February 25, 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 25^th 1863 2 ¼ P.M.

Our Dear Children—Another Wednesday has rolled round, and we are happy to inform you, we are all in excellent health; at this time we have no news to communicate that would interest you, Yesterday afternoon Mother paid Miss Lewis a visit, Mother says she looks bad, and now we being to think that sorry as she must have been at his death, yet, every day that passes over causes her to feel more and more sensible to the very great loss she has sustained in his removal by death; In her administration the law required a bail, James McCandless agreed to be her bail for 40,000$ he was to be a joint bailsman with Mr Lewis brother; when McCandless was required to conform to promise, he backed out, & said that was not the way he understood it—said that he intended to be bail for the whole himself but would not go in along with another person—McCandless never went near her since—so she got a Mr. Harvey who lives on Troy hill a lumber dealer to go in as bail with Mr Lewis brother. On tomorrow we will have preaching forenoon & afternoon and on Saturday afternoon; as next Sabbath will be our communion.

We suppose the heavy fall of snow we have had, has prevented you from making your anticipated visit to Fort Delaware, let that be as it may, we concluded we would drop you a line at any rate; we now begin to feel anxious to know whether the late conscript act, can compel you to fall into the ranks and fight against the rebels in this unnatural war introduced to perpetuate slavery, wrong, robbery, & injustice to our fellow man—come what will, it is one consolation, The Mighty God of Jacob reigns.

We do not know who will officiate next Sabbath; Mother says, she will bring you here, dress you in womens clothes, & hide you, before you should go to the war—kind remembrance to Jennie, and sincerely hoping our dear little Mary is well, we remain

Your affectionate father & mother

Henry & Mary Warner

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner. Allegheny City [Pittsburgh], 25 February 1863. Moore VI:05:16