is in a Telegram office & goes to
school, get a good salerry sallery [sic] fer [sic] his ser
-vices while in the office, William this year
is at Maddison [sic] in the state treasure
department, a very responsible office_
his family is at Richland as heretofore, he
often goes home when he can leave his
business if he only stays one night, he has
a capable business wife, his oldes [sic] child Charly
is very smart boy, helps his mother very
much, the next son is a great care does
not walk & it is likely never will, had a
letter from W^m dated the 3^d of this month

(Page 4)

William wrote he had insulted a Clairvoya
nt, who examind [sic] him & have a diagnosis of
of his case, his ^William^ wife says she thinks the most
correct of any thing yet, as far as she can
judge, he said it was a dropsical protu
berence [sic] on the inside of the spine &
that he never could be curd [sic] so as to walk
not very encourageing [sic], but it may be true,
is healthy in other respects, his body is
large, the lower limbs small & of no ^little^ use, he
is a great care, they have a very nice
spritly [sic] little girl about 2 years should
think, W^m is very fond of children, & fond of
his own family, his being away from them
is case of necessity to provide for them
cant sell the propperty [sic] at present, at
Richland, In its place speaking of Phebe &
family, did not mention Jeffy, while his
mother was here after her fathers death poor dear Jeffy
was turn [sic] off, tryed [sic] to get work but no one to help
him, & encouraged to list which he did for 3 years,
poor dear child, a hard case for him & a great trouble
to his poor mother, if he could went in his father store
he is a good boy to work his mother says, he is now in
Kanses [sic] in the armey [sic] there, they often write to him
& he to them,_ I had no expectation of writeing [sic] s [sic] muh [sic]
when I began, it will not be strange if I have weari
-ed you with my poor letter, - I want to be remembered by
you, dear Catharine in particular & all as if named_
[Continues on page 5 with line beginning "2^d day the"]

[Text in right margin, written upward]
& had a home it would ^not^ have been

(Page 5, separate sheet of paper)

2^d day the 14, did not get my letter off to day
I had fild [sic] it up so, there was hardy [sic] roon [sic] for
my name, there might be question with
thee where it came from, Ill add a little
more, Jacob Hawks & wife are on the I L
visiting, have been some time, we have not
seen them yet, are expecting to daly [sic], they
think of spending the winter on the I Land
We have not had much snow this winter
it is now so that waggons [sic] or sleighs can go,
the neighbours have fild [sic] or about filling
their ice houses, Isaac is begining [sic] his
to day, likely you have heard our old
place is sold again to another Yorker, a
stranger to us, ) Marga desires to be rem
emberd [sic] to you, with myself, all the
L Island relatives & friends & thy good
husband who is spared to thee yet, & thee to
him, _
             n Your friend, Rebecca Ketcham

Tags

Family; Medicine; Spiritualism

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Ketcham, Rebecca, “Ketcham, Rebecca. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3878.

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