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 Tuesday August 12th 1862—11 A.M.
Our Dear Children—very grateful indeed are we to an overruling Providence for our safe arrival at our home at 12.30 A.M. in health and safety—Henry was on the R.R. platform & Mother spied him, I think, a minute before the cars stopped—he handed us both out took shawl, bonnet box & Mothers little basket in his possession & we all three walked over to our comfortable home where Anne was in waiting ready to receive us, a fire made & tea kettle boiling with bread & butter of her own supply; I must now inform you of our trip it was a most delightful one—we did not dine at Harrisburgh nor sup at Altoona—had ice water on the cars and our Gettysburgh supply satisfied us—for my part I could eat nothing on my arrival, just took a drink of water & went to bed left Mother Anne & Hy chatting—Henry is now away for the trunk & also to deliver Rev’d McElwer’s favour to Dr Rodgers—consequently I am without my gold pen—
Must now tell you about Henry—he is enlisted in the volunteer Engineer service—in a regiment stationed at Fort Delaware—they are not to be moved about from place to place as the army in other places—The fort is to be prepared for the purpose of repeling foreign intervention, or invasion—the artillery well drilled then do duty at the fort mounting guard every morning– & having parade morning & evening—where a regularity & an abundance of wholesome food besides a wholesome atmosphere will be enjoyed also the comfort of sea bathing &c&c that many of our military are strangers to—we can also exchange letters with him as regular as with you—how soon he will leave, we do not know nor does he know himself; I have now given you all the information I could on this subject—poor Mrs Brown was in this morning to welcome us home, & also to weep about the probability of her son going to war—the young men here cannot bear the idea of being draughted—our pastor Rev’d J.B. Clark is to leave this week in the command of a company raised by himself—there is & has been a perfect furor here among the people enlisting & hastening to the battle field—Mother was at market this morning is now busy brushing up & cleaning our dear home—our valuable cat has never left us and has three fine kittens since we left thanks to the kind attention of good neighbours—Our Henry has not forgotten Mary, inquired to know how she was—remember us to all kind friend—Miss Rebecca Campbell, Mr & Mrs Dickson—Mrs Cobine and Many, many, many others who have been to us very kind indeed both of Hunterstown & Marsh Creek congregations—
Joseph Banks & Mr. McMaster are to carry on the business of the mill—Mr. McM is exempt from Military service I believe from some physical disability—Henry is come but trunk wont come until afternoon—kind remembrance to Jennie and a kiss for our dear little Mary
Your affectionate father & mother
Henry & Mary Warner
Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner. Allegheny City [Pittsburgh], 12 August 1862. Moore VI:05:09