November 10, 1862: 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 Monday November 11^th 1862—10 A.M.

Our Dear Children, your kind and interesting letter of last thursday—reached us Saturday evening—Also your letter of Friday reached us this morning we have been since morning drove pretty hard as Henry is to leave on the cars this day at 3.50 P.M. So as to be at Fort D. tomorrow before sunset—Mother has fire in front parlour and back parlour, the reason of this so many comes to Hy on business some to carry messages to their friends & take photographs, sweet meats &c &c &c—therefore Mother puts some ‘ladies’ in front parlour—and other folks in back as case may be. My principle reason for writing now is to let you know Hy has purchased a gum blanket at 2 ½ $– Mother says it is only a bit of an oil cloth—Hy is away thro town attending to the demands of some of his friends, at Fort D. who requested him to attend to, when he left the East—any letter you send to him now send it to Fort D. as usual—Kind remembrance to Jennie should she be at home with a sincere wish for a speedy & perfect recovery of her health hoping that you may soon see her and our dear little Mary in good health & spirits we remain your affectionate father & mother Henry & Mary Warner

P.S. will write on Wednesday

Citation: Henry and Mary Warner, autograph letter signed to John Riddle Warner. Allegheny City [Pittsburgh], 10 November 1862. Moore VI:05:12