| Title: | Robert Peel Dawson, New York to his parents. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2108 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Peel Dawson, Robert/127 |
| Year | 1839 |
| Sender | Peel Dawson, Robert |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | army officer |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | New York, USA |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | son-parents |
| Source | T 850/1: Obtained from Mrs Brackenbury, Moyola Park, Castledawson, Co. Londonderry. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 8950015 |
| Date | 07/06/1839 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 25:10:1993. |
| Word Count | 490 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Aston House Hotel, New York, June 7th, 1839. My dearest Parents, Colonel Ellison has given Jodrell & myself two months leave of absence, & we mean to spend it touring to Philadelphia, Baltimore, & Washington. We left Montreal on Monday the third of June at nine in the morning and arrived at New York on Wednesday the 5th at five in the evening. Travelling in the States is carried out to the greatest prefection in regard to both comfort & expedition. The night of Tuesday we passed at Albany, the previous one on board the Steam Boat going down Lake Champlain. The distance from Montreal to New York is 389 miles. I left England with the impression that in that Country we could travel more expeditiously than in any other, but I find myself greatly mistaken. The internal advantages of this part of the World & the commercial habits of the people render steam the common mode of conveyance. Rail roads are situated within one hundred yards of the Wharfs, & the trains are ready to start as soon as the Steam Packet stops. The scenery on Lake Champlain & the Hudson River is magnificent. New York is a splended [splendid?] town, second only to London. Its Public Buildings & streets are magnificent. The Broadway is as wide as our Oxford Street & much Longer. New York possesses all the gaiety of Paris with the cleanliness & solidity of London. There are public gardens, parks, theatres & every species of amusement. The town exceeds in beauty Paris, Brussels, Liverpool, Manchester & Dublin. The refinements of London are of course wanting. The inhabitants are honest, civil & very hospitable. We met a gentleman on board the steamer who holds the rank of General in the United States who has been most kind & useful to us. He has protected us from imposition & put us in the way of seeing everything. He served against us in the last War. He has pressed us so anxiously to visit him at Richmond in Virginia (four hundred miles from hence) that we have agreed to go with him. We shall pass through the large towns we were desirous to see. We went on board the Great Western which arrived at New York from Bristol in 13 days & a half. She brought the interesting news of Uncle's appointment as Premier & subsequent resignation. Everyone I have seen & conversed with (& nothing else is spoken of) unites in opinion that Sir Robert was perfectly right in refusing to retain Office without the proofs he required of Her Majesty's confidence & support. All approve of his dignified and honourable conduct. I have dined at all the Hotels & enclose a Bill of Fare of our entertainment yesterday at the Table d'Hote. Two hundred persons were seated at the dinner, the eatables were excellent & well dressed. God bless you all, ever my dearest Parents. Your most attached & devoted R.P.D. [Robert Peel Dawson?] |
