| Title: | John Anderson, New York to 'My Dear Jane' |
|---|---|
| ID | 65 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Anderson, John/43 |
| Year | 1857 |
| Sender | Anderson, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | emigrant |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | New York, USA |
| Destination | Co. Donegal, Ireland |
| Recipient | Jane |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Copyright Reserved by Andrew S Anderson, 9 Ashford Drive, Bangor, Co Down, Ireland. Formerly from The Diamond, Donegal, Co Donegal |
| Archive | Andrew S Anderson |
| Doc. No. | 212208 |
| Date | 10/12/1857 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 18:12:02. |
| Word Count | 920 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | $$H168 Part of the Andrew S Anderson Collection $$H The Anderson Letters In 1857 John Anderson of Donegal Town, County Donegal, Ireland, emigrated to the United States of America. He wrote home to his brothers James and William and his sisters Fanny (Frances) and Jane. To the best of the family's knowledge he died of Yellow Fever, in New Orleans in 1864. Letter One Dated: 10 July 1857 Written from: New York Written to: His sister Jane in Donegal. New York 10th July 1857 My Dear Jane Here I am all right after a passage of 33 days. I was very sick for a fortnight during which I was scarcely ever able to leave my berth, it is a dreadful thing while it lasts. I was greatly shook by it and was scarcely able to walk after I got up - but I very soon got strong and now I am stouter and in better health than when I left home - I was very fortunate in [h---?] a gentleman from L'pool [Liverpool?] who had for a number of years been accountant to the great Eastern Railway and had been a Broker in L'pool [Liverpool?]. his nephew was along with him and he cooked for us which was very lucky for me as I am quite sure I would have lived on dry biscuits rather than go to the cooking galley - you may form some faint idea of the sort of place it must be when I tell you that there was only one stove for four hundred passengers of us. The Captain and 1st 2nd and 3rd Mates were the greatest Ruffians I ever met - a set of escaped convicts could not possibly be worse than they were - we were afraid seeing some of the men murdered - not one half hour after leaving the Mersey the 2nd Mate beat a man for making some mistake in handling the wrong rope. Captain Merrih-- [Merrihew?] when he heard of it was not satisfied to let him alone after what the Mate had given him but came running down off the quarter deck ran along the deck and jumped up on the fore-castle knocked him down with a hand-spi--er [handspinner?]and kicked him when he was lying on the deck. after being nine days knocking about in the Channel we were very near drifting on shore about 20 miles south of Cork - if there had come the least gale of wind in shore all the seamen in the world could not save the ship nor I believe the passengers as for miles along the coast was higher than the mast head. I think it was all through mismanagement. Mr Johnston a Gentleman from the County Tyrone who has lived in Cincinnatti for 20 years was one of the 1st Cabin passengers told me that the Captain was never sober from he left Liverpool. the second Sunday after we sailed he ordered us to get no water - we were 26 hours without water - one man went on the quarter-deck to ask Captain to allow him to get water, the Captain dragged him round behind the wheel house where none of us could see him and had him hand-cuffed and tied at the stem of the vessel after which he beat him in the face until it was all blackened and cut besides. We did not get more than one third of our allowance of provisions on the voyage. the Captain presented a pistol at one man for asking for more, we just finished the last food we had on board before we left ship yesterday and many of the passengers had nothing to eat for days before. it was very well that we were not a day or two longer as some of us had made up our minds that we should not starve so long as there was any provisions on board the ship. The Miss Knowds [Knoud?] from beside Dunkaneely were in the ship with me and were most attentive and kind to me on the voyage. When we came ashore yesterday they would not let me go to any Boarding House but brought me along with them to their brother Thomas's House. He keeps horses and carts and draws goods by contract for some large Wholesale Houses. he [----?] very [---------?], has a beautiful House well furnished which he purchased. I saw Andrew McGuigan today. I knew him the moment I saw him and he knew me after looking at me for a minute, he is nothing changed and seems the same good-natured fellow that he always was, he was very glad to see me, his wife seems a plain sensible woman no affection or nonsense about her. Andy wanted me to come at once to his house but Mr Knowd would not let me leave his house for five or six days until he would get my clothes washed. Andy says I must not go to Philadelphia he says he is sure he can get me a good place in New-York. David Plato is in the same place along with Andy and he is much improved in his appearance that I did not know him, he has the chance of getting a better and if he would Andy says he would be able to get me his berth. I am going out this evening to try and find out Aunt Sarah. Andy McGuigan saw one of them a few days ago and says that there is two of them reporters in the Herald office and are doing well. I have been agreeably disappointed with regard to the appearance of New-York, the harbour coming up to the city is most beautiful and the Houses compared to L'pool [Liverpool?] are palaces the most magnificent buildings with a row of trees running along each side of most of the streets, but the Heat, you can imagine nothing like it, if you were to pass along Broadway [remainder of letter missing] Transcribed by Andrew S Anderson |
