December 4, 1861: Henry and Mary Warner to John Warner

Henry and Mary Warner lived in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, now part of Pittsburgh. They are the great-grandparents of poet Marianne Moore.  By the 1860s they had three surviving children:  John, Henry, and Anne. Their letters to John, a Presbyterian minister living in Gettysburg, are preserved as part of Marianne Moore’s family papers.

 

Moore VI-4-25 Henry and Mary Warner to Children 12-4-61

 

Transcript:

Allegheny City, Wednesday, December 4th 1861—Back kitchen 3 P.M.

Our Dear Children—Another Wednesday is upon us, & happy to inform you, am I, that we are all in excellent health & Spirits. Robert & Anne on last week came to the conclusion that they would go to house keeping, accordingly they rented a house up near Dr Sproul—next door to Mrs Whitesides a few doors from the school house in the 3rd Ward; Yesterday Mother went along with Anne & purchased several small articles for the table use in this city—and to day they both went over to town and done the same, Robert & Anne are at this moment busy packing up and tomorrow they will occupy their new home—Robert is not in any business yet—we all tried to prevail on them not to go house keeping for a little time longer, but they seemed anxious to try how it would answer. times are at present very dull but something may soon turn up in favour of giving Robert employment—at present we are all busy lending a hand to the movers—we have no other news to communicate

Hoping that Jennie & you enjoy good health

We remain your affectionate father & mother

Henry & Mary Warner

P.S. Mother says ask him has he got his overshoes yet, & tell him that if he has not, she will be very much dissatisfied with him, says, she has been very uneasy all week about his health, for it was an attack of pluerisy you have had.

Mother says, Jennie works from 7 until 10, and that is altogether too long—says, she should not do it—that half of the time would be long enough to sit over a needle—Mother is very much pleased that Jennie is pleased with the callico

 

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner. Allegheny City [Pittsburgh], 4 December 1861. Moore VI:04:25

December 1, 1861: Connie Spafford to her Friends

Carrie Spafford had been the fiancée of Col. Elmer Ellsworth. Col. Elmer Ellsworth was a lawyer and soldier and friend of Abraham Lincoln who was one of the first casualties of the Civil War. He was shot and killed on May 24, 1861 while removing a large Confederate flag from a tavern in Alexandria, Virginia.

AMs 811-2-7 p1 Connie Spafford to friends 2 AMs 811-2-7 p2 Connie Spafford to friends 2 AMs 811-2-7 p3 Connie Spafford to friends 2

Transcript:

Rockford. Dec 1st 1861

My dear friends,

Although I am not indebted to you and have nothing of interest to say I feel like writing you this evening. I have attended church once today, and am going again this evening. We have a most excellent minister- one whom I love most dearly. I also have an interesting class in Sunday school, which I am trying to guide in the path of Piety. But while I have a good minister to listen to on Sunday and a class to instruct it is the saddest day in the week to me. While at home, every thing is quiet. I have no domestic duties to perform and am consequently left alone with my thoughts. And while I try not to murmur I find myself wondering, why God thought to take away him who was so dear to me? Many answers present themselves, but still I am wondering. I know I loved him too well, he was my idol, and in this Christian world we should love none better than God. I fear I did not obey this commandment. Tomorrow will be my nineteenth birthday. I shall then enter the second year of my womanhood, sadder far, and I trust better than one year ago. Oh how little did I know of the sufferings I should endure during the following year, when I wrote Elmer one year ago tomorrow. And this well I did not.

Enclosed you find a copy of Elmers last letter to me. I beg your pardon for not having sent it before, but my time has been so much occupied that I have not been able to copy it.

My mothers health being so poor, I am obliged to attend to housekeeping affairs and am of course, busy most of the time.

I see by the papers that Mr. Ellsworth has had an office assigned to him. I am delighted. Where is he to be stationed?

I wish I could see you both tonight. Mr. E. are you not coming West? I must close now and prepare for church. Write me soon- and accept much love from your aff Carrie

Citation: Carrie Spafford, autograph letter signed to her friends. Rockford, Ill; 1 December 1861. AMs 811/2.7