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 Annie. 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 10th 1861—Front Bedroom 2 P.M.
Our Dear Children
With very great pleasure I sit down, to write a line or two to our absent ones at Gettysburgh; As usual I have but little to write about, however any little news that I have connected with our own family I will state that first—On 4th July, in middle of forenoon who should arrive in a buggy at the front door but Joe & Harry. Harry came in, Joe drove to the stable, about the same time, Aunt Betty arrived & her grandson Sammy Taylor—All hands ‘spruced’ up and went to see the Home guards, Artillery, Volunteers, & firemans parade, which (as I am informed was an imposing sight, your father remained home to keep house—At 12 ½ Noon, we all sat down to dinner—roast chickens, fried ham, green peas—cold pie, old potatoes, tea, &c&c&c—After tea Aunt B. & her grandson went home—in the evening sat on the front door, & front parlour looking at a grand display of fire works, so ended the glorious Fourth. On Saturday last, it was baking morning—Weather that morning was fine until about 8 oclock, just at the time the bread was going in the oven it commenced raining very heavy & rained incessant until noon. Mother had to be out, her clothes were very wet, her feet were wet also, on Sabbath day her throat was sore, on Monday was quite unwell, Tuesday yesterday could not go to market, I went, to day I think she is better, still complains of her throat. Anne & her is at present in little room over new kitchen, mother is sewing; Since Joe & Harry came home, the oil company to which they belong had two meetings and at the last meeting they agreed that they should go back & bore on for oil they are now down 400 feet are to sink another Hundred making the depth 500 feet for which they are to receive two dollars per foot—they have consented to go—whether they will leave next week or the week after they have not determined yet; If mothers throat was well, and Anne was cheerful I would say, we are all in excellent health and spirits. I handed Anne, the letter from Jennie yesterday, she is much pleased with the kind invitation, and I think has some notion of going to pay you a visit, she did not tell me this, & I merely suspect, that this is her intention; Mr Seymour died last friday, his remains was put in a metallic coffin, and on Saturday Mrs S set off to New York with them. Mrs Blackstock is still living and that is all;
On Sabbath last Dr Plummer commenced in the Basement of his new Church—in the afternoon there was no meeting at our church—Mr Clark preached at the House of Refuge; Mother & Anne attended at Dr Plummer’s—it seems Dr P never adverted to our national troubles, and we are told he never does, In his discourse he said the people now would put Christ to death if he did not go with them in opinion just as fast as they did in his day, perhaps they would not crucify him but they would hang him to a lamp post we cannot exactly pen the exact words he made us of—but the lamp post was in the expression—we think he will not be long in this community—James Gibson has left him & many others; I think now I have told you all the news I could think of
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], 10 July 1861. Moore VI:04:20