Merritt, Phebe. Letter to Sojourner Truth.

Title

Merritt, Phebe. Letter to Sojourner Truth.

Creator

Merritt, Phebe

Contributor

Sojourner Truth

Date

1867 ?-04-17

Description

Handwritten letter from Phebe Merritt to Sojourner Truth. Merritt writes to Truth about recent family events.

Subject

Truth, Sojourner, d. 1883

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

1634

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

Battle Crick [sic]

      Dear Sojourner
           Sammy was home
this ^morning^ said he had just had a letter
from his Grand mother [sic] how
glad I was to she was still living
and able to be doing so much good
I hope to meet here and talk over
[obliterated] all I want to that cannt write
for I am able to write at [obliterated] present
much for had a chil [sic] a week
ago to day [sic] and was very sick only
a week ago and am now far better
that I go out to the table and eat
with them and Lizza has bin [sic] sick
very sick last winter but is better
now Richard and Julia are well
they have another boy they call him
Fredy the is four months old [obliterated]
William is well Rosa they say
when is Sojourner coming back
how glad I should be to see her and
here comes Lizza she say [sic] tell her
we all want to see [obliterated] Sojourner
and my prayer is that we may both
live to meet here and be so both able
to sit alone and talk all these past
days over I have bin [sic] a great suffering
since we parted two since I [obliterated]
[obliterated] was at Pains ville [sic] and
and fell an broke my right elbo [sic]
and put one bone out a joint and
I will not tell or undertake to tell
for coul [sic] no [sic] to if I was well

[Text aligned vertically along top margin of Page 1]

they are
well at
Thomas
and Jane
and
Merritt
is Maried [sic]

(Page 2)

if you was [sic] here Phebe will tell
sum [sic] of it my own pen cannot
or my words canot tell any one [sic]
and may we meet once more and
and hang over heads side by side in
their resting place from this to the
better land may soon [obliterated] an
an [obliterated] to our destined home of the
well done [obliterated] good and faithfull
I can use my hand to knit and
saw and write with a pencill [sic]
and here it is this evening Sammy
said he would call and get it I
am just got a letter ready to
send to Frank and Phebe and I
should think they [obliterated] might want
sum boy or girl to help them
I will say to them to write to
you if they think it best and
say if they want and what
they want and Phebe has two
babies to take care of a girl and
a boy Maybel and Henry and
they think able of them they are
the smartest and finest of all
To be shure [sic] and come that way
when you come here I shall say
say to them to write to you [be shure?]
To not come by them if you cannot
help it I think my self they are very
nice children my broken elbow
and lame shoulder will not say
much more and just say you would
not know Minnie and Wendel

(Page 3)

do come Sojourner as soon as
you can for time is swift
pasing [sic] away with you and me
and may we spend our last days
together I should have written
more bu [sic] my broken elbo [sic] and
feble [sic] health only a week last
night I was verry [sic] sick and
now I am able to ride out
to day [sic] I often ^have^ sick sick turns
warm wether [sic] comes I hope to
be better I want to write many
things Battle Creek is just as
pleasant as even here I am
seventy five years old and
Sojourner is older we shall
pass over the other side before
long, when you come do if
possible come by the way
of Paynesville ma [sic] hand is
I can only write with a pencil
            & I will stop Phebe Merritt

Annotations

Phebe Stickney, an abolitionist, is writing from Battle Creek, Michigan to fellow abolitionist leader, Sojourner Truth. Sammy was Truth's grandson. Stickney mentions Painsville, Ohio.

Tags

Freed Slaves; Personal

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Merritt, Phebe, “Merritt, Phebe. Letter to Sojourner Truth.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 22, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3921.

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