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Title: A.A. Longstreet, Georgia to Isabella Allen, Belfast.
ID3597
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
Filelongstreet, a. a/4
Year1844
SenderLongstreet, A.A.
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationupper-middle class housewife
Sender Religionunknown
OriginFairview, Georgia, USA
DestinationBelfast, N.Ireland
RecipientAllen, Isabella
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipfriends
SourceD/1558/1/2/45: Presented by the late F.D. Campbell Allen, Esq., 15 London Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex, England
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Doc. No.9804180
Date17/04/1844
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 08:04:98.
Word Count1104
Genre
Note
TranscriptFairview April 17th 1844.

Had any one have told me, My Dear Friend,
last November when those beautiful bags were handed to
Aunt and myself by Mrs Bones, that the month of April
would find them unacknowledged I should have
proclaimed such an one a false prophet. Yet such has
been really the case and the worst feature in the
affair is that I cannot present to you an excuse which
will be sufficiently potent to make you pardon my
neglect and apparent forgetfulness. Repeatedly has it
been my intention to write to you this past winter and
times without number has Aunt refreshed my memory but
when I have been ready to address you I found it was
too late in the month to send my epistle by the next
packet and then I have delayed till some other time
which has never arrived till this warm day in the
month of April. There let me thank you, Dear Mrs Allen,
again and again both from Aunt and myself for your very
pretty presents doubly enhanced I assure you by being
productions of your own handywork [handiwork?]. Mine
I intend carefully preserving and every time I look at
it, "memory faithful to her trust" shall waft me back
to the period when I found such a pleasant friend as
yourself. Since I last addressed you a multitude of
changes have taken place in our own immediate family
connexion [connection?] as that I scarcely know where
to begin. The affliction under which we are all now
binding is the saddest stroke with which our Heavenly
Father has yet seen fit to lay upon us. I mean the
sudden removal of Uncle Smith from this to a better
world, I have lived sufficiently long in this "vale [vail ?]
of tears" and have felt enough of sorrow to know that
"man was made to mourn" and that our griefs "spring
not from the ground" but are sent from our All wise and
All merciful Father. The circumstances under which
our beloved relative was taken from us were of so
aggravating a character that all we can say to comfort
one another is "Be still, and know that I am God."
I presume Uncle Campbell has already written to Mr
Allen and appraised him of the derangement of Uncle
Smith. It was produced by loss of rest and excitement
to discover the perpetrator of a fire which has lately
occurred in Clarksville. Aunt Smith and himself left
that place as soon as the Physician whom they consulted
deemed it necessary. Almost every step of the journey
increased the malady and when he reached Augusta he was
a furious madman. He was immediately taken to the
Asylum of Philadelphia where he lived but eleven days
without any lucid moments and without a relative to
smooth his dying pillow. He breathed out his spirit
to his Maker (for we feel assured he is "in the regions
of the blest" from his walk and conversation before
reason was dethroned) on the twenty fourth of last month,
and his remains we hope will arrive this week to be
interned in the Cottage cemetery. I have dwelt longer on
this mournful theme My Dear Friend than I intended but
I feel assured that you will drop a sympathising tear
for the Bereaved ones and offer up a petition that this
affliction may be sanctitude to all of us.
Our hearts were but beginning to heal from the breach
made by the death of Cousin Oswell Carmichael last
summer of most rapid consumption when this new
bereavement came upon us. How emphatically true it is
that "sorrows love a train; they tread each others
heal". But I do not intend filling up all my sheet with
a rehearsal of our afflictions so I leave these
mournful recollections and turn to other subjects. My
Sister Hannah every time we meet has something new to
tell me of the delights of last summer, of your beautiful
Isle she is loud in praises, with your City she was
delighted with Mr & Mrs Porter perfectly charmed and I
am sure were she present would send kind regards to them.
She is constantly begging us to ask her something about
Ireland for she loves to talk about the charming time
she spent there. Uncle Bones and family are in their
usual health so alas are Mr Moore and Mr Clarke
excepting old Mrs Moore whose health is rather precarious.
Mr Robert Clarke, Mr I. Duris and Mr Frazer are all still
unmarried I have tried all I could to make an impression
on there [their?] hearts but I find this trio
involnerable. Another who may stand by the side of these
is Mr I. Brown. Mr N. Brown married last year Miss Tore
of Edgefield who in due time presented him with two
responsibilities. They are living on a farm and are very
happy. Three of the number that styled themselves "the
Cousinhood" have married in the last two years viz
Cousin I. Carmichael to Miss Bishop a very beautiful
young lady of this place - Cousin N.L. Walton after Mr
Robertson had served nearly as long as Jacob, rewarded
him with a bistourment of her heart and hand. They
reside in Mason but she and her sweet little babe are
now on a visit to her brother. Cousin Kate Carmichael
married a pious little pattern of Presbyterianism by
name Mr Dow (of Scotia) last year, and both of them
seem well pleased with their bargain.
We expect to leave in a few weeks for our home
amidst the everlasting hills, to spend our summer midst
the cool breezes of Habersham county. It is actually
distressing to see how infatuated Uncle Campbell is
with that place. He never thinks of visiting any other
part of our gigantic country and as to Green Erin I have
relinguished every expectation of seeing it except in
dreams or in "my minds eye". Aunty loves Clarksville
nearly as well as Uncle Campbell but the strong charm
to her is having Aunt Emma so near her.
Let me beg of you Dear Mrs Allen to write to me before
long I know I don't deserve the least favour of your
hands but see I am so penitent surely you will forgive.
Can you refuse? Aunt, Aunt Adams my Sisters and Cousins
send kind remembrances to you. Present my respects to
your Parents and Sisters and after again repeating that
it will afford me much pleasure to receive any
communication from you and desiring to be remembered to
Mr Allen I remain as ever your attached
A.A. Longstreet