Truth, Sojourner. Letter to [Amy Kirby Post?].

Title

Truth, Sojourner. Letter to [Amy Kirby Post?].

Creator

Truth, Sojourner

Contributor

[Amy Kirby Post?]

Date

1869-01-18

Description

Handwritten letter from Sojourner Truth to [Amy Kirby Post?]. Truth writes to Post about giving up tobacco.

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

1761

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                        Detroit Jan 18^th 1869-
116 Elizabeth [Str?] East

My dear Friend-
                        I want to Say to you
that altho [sic] I was sorry not to bid
you “good bye”- yet all was done
that your son & your nephew did
all that was necessary for my Comfort.
& I Came along safely- and when
I got in Detroit- I went to Mrs
Cochran’s but her son George
was very Sick and I went to
Mr Footes and staid [sic] a week-
& then I had a good meeting at
the Unitarian Church- & took up
a collection over 60 dollars- if I
had as good a meeting at Rochester
it would have help’d [sic] to have paid
for my home in Battle Creek I then
came in Leroy to Mrs Leggetts-
Well at Mrs Leggetts- many Friends

(Page 2)

have call’d [sic] upon me- one evening the
house was open- & many call’d [sic] then and
on the days following- last Sunday
I had many calls- I us’d [sic] your
letter enclosing the one from
Johnathan Walker. I was very
glad to hear from you. and very
glad and thankful to Mr Walker
for his letter and invitation. I
return to you your letter from
Mr Walker. Mrs. Post when you
write to me can you tell me
what little girl it was that
Came and bid me good bye when
I was Coming away and gave
me an orange- I remember her
kindly- I think her name was Clark
She kiss’d [sic] me good bye- & gave me
the orange – A gentleman one
Mr [Mugan?] call’d [sic] upon me
here & he presented me with a
very comfortable pair of
woolen shoes all lin’d [sic] norm

(Page 3)

and heavily soled- I want you to
have Johnathan Walkers letter
published in the Anti Slavery
Standard- & I want you to let it
be known that it was of my own
will and desire to quit Smoking
it was the Spirit that spoke to
me to give up tobacco, and I long
had been wishing to do so, but
could not and I pray’d [sic] to God
that he would make me feel the
necssity [sic] to give it up- and he did
and I have had no taste of apetite [sic]
to taste it again, tell Miss Coleman
that was all of my own power or the
power that God gave me to give up
tobacco & the dear Lord has fill’d [sic]
the part that long’d [sic] with his own
love and Spirit & now my great
prayer is that all who Smoke
may have the Spirit that spoke
to me to work in them to destroy
the drive for Tobacco-

(Page 4)

Sojourner will pray the big
prayer of her heart that the
wicked love of Tobacco may go
out of the longing of the people
& wont that be a big prayer
to ask the Lord to work this
Evil out of the People?-
Give my love to Isaac Post
& tell him I have a warm
Corner here at Mrs Leggetts &
I want him when he sits
where Sojourner tried to Sit
to think of her- for she has
about Such a Chair & such a
Corner to sit in & give my
love to Betty and Mary &
to yourself & to all of your
family tell Betty ^Addy^ that when I
go to Washington She must make
ready to go along , your friend
                                 Sojourner Truth

Annotations

Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and former slave, is writing from Detroit, presumably to fellow activist, Amy Post. Battle Creek is in Michigan. Eliza Leggett and her family were abolitionists. Jonathan Walker was an abolitionist and former slave. The Anti- Slavery Standard was an abolitionist newspaper. Lucy Coleman was an abolitionist and woman's rights activist. Mary was Post's step- daughter. Betty was Mary's daughter.

Tags

Anti-Tobacco Movement; Personal; Spiritualism

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Truth, Sojourner, “Truth, Sojourner. Letter to [Amy Kirby Post?].,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 22, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/4044.

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