August 25, 1864: 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, August 25, 1864 Afternoon

Dear John, This letter is dictated by your Mother. We are very much concerned about you and your little affairs, from last nights news, we fear that the rebels are going back to you, and it is only the Most High knows where they are going to stop. We think the best thing you can do, is to fix up your affairs and come on here, and just stay here and content yourself until we can see further, and if Mrs Eyster and her children were to come on, we would receive them gladly, we fear that in consequence of the state of affairs in Indiana and other places that there will be much bloodshed at the North, the copper heads are very numerous and very bitter, they are opposing the draft as much as they can, but they are not opposing it here, as far as we know, if you have any time at all answer this as soon as you receive it. If Mrs Eyster is with you give our love to her

Your affectionate father & mother

Henry & Mary Warner

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner.  Allegheny City [Pittsburgh],25 August 1864. Moore VI:06:8