| Title: | Robert Smith, Philadelphia to James Smith, Co. Antrim, Ireland. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2533 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smith, Robert W/7 |
| Year | 1844 |
| Sender | Smith, Robert W |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | customhouse officer |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian Check Jonathan And Jon. W, Robert And Robert W Presbyterian |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Moycraig, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smith, James Sr |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | son-father |
| Source | D 1828/25: Presented by James Steele, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9503130 |
| Date | 14/08/1844 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 20:03:1995. |
| Word Count | 1057 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Mr James Smith Moycraig County Antrim Ireland Mosside PO [Post Office?] [Postmark] PHILADELPHIA AUG [?] [PENNSYLVANIA] PAID 4C AU [AUGUST?] [1844?] From: Philada [Philadelphia?] August 14th 1844 Dear Parents brother & sisters with friendly fealings [feelings?] I write to you all once more to inform you of my good health thanks be to God it is still good also of the situation in whitch [which?] I am placed I now hold a respectable situation in this City as a customhouse officer there is 12 of us in the same branch of Custom house dutey [duty?] I have charge of a set of scales although I have onley [only?] been there one month we are what is called weighmasters we take carge of [cargo of?] [charge of?] all the foreign Ships that arives [arrives?] at this port and weighs all the goods subject to dutey [duty?] it is a very hard situation beang [being?] so mutch [much?] exposed to the burning sun amongst the crouded [crowded?] warves [waves?] there is nothing but a strong constitution and a daring spirit can stand sutch [such?] bodily exersise [exercise?] but I am still about as the Negro says I have weighed with one company of men in one day 1000 casks of sugar my salery [salary?] is 365 Dollars per annum my appointment was given to me by the president of the united states and I have the honour of being appointed through my own merit we have in the Custom house 200 officers and there is onley [only?] 3 Irish men in that office and I am one of those I owe it to the stand that I have taken in the political field I am a Democrat out and out and takes the platform for the cause against Monarchy and aristocracy I am for free & republickan [republican?] Government I have the promise of a reanstatement [reinstatement?] to 3 Dollars per day owing to taking part for the president while in the western country the [there?] was a man in the town of mountjaxon [Mount Jackson?] who attempted to vilify the presidents Mr Tilers [Tyler's?] caracter [character?] but with my drove whip I made him sing that glorious news so often used among the natives (enough) and then the pardon of a Irish man was at hand, the news was at the Capital before I came home and this is the cause of me beaing [being?] thus respected the president Mr Tiler [Tyler?] is a particular friend of mine. I am still living with my unkle Wm S [Uncle William Smith?] and attends to the prinsipal [principal?] part of this buisness [business?] after Custom house owers [hours?] I hold both situations as my unkle [uncle?] does not wish to be without me that will enable me to clear at the rate of one hundred pounds British sterling per annum, success to the stars and stripes against monarchy Dear friends as I am pretty mutch [much?] on a national question I will give you a short account of our late disturbances, although this sheet would not hold half what I could say on the matter, but I will be breff [brief?] our Citey [City?] has been nothing but the seen [scene?] of bloodshed [bloodshed?], the origination of this awful seen [scene?] was respecting a party of native american Citizens forming themselves into a body to deprive all foreigners of there [their?] rights & privilages [privileges guaranteed?] to them by the constitution and the [they?] pitches their spite upon the Irish Roman Cathlicks [Catholics?] and at one of thear meatings [their meetings?] the Irish rose against them and there was a great meny [many?] roman Catholicks [Catholics'?] Churches and nunnerys [nunneries?] burned in this city and as meny [many?] as fiftey [fifty?] killed in one riot there was 20 Cannons discharged in one night by the military and mob and the military was called on from every part of the states to the amount of 20000 and a great meny [many?] of them was shot like dogs and balls was rattling round like hailstone the [they?] even loaded their cannons with scraps of iron and fired upon the military the seen [scene?] was horrible and meny [many?] a widow and orphant [orphan?] left by the seen [scene?] - we have the finest crop and the earliest ever saw in america new potatoes was very plenty in may and flour in June the Lord has blessed our land with abundance of good things respecting brother Jonathin [Jonathan?] coming to this country he might be like like [sic] the rest Wm [William?] Campbe [stained] [Campbell?] Brother is home again respecting my going home [stained] if the administration is changed again next spring I will be out of office that is if we cannot elect our president and if I receave [receive?] an encouraging letter from my girl before that time I will pay Ireland a visit I wish her to write immediately to encourage me in well doing but I have to [too?] high a spirit to be fooled I received the letter as answer to the on [one?] I sent with Mr John McKean Hugh Scott is well I received a letter for him from his father I took a boat and went up to see Jothan [Jonathon?] Smith and Wm [William?] campbell & the [they?] are well I can thake [take?] the united States boat where I please and I am often on the river if I do not return home in spring I will send for Jonathan if he acts as a man if I go home I will I will [sic] bring him out with me Couzen [Cousin?] John White and family is well and all his conections [connections?] Joseph & Wm [William?] Crawford is well Thomas Lindsey is well John McCannon is well & Wm [William?] Ramsey all my friends is well as far as I know both my Unkle's [Uncle's?] and family [family?], is well remember me to Mrs and Mr J Scott and tel [tell?] them that the ar [they are?] very grateful in sending me letters Remember me to all friends an [and?] neighbours John McFadden and brother & sister is well when You write Direct as befor [before?] or to the united States weigh masters office for me and delay not Give my love to old grandfather Brother & sisters in the most loving manner excuse scrall [scrawl?] as I write at dinner ower [hour?] I remain your Son Robert Smith |
