| Title: | Thomas Patterson, New York to John Thompson. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2091 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Patterson, Thomas/48 |
| Year | 1848 |
| Sender | Patterson, Thomas |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | New York, USA |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | Thompson, John |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | D 2795/5/1/1: Presented by Mrs Chas. Donnan, Cahard, Ballynahinch, Co. Down. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9310118 |
| Date | 22/05/1848 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C. McK., 06:10:19 |
| Word Count | 1531 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Letter from Thomas Patterson, New York to John Thompson, 22nd May, 1848. New York May 22nd 1848 Mr John Thompson, Dear Sir, as you are aware that we left Belfast on the 30th of March we landed Between Carrickfergus and Holywood that Evening at 8 o'clock and lay their [there?] till sat [Saturday?] morning at 3 o clock [o'clock] - April the 1st. We started with a smart favourable breeze and sailed north about Ireland in the afternoon the wind arose pretty strong and the passengers nearly all sick besides some of the sailors J Dorman and J Garrett and I were all sick and John Oswald kept well through the whole and was very kind in attending us through our sickness we went to Bed early and got better in the night time. S 2nd: a smart fair wind and a great deal of sickness all day the wind increased in the afternoon and sailed 10 miles an hour we lost sight of land at 4 o clock [o'clock?] in the afternoon I kept my bed all day not very sick Jas Garrett and J Francis Dorman ran about all day but at the same time a little sick, M 3rd: the wind a little unfavourable we all got up in the morning and took our breakfast in good health at 3 o clock [o'clock?] in the afternoon wind arose to a great extent and continued to [J.?] 8th - during which time the wind turned more favourable the passengers all sick except a few James Garrett was very sick but got better soon and I was a little delicate the ship was tossed at such a rate that it nearly pitched us out of our bed and was very uncomfortable with the one rolling on the top of the other could scarcely go upon deck with [sa---] [sailing?] at some of the large waves brake [break?] on her side and came lashing over on deck the wind favourable and strong and sailed 10 miles an hour, Sat 8th: the wind very high and sailed 11 miles an hour, S 9th: a clear calm day and only sailed 2 miles an hour our Captain said that we were fully on third of the way, M 9th [10th?]: a wet morning and the wind favourable and sailed 7 miles an hour, T 11th - early in the morning it arose a very great storm fair ahead so that the sails reefed as none of the sailors were fit to venture but one and the 1st and 2nd mates some of the [them?] hid and others cried number at one time she was dashed on her side and lay that long that the mate said that he had nearly last [lost?] hopes of her recovery and it was aloud by the seamen that she was never so near lost before the hatches were nailed down till the afternoon and the people #PAGE 2 all in despair W 12th: a calm clear day till 1 o clock [o'clock] and then it came on a strong fair wind with heavy rain. T 13th: a smart fair wind and sailed 8 miles an hour during the F 14th: it arise a great storm fair ahead and at 11 o clock [o'clock?] morning it carried of one of the yard arms while the sails were reefing at 7 o clock [o'clock?] in the evening a tremendous wave struck against the bows and brake [break?] the sail to smash and washed the ornament of [off?] the front into the ocean and sprung the staying of the low spurt above 7 feet down fully an inch wide which caused her to take a great deal of water so that she required a double portion of pumping still afterwards and sometimes we saw the water gushing into her which frightened us very much, Sat 15th: the wind a little abated but kept still a fair speed S 16th: the wind low but still fair ahead M 17th: a strong wind fair ahead with a wet morning and it became a fair calm evening T 18th: a calm day and slow sailing only one mile an hour W 19th: a calm morning the wind arose in the afternoon brisk sailed 7 miles an hour, T 20th a favourable side wind and heavy rain and sailed 9 miles an hour at 5 in the evening. a storm arose rapidly fair ahead and broke the fore yard arm before the [they?] could get the sails reefed, S 22nd: the wind blew all day fair ahead S 23rd: the storm increased early in the morning and continued fair ahead all day we were near another ship all day and the waves was rolling so high that when another ship was within 60 or 80 [perches?] off us we could not see her top mast at 11 o clock [o'clock?] at night a little boy died about 13 years of age his name was Armstrong and he was diseased of a consumption, M 24th: the corps [corpse?] was thrown overboard at 8 o clock [o'clock?] in the morning it was laid over the side and a prayer was read and then thrown into the water and another prayer said. Afterwards the wind fair ahead and a little abated but the storm increasing in the after noon as strong as ever and as cold weather as ever we saw in Ireland. T 25th:the storm fell this morning and we had a pretty brisk gale fair ahead and sailed slow, W 26th: the wind fair ahead pretty brisk but nice fair weather - T 27th: a calm day and only sailed 2 miles an hour, F 28th - a favourable wind pretty brisk and sailed 6 miles per hour our Captain spoke to another ship named the Christian of Glasgow, S 29th: a favourable wind and sailed 5 miles per hour S 30th very rough weather with a favourable wind M 1st: a favourable wind pretty strong and sailed 6 miles per hour T 2nd: a calm warm day and only sailed 2 miles per day W 3rd: the wind #PAGE 3 pretty favourable and strong and sailed 7 miles per hour it turned more ahead with evening T 4th: the wind favourable and brisk and sailed 4 miles an hour. Arose a great storm in the afternoon and turned fair ahead and the waves rolling mountains high on every side F 5th: the wind continued fair ahead and we were told by one of the seamen that for every 100 miles we sailed we only gained 5 miles of clear ground S 6th: very calm and sailed none till 4 o clock [o'clock?] in the afternoon their [there?] was a shark followed our ship the most of the day S 7th: very calm day with a thick mist and sailed none M 8th: a calm day with a very thick mist and sailed slow, we spoke to another ship her name was Eliza T 9th: a fair wind and sailed 7 miles per hour W 10th: a fair wind and sailed 5 miles an hour T 11th: a very stormy wind fair ahead F a very calm day and sailed none S 13th: a strong wind fair ahead and we came in sight of land at 4 o clock [o'clock?] in the afternoon we nearly came in contact with another ship crossing before us the bow [spit?] of our ship reached over the stern of the other and them both sailing rapidly - S 14th: a clear day with a strong wind fair ahead at 8 o clock [o'clock?] the pilot came on board M 15th: with a strong wind fair ahead T 16th: a strong wind fair ahead and not much farther than when we first saw land W 17th: a calm wet morning T 18 a clear day with a strong wind fair ahead F 19 the wind fair ahead in the morning and changed fair variable in the afternoon and come in sight of Sandy Hook at 6 o clock [o'clock?] a cast anchor at 9 o clock [o'clock?] and lay there till the next morning when a steamboat came our Captain paid them 65 dollars for tugging us up to Staten Island and our ship was left there and we went up in the steamer to New York on the 20th. That was 7 weeks and 3 days altogether. James Garrett went to Mr. William Spences that night and William and Robert Warrick both their [there?] and found them all enjoying the Blessing of peace and plenty and Robert Warrick requestes you to bring him the making of a wife and it will save him of the trouble that you have undertaken this last season we were all in William Spences tonight and seen Mr Andrew Warrick and Miss Jane Todd And Miss Mary Dixon all in good health Mr. James Magee and Miss (for Philadelphia if spared) we saw the Queen of the West yesterday and she went off this morning for Liverpool. Please show this letter to Mr. John Donnan senr. [senior?] Cahard and my brother John and Mrs Oswald your uncle James Garrett and John [Dear?] John Truly yours a newspaper sent to ) Thos Patterson James Garrett Bro son ) |
