Allen, Lydia. Letter to Sojourner Truth.

Title

Allen, Lydia. Letter to Sojourner Truth.

Creator

Allen, Lydia

Contributor

Sojourner Truth

Date

1869-02-01

Description

Handwritten letter from Lydia Allen to Sojourner Truth. Allen writes about her health and recent family events.

Subject

Allen, Lydia

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

1762

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

    Gowanda                                                                      Feb. 1^st 1869
Sojourner Truth my dear
Friend
               with Pleasure
I remember the good & well
com [sic] visit that thee
made us last fall &
thy good me^e^tings that I
attended. these long evenings
I think on how I wish
Sojourner was here ^with her^ insp
iring [sic] talk & good songs oh
how it would cheer me
when I have not been
out much my health
has been so poor.
when I read Amy Posts goo
d letter in the standard
I would have written then
but for ill health but
am gaining now

(Page 2)

George Taylor & Wife
were here at Chrysmus [sic]
& I inquired if he knew
whare [sic] thee was he thou
ght at Battle Creek
but the next Papper [sic] I

[Text written along right hand margin of Page 2]

received

informed me Anne Taylor
was well att [sic] Chrysmus [sic] I
enjoyed her self [sic] well wee [sic]
had a pleasant time I
had all my Children & gra
nd Children [sic] come home
as wee [sic] have been in the
habet [sic] of for more than
twenty years I may not
live to meet them a not
her year let Gods will be
done yet I shall try to live
as long as I can that
I think is every ones [sic] Duty
I was glad to hear of thy
visit to gerrit Smiths
I have menny [sic] years thought

(Page 3)

that he was a verry [sic]
venerable man I never
saw him but I have read
of his menny [sic] & menny [sic] good
Deeds       and theirs outh
ers [sic] too      this wourld [sic] of
People dont seem to know
the Richness & Beauty of
John g Whittiers writi
ings [sic] not in full. I wish
I could see his Barefoot Boy

my will is good to write more
but my writing is so bad
my Husband is well as
usual & our Children & our
neighbors that thee saw
they speak of thee whith [sic]
Pleasure            with much
love           Lydia Allen
                     Gowanda
                         NY

(Page 4)

I was glad to hear that
thee had left smokng
now thee is not a slave
to the flithy weed thee
has been Freed twice
from slavery
oh that our yong [sic] People
would do the Same
                       Lydia Allen

[Text aligned upside down along bottom margin of Page 4]

Please write soon

Annotations

Lydia Allen is writing from Gowanda, New York to abolitionist and former slave, Sojourner Truth. The Anti-Slavery Standard was an abolitionist newspaper. George and Anne Taylor were abolitionists and women's rights activists. Battle Creek is in Michigan. Gerrit Smith was an abolitionist. John Greenleaf Whittier was a poet, who wrote "The Barefoot Boy".

Tags

Family

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Allen, Lydia, “Allen, Lydia. Letter to Sojourner Truth.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed December 22, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/4045.

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