February 18, 1863: 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.

  Transcript:

Allegheny City Wednesday February 18^th 1863, Noon

Our Dear Children—Your very Welcome letter written on Monday night reached us this morning, right glad we were to know that you were all in good health, & thankful to our kind Heavenly Father for the good news. We all enjoy excellent health here, and as an old couple, we think we cannot be thankful enough, for the mercies bestowed upon us, in this land and upon our children, when we think of North Alabama, Mississippi, and many other places, where a terrible reign of terror exists at this time. We think we saw Ms McCullough, but seeing so many strangers, all in or about the same time cannot call her to remembrance, I think if I remember right she was a large sized woman. Now about Henry, we think as you do, he wants a change, and to our minds it is very evident, that if the war was over he would not come home if he could help it, there will be an over ruling Providence in it—he might be cut down very short; Mother says when you go to see him, talk to him very freely, be under no restraint we will be perfectly satisfied, with whatever you may say to him, no difference whether he takes it well or ill, Mother says, she hopes and trusts that he will be kept there, until the war is over, and she is afraid the time is coming, when his own rod will whip him, for he does not care for the sighs nor the tears of them he left behind him. To day Mr. Bard is commiting his son Robert to the earth—he died in the camp hospital, he went and brought home his remains, he was bad since last August; we wrote to Henry day before yesterday, probably you will see him before we write again—Of course we will not allude to your visit to him, until that visit is over. We are glad baby is vaccinated—and that she is thriving so well, this, to the parents is the most interesting time of youth, as she grows up, her corpulency will diminish, no better sign of good health can be for either young or old, than to be active & full of fun—May she be a blessing to you both—Your allusion to Finney & McElwer interested us very much—we think Finney a much better man than Van Wyck—Last Sabbath afternoon, Dr. Douglass preached for us. Mr. Boyle sat in our seat—after sermon a letter was read by him from our absent Pastor in the letter Mr. Clark feelingly alluded to the memory of Mr. Lewis, I could audibly hear the sobs of the Lewis family behind me—we had a very large audience—after sermon Mrs Boyle took tea with us, says she will sell all her property and go to boarding—we can loan here now on good security, at six per ct, this is her intention

Kind remembrance to Jennie

Your affectionate father & mother

Henry & Mary Warner

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner. Allegheny City [Pittsburgh], 18 February 1863. Moore VI:05:16