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, Thursday, September 29. 1864

Dear John, Last evening, we received your welcome letter, this afternoon we received the box by Express that you alluded to in your letter, all came to hand safe & sound. Grandma presented the peaches that you mention to our Dear little Mary, & at the same time informed her that her Pa was the donor, she is in excellent health & spirits. This is a great gala day with us. An immense Union convention is here assembled from towns at a considerable distance all round, although the rain has been pouring down in torrents all day, at noon a salute of 100 guns was fired and the people are making the most of it, visitors are about from subburbs and as it is now 4 OClock & clearing off there will be more of a demonstration – excuse haste, we appreciate the kindness very much, of the people who has made you such a rare gift of rich luscious fruit. Mary is at present sitting in the front door, she is singing a little song, looks well, has been lately washed, dressed, and her hair curled

Your affectionate father & mother

Henry & Mary Warner

P.S. Mother said to Mary just now, Mary you have left your rocking chair at the door, & some of the boys will take it away, well now you ought just to see the race she made for the door, it caused grandma to laugh hearty

H & M W

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner.  Allegheny City [Pittsburgh],29 September 1864. Moore VI:06:9