Eliza Woolsey Howland to Abby Howland Woolsey “Tioronda,” Wednesday Evening. Dear Abby: I was just going to write you a note this p. m. when the Kents came in for a long call and stayed on for an early tea. We sat in the library where the books are now all arranged and the cushion [...]
Seventh Regiment safe and jolly. No fighting yet,– April 29th, 1861. Eliza has been making a flag for their church. It was her part to cut out and sew on the stars. She sent for a large number of very small testaments, for knapsacks, for the Fishkill Regiment, and we have found some sheets of [...]
Our beautiful flags are nearly done and are to be presented to the Second Regiment before they leave. The regimental banner is worked with the arms of the state, which are far more beautiful than those of any other state, with a heavy wreath of palm worked in gold-colored silk around the shield and mounted [...]
April, 1861. My dear Cousin Margaret: I fancy that you may like to know how we have gone through the dreadful tumoil and excitement of the last few days, and so I send you an incoherent line tonight, though my wits are scarcely under command of my fingers. The three great local incidents this week [...]
Abby Howland Woolsey to Eliza Woolsey Howland. April 19, 1861. My Dear Eliza: Your’s and Joe’s note and the box of birthday flowers for Charley came yesterday morning, and the latter we have all had the benefit of. Charley did not want to give any away, so we used them for the dinner-table and parlor, [...]
Abby Howland Woolsey to Eliza Woolsey Howland. April 14, 1861. What awful times we have fallen upon! The sound last night of the newsboys crying till after midnight with hoarse voice, “Bombardment of Fort Sumter,” was appalling. Cousin William Aspinwall was seen at a late hour going into the Brevoort House – no doubt to [...]
Jane Stuart Woolsey to Cousin Margaret Hodge. Feb. 7, 1861. Night before last a Virginia gentleman said to us: “Don’t be too sanguine. Union does not mean in Virginia what it means in New York. There it means only delay–it means Crittenden’s compromise; it means secession, not today but tomorrow.” The same gentleman said: “Floyd [...]
Abby Howland Woolsey to Eliza Woolsey Howland 8 Brevoort Place, Feb. 1, 1861. My dear Eliza: As Charley was away at Astoria Georgy sent round for young Herdman, and she and I went with him to hear Wendell Phillips’ lecture. I never saw him before, and found it a perfect treat. A more finished and [...]
Abby Howland Woolsey to Benjamin Mintorn Woolsey When we were all children and spending, as usual, our summer with Grandfather Woolsey at Casina there arrived one day a new and charming cousin, Benjamin Minthorn Woolsey, from Alabama. He belonged to the Melancthan Taylor branch of the family, and none of us had ever seen him [...]
Dear Girls: Mother and Abby have just come down from Fishkill, Mother declaring that she feels like a different person in consequence of her visit. We are none of us making a time over Christmas presents this year. Abby has had a little bureau just to fit shirts made for Mr. Prentiss, who was in [...]
New York, Dec. 5, 1860. We came down to Centre Harbor on the 6th of November (the great day) and there the Republican majorities came rolling in for Abraham Lincoln. Our host in that place was of a practical turn, and, having no artillery and having some rocks to blast in the garden, laid his [...]
Mother to Eliza: Saturday Morning, Dec., 1860. My dear Eliza: Your very modest little, “may I Mother?” leads me to an immediate reply. Yes, my dear child, come and welcome, just as often as you possibly can and never feel it necessary to ask if you may come home, for this you know is only [...]
Abby’s heart was full of the thought of the slave market when, six months later, John Brown put his belief into action and attempted to bring about the forcible liberation of the slaves, acting as he thought and said “ by the authority of God Almighty.” Death by hanging was his reward. He left the [...]
(Letters of a Family during the War for the Union) Abby writes to her sister-in-law, Eliza Woolsey Howland: 8 Brevoort Place, Dec. 17, 1859. Dear Eliza: Georgy has gone to Professor Smith’s class on church history and Jane has been out for a little air and exercise, to see if her head would feel better. [...]
. . . March, 1859. Though this is March, the Japonicas are just passing out of blossom and the roses are in their first fresh glory–yellow and white Banksia, the Lamarque, and all those choice fresh varieties. I’ll just run down in the garden here and pick you a rosebud. There it is –my voucher [...]
Warning! This article was written in 1859. It contains language that is considered unacceptable today. As properly part of the history of the war, the following New York Tribune’s account of this sale is valuable. It was found among Abby’s papers, dated March 9th, 1859: A GREAT SLAVE AUCTION. 400 MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN SOLD. [...]
(Letters of a Family during the War for the Union) Abby writes to her cousin, Harriet Gilman: Charleston, S. C., Feb. 6, 1859. Slave auctions are of daily occurrence, and one of these we attended, seeing what perhaps no lady-resident of Charleston has seen. But for that sad insight we might have thought things had [...]