Dublin Core
Title
1825.06.24 - Elizabeth Huntington to John Huntington, Jun. 24th, 1825
Description
In this letter from Elizabeth Huntington to John Huntington on the 24th of July, 1825, Elizabeth writes about a recent trip she and other unnamed family members made to visit her married daughter Elizabeth and from which she had just returned home to Hadley. She first writes about her trip to several towns on the journey to visit daughter Elizabeth who had given birth to a daughter, named after Elizabeth Huntington. In Little Falls the family horse, named Buckland, fractured his shoulder and was unable to travel. As a result, he had to be exchanged for another horse, and in her letter Elizabeth expresses her grief in the loss of such a faithful and long-serving companion of the family. Afterwards, Elizabeth traveled with the new horse and crossed into a county on Mohawk lands, and through a magnificent town where she ran into friends from Litchfield. After being delayed by the weather, they still managed to arrive at Elizabeth’s home early enough to surprise her and spent the week before returning home. In the second paragraph Elizabeth writes hastily because Dan Huntington wants to bring the letter to the post office and Elizabeth talks about missing both John and William and assumes that the two of them talk about the letters they receive from her. She jokes about Eben not liking to do his lessons, and asks John to write her back and go to visit his sister Elizabeth, and advises him on acquiring a coat. She concludes by urging John to maintain a close relationship with God and and affirms that she aims to do the same.
Creator
Elizabeth Whiting Phelps Huntington
Source
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Family Papers (Box 12 Folder 11)
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Date
1825-06-24
Rights
Courtesy of the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Foundation
For permissions contact Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
For permissions contact Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Type
Correspondence
Scripto
Transcription
My dear John,
You see by the date of this that we are back from the West-- we left home as we intended, ^ [Theophilies with us] the Monday after we left you and learned our way thro’ Williams town, still water- Saratoga, Johns town, Little Falls- here, by the way, we stayed Thursday night- and were obliged very reluctantly to leave Buckland- who the day before fractured his shoulder, and was so lame as to be utterly unable to travel- your Pa exchanged him for another horse smaller- but very smart- a little heavy – but performed the journey very well-. I could not help shedding a tear at parting with Buckland, who has so long been a faithful servant to us-. That day we went thro’ [crossed out], a delightful county on the lands of the Mohawk, visited Ithica where we found some Lichfield friends- this is a place of so much business, and so handsomely built that in passing through one of the streets you would think yourself in the midst of Boston- we went that night as far as Rome- the next day we looked to have reached Oswego, but the road in the afternoon was so extremely bad- that we were obliged to stop fifteen miles this side of Mexico— next morning we reached there a little after eight--found them all well- Elizabeth was almost overcome with joy and surprise- as she did not expect us till Wednesday. Her babe is pretty, little, fat, sweet. – she united herself with the church, and had her child baptized the Sabbath before we got there- the name is Elizabeth Phelps- after your mother --- --- ---. We spent a week there, very agreeably, and set off on Monday morning with the addition of the two Elizabeth’s to our party.
2 o’clock in the afternoon- Your Pa is in great haste to take this to the post office- so I will merely say we arrived at home last Sabbath morning about eleven o’clock- having been detained the day before at – [Litchfield (crossed out)] Peru everal hours by the rain-. By Francis, who came home last Monday in the stage, and will stay till after the celebration of independence- I shall endeavor to [crossed out] give you the conclusion of this highly interesting account- I suppose you will show William this- and probably he will show you the letters he received from us—Eben is very well and very happy, accepting when he has a lesson to learn- which is twice a day, and occupies perhaps an hour and more each time- I wish very much to hear from you- write very soon. Elizabeth sends a great deal of love to you both- as we all do- and requests very earnestly that you would ^both come and see her. – If Mr. Fisher comes after her he will be here about the middle of August and carry her on to Franklin to see his friends- and probably to Bedford to see you- if not she will leave here before the middle [missing] august if you want a thin coat or a [missing] you must procure them then – Be careful in every thing to seek the aprobation of your Maker- maintain a daily intercourse with him that it may be well with you for time and eternity, as is your affectionate mother Elizabeth.
You see by the date of this that we are back from the West-- we left home as we intended, ^ [Theophilies with us] the Monday after we left you and learned our way thro’ Williams town, still water- Saratoga, Johns town, Little Falls- here, by the way, we stayed Thursday night- and were obliged very reluctantly to leave Buckland- who the day before fractured his shoulder, and was so lame as to be utterly unable to travel- your Pa exchanged him for another horse smaller- but very smart- a little heavy – but performed the journey very well-. I could not help shedding a tear at parting with Buckland, who has so long been a faithful servant to us-. That day we went thro’ [crossed out], a delightful county on the lands of the Mohawk, visited Ithica where we found some Lichfield friends- this is a place of so much business, and so handsomely built that in passing through one of the streets you would think yourself in the midst of Boston- we went that night as far as Rome- the next day we looked to have reached Oswego, but the road in the afternoon was so extremely bad- that we were obliged to stop fifteen miles this side of Mexico— next morning we reached there a little after eight--found them all well- Elizabeth was almost overcome with joy and surprise- as she did not expect us till Wednesday. Her babe is pretty, little, fat, sweet. – she united herself with the church, and had her child baptized the Sabbath before we got there- the name is Elizabeth Phelps- after your mother --- --- ---. We spent a week there, very agreeably, and set off on Monday morning with the addition of the two Elizabeth’s to our party.
2 o’clock in the afternoon- Your Pa is in great haste to take this to the post office- so I will merely say we arrived at home last Sabbath morning about eleven o’clock- having been detained the day before at – [Litchfield (crossed out)] Peru everal hours by the rain-. By Francis, who came home last Monday in the stage, and will stay till after the celebration of independence- I shall endeavor to [crossed out] give you the conclusion of this highly interesting account- I suppose you will show William this- and probably he will show you the letters he received from us—Eben is very well and very happy, accepting when he has a lesson to learn- which is twice a day, and occupies perhaps an hour and more each time- I wish very much to hear from you- write very soon. Elizabeth sends a great deal of love to you both- as we all do- and requests very earnestly that you would ^both come and see her. – If Mr. Fisher comes after her he will be here about the middle of August and carry her on to Franklin to see his friends- and probably to Bedford to see you- if not she will leave here before the middle [missing] august if you want a thin coat or a [missing] you must procure them then – Be careful in every thing to seek the aprobation of your Maker- maintain a daily intercourse with him that it may be well with you for time and eternity, as is your affectionate mother Elizabeth.