Home

CORVIZ

Main content

Title: Coogan, James to Coogan, William, 1868
ID6325
CollectionCarlow-Coogan Letters
Filecoogan/14
Year1868
SenderCoogan, James
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationrailway worker
Sender Religionunknown
OriginLincoln, Illinois, USA
DestinationHarlem, NYC, USA
RecipientCoogan, William
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipbrothers
Source
Archive
Doc. No.
Date
Partial Date
Doc. Type
Logunknown
Word Count402
Genreupcoming visit, illness, enquiry about family, suggestion for itinerary
Note
TranscriptLincoln, Illinois
August 20th, 1868

Dear Brother,

I received your welcome--though unexpected--letter of the instant which gives me great pleasure to hear that you are in good health and landed safe in this country, a thing I did not expect. I am also overjoyed to think that you are coming to this part of the country, for I gave up all hopes of ever seeing you or Michael. Whatever I might do with the rest of the family, I do expect to see them before I die. Dear Brother, you should have heard from me before this but it was on this day I received your letter, though it had been written since the fourth of this month, for which (though at the eleventh hour) please accept the sincere thanks of the family but Kate wishes to know if you will soon come to Lincoln to see how her picture will look when framed. Dear William, I was sorry to hear that my poor Mother got bad health this winter. I hope with the return of fine weather her health will improve. I am sorry to have to tell her that my wife's eyes is not better. She thinks of going to Chicago this spring to a doctor. I am sorry to hear of Mrs. Doyle's illness. Please convey to her and her family my best wishes. I am glad to hear that Patt was kind enough to admit that there was one member of the family outside of his own household that was decent. Well that is his way of judging men. I am glad he did not discard poor Hugh as well as the rest of the family.

Dear William, when you will write again which I hope will be soon send me word how Matt is getting along and how his wife and boy is, and give them my best respects. And Denis, send me word if he is married yet. Send me word if Hugh and that big one that was at the picnic with him has yet become one. Give my best wishes to Mrs. Meany and family. Send me word also how they are getting on or if Phillip is on the M.P. [municipal police?] force yet. I send him my best wishes. Tell Hugh and Denis I would like to get a letter from either of them. I know Matt will write to me whenever he has time. The family is always very proud to get a letter from any of you and of course so am I. In future I will write more regular. I will soon write to Mrs. Doyle. I wish you at least would be good friends with them and always go see your sister. If I had a sister or brother so near me [?], I think no little trouble should keep me from them.

Dear Brother, I could not give you any advice with regard to the route you would take to come here, for I am not much posted [?] but if you come to Chicago, which is the general route to the west, you can take Chicago Alton [?] & St. Louis RR. You will come here in one night. It is 250 miles. Dubuque is on the Mississippi River and joining Illinois north of here about 500 miles.

Dear Brother, if you receive this, give my best wishes to my mother, brothers, and all friends. I will be happy to see you, for I know it will take at least one month for to answer all the questions I will ask you about the old country.

As I expect to see you soon I will say no more for the present.
Your Brother,
James Coogan