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.

Transcript [excerpt]:

Allegheny City Wednesday July 20 1864 Afternoon

Dear John, […] We sincerely hope when you receive this, that yourself & Baby may be in the enjoyment of good health and that you and all the folks in your country have got over the scare of rebel invasion; It grieves us [as?] should grieve every loyal person when we think of millions of property being carried off by the most wicked of wicked creatures under the sun We are informed not less than 8000 horses have been carried off to Virginia and now we are sorry to say, according to a writer signing himself Druid the rebels have by no means given up the idea of attacking Washington. We rejoice you have so far escaped and that you found your carpet sack [&?] safe at the Depot. Dr. J.B. Clark leaves this place as Captain of a Comp’y of 110 men for the front this day to protect the border, people in this county are straining every effort to raise men and money. May the Most High interfere in our behalf against traitors at home and abroad, in England and every where else and bring us safe through this terrible ordeal; The heat here is oppressive, and the long continued drought causes our farmers to be very desponding; Your letter to us we gladly received, and you may be sure interested us very much – according to request we inform you the carriage on trunk was $2 25/100. You say you long to see us, to talk matters and things over, you do not long to see us more than we do to see you and Baby. May the Mighty God of Jacob bless you and yours, in the sincere prayer of

Your affectionate father & mother

Henry & Mary Warner

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner.  Allegheny City [Pittsburgh],20 July 1864. Moore VI:06:7

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.

Transcript:

Allegheny City Wednesday July 13. 1864 Afternoon

Dear John, We commence writing to you on this day of the week as is our usual custom, not knowing whether this will fall into your hands or not owing to the distracted state of affairs on our border. Hoping that Babe and yourself are in good health we have to say we are all in good health here. Mother’s health is no worse than it was a week ago, but we think upon the whole rather better. We received a letter from Henry this morning, he is in good health and spirits, was very sea sick on the day after his departure, had just time to get out of his berth next morning and commence vomiting, off Cape Hatteras a heavy gale was blowing. Himself, prisoners and all the guard with few exceptions were deathly sick, all that day & night never suffered more with continued retching and straining. Says, I thought I would surely have died says, they were within hearing of the guns. Off Charleston and could plainly see the smoke after every discharge, they were firing a heavy gun every minute. On Sabbath June 19 landed his prisoners, none missing just one week from the time of leaving Fort D. says he saw Cocoa & other kinds of trees loaded with fruit which we never see at the North. The Col at Ft Jefferson allowed him a boat to go and see Brudenburg Light house distant 5 miles – gathered some coral there, will tell us about his return in next letter. Anne, Robb, & the two children leave at midnight for Cambridge Ohio, for two weeks, as Robb has leave of absence for that time to [?] his health., every effort is making here to recruit men to repel the border invasion. They have great trouble in getting them, Col Clark is trying to raise a company, we are truly sorry for you and your friends – we sold our Coupons / 200$ due now. 1/ 64 for 264 – and 36$ and received $95 04/100. Did you sell yours? We think if you did not, you ought. – Hoping that we may soon hear from you we remain your affectionate father & mother Henry & Mary Warner

P.S. We wonder you got along so well on the 4^th – would like to see a Gettysburgh paper giving an account of the 4^th celebration

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner.  Allegheny City [Pittsburgh],13 July 1864. Moore VI:06:7