| Title: | Wm. McCleery, Ship Huron, New Orleans to John M. Orr, Chicago. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3760 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | mccleery, w.h/58 |
| Year | 1848 |
| Sender | McCleery, William H. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | ship captain |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| Destination | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Recipient | Orr, John M |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | Copyright Retained by John McCleery, 80 Circular Road, Belfast, BT4 2GD. |
| Archive | Ulster American Folk Park. |
| Doc. No. | 9702134 |
| Date | 04/01/1848 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 10:02:97. |
| Word Count | 957 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | John M Orr Esq Chicago Illinois NEW ORLEANS JAN 5 LA [Louisiana?] [Circular postmark dated 5 Jan 1848?] Ship Huron New Orleans 4 Jan 1848 My Dear Friend John It is with the greatest pleasure I write you now as I recd [received?] yours of the 9th Sept. yesterday via Pt Ferry [Portaferry?] in which I was much interested in reading - but take my advice my dear fellow & do not go much about those unexplored streets of that thriving little city of Chicago, without having a hand lead & line to sound as you go, for should anything befall you in those depths, there is none to raise a stone or memorial of my mutual friend & late companion through youth, Black Jack, so beware you are now in a strange land & I am our friends are scarce & for a chum & a good one is scarcely to be found. I had a visit yesterday from our very deeply interested mutual friend companion & towney Thos. [Thomas?] Warnock and you may guess your holiness was a great part of the confab.[confabulation?]. We had also under weigh times past, present & future & which will likely never return. T.W. [Thomas Warnock?] was one I did not expect to meet here altho [although?] I had a letter for him, but directed to Cincinatti. I have one also for a John M. Orr Esq. at Messrs. Smith, should you be acquainted with said exile of Erin, who deserted his native land & who I dare say will [disown?] it soon, please deliver - Since you last heard from me I have been in Belfast. I discharged our cargo of timber & have come out here, cargo 300 tons coal after a long passage, & latterly short of provisions & water. I left Belfast lough on the 19th Oct. & your letter arrived in P'ferry [Portaferry?] the day before, but it was rather impossible to have it sent to me. Latest acs [accounts?] from P'ferry [Portaferry?] to me as yet 15 Nov. & E.A. speaks of Magt [Margaret?] having left Miss F's & being under the tuition of the eldest sister, also of [Mgt?] [Margaret?] being a regular old woman & their having great laughing at her on Sundays, also J.E.'s turning out well this winter & looking quite gay. When I saw them 3rd Oct. they were all quite well & your father delivered a sermon relition [relating?] to his 25th Anniversary of his joining that congtn [congregation?] & was reckoning up his number, some of which he saw were dead, some left & some in foreign lands & the rest came under the denomination of Straglers [stragglers?] - of which I asked him if I were one - Your mother was rather uneasy abt [about?] you not having written that mail - but I tried to console her by saying that you would have nothing to say & that she could not expect one every mail - write me here [by?] return of post, care of J.T.B. Fetherston Esq. N O [New Orleans?] as it is likely I may be here 2 or 3 mos [months?] freights are so bad & so many ships here - I am still in the old "Huron" as 1st mate since I left Quebec, and am very comfle [comfortable?]. I had the offer of a Brig as master while in Belfast but would not accept as I was well where I was - The schooner I was to get on my return home, Capt. [Siffism?], formerly Capt. of this ship, got her the ship he was detained at home for never arrived & he sailed in the above schooner [Vixen?] for Barcelona [stained] [torn] I had a visit from Robt. [Robert?] Crangle of [Wheelin-?] [torn] -sent down here buying food for the above place & [torn] about the old country. He mentions of little [torn] business line this season & times here I can [torn] & T.W. [Thomas Warnock?] an [had?] him - I understand you are in the [torn] I suppose a timber mecht [merchant?] sells brooms & matches or a [torn] Blue thread & butter milk, but as to what a timber mcht [merchant?] I [torn] make out. What would you think of a sailors life [torn] T.W. [Thomas Warnock?] does not like it at all - he says he never was well while at sea - Any word of a Matron for you, and the [like?] [of?] about you. If you were in Portaferry you would have a chance for Mrs. Jones Gelston, as Tom has croaked & left her to seek another, she I believe, sent for old Capt. Hopkins, but he sent her word he was engaged & [Unless?][them?] going to be [married?] to Miss Henderson B. [Causay?] - she 18 yrs [years?] old & an old man. I am to spend next Sunday at Mr. T. Fetherstons accompanied by friend Tom. My big brother Robt. [Robert?] gave a blow out on Halloween to his friends about this neighbourhood & E.A. tells me among the sports of the evg [evening?] Riding the Beetle was the principle [principal?] in which accomplishment Robt. [Robert?] displayed his talents of equestrianism to great perfection. I expect as I mentioned in my letter home he would be giving lessons on that act [account?] when I reached home. Perhaps he could give you a lesson if you were near him, extra now as you are joined the cavalry - In yr [your?] letter explain this cavalry you are in. 5th Jany [January?] I had a walk last night with friend Tom who took me through the place & I have never been in a place I thot [thought?] more of. I was greatly surprised finding this city so quiet as I got a very bad name of it [No-man?] but remaining Your afft [affectionate?] Friend Wm. [William?] McCleery |
