| Title: | Richard Rothwell, Delaware to Rosa Rothwell, Ireland. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2353 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Rothwell, Richard Jr/36(2) |
| Year | 1864 |
| Sender | Rothwell, Richard Jr |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | mechanic |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | Newcastle, Delaware, USA |
| Destination | N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Rothwell, Rosa |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | T 2621/3/7: Copied by Permission of D. B. Rothwell Esq., Orchard Croft, Lund, Yorkshire, England. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9007130 |
| Date | 12/12/1864 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 25:02:1994. |
| Word Count | 1661 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Newcastle Delaware Dec 12 1864 Dear Mother I am afraid that when you received the last letter you would be rather uneasy concerning me and I hope that this letter will give you no [f-ther?] [further?] reason to be so but dispel all unpleasant thoughts I am not sure if this letter will reach you by the first mail but I hope that it will yesterday Sunday I had on Saturday got my eye hit with a peice [piece?] of Iron and got cold cuts [it?] the consequence was that I could not see either to read a [?] and spent a most miserable day the worst that I ever spent the Sunday before I got my left eye cut on the [-all?] of the eye and could not see but wore a pair of green Spectacles in which I looked a most forlorn looking object just like an oul [owl?] in an [ivy?] bush but by the time that you have read this far you will I have no doubt be expecting to hear where I am and what I have been doing and how I like the place I will try to [satisfy?] you on all these points. On Monday I did not go to work but called at five and got my money and I then went down to a hostelry and engaged a carriage to take my things and me to the barge for New York After that I went to my boarding house and got supper and then paid my boarding mistress and if I had not to fork out the dollars to her I am mistaken five dollars for five days the [they?] telling as innocently as you please that the [they?] charged a dollar a day if I did not stay a day so I can tell you I was not pleased expecting to have to pay only half that. At a quarter past seven the carriage called for me and I was once more on the journey going I knew not where with only 17 dollars in my pocket [?] ten dollars in gold well when I get to the boat (for you must know that I drove there in style a carriage and pair) I gave my baggage in charge to a colored man bought my ticket to New York which cost me seventy cents as the boat did not start until ten I went into the town and got some apples and a paper and then went back on board the barge as they call it is nothing more #PAGE 2 nor less than a steamer without engines it has its stall cabins and is very nicely fitted up it is towed down to new york by a tug boat. The night was cloudy and although [there?] was a moon the clouds obscured it so that I did not see the beautiful scenery of the Hudson at its full advantage well as I could not see to advantage I thought that the best thing that I could do was to go to bed which I did and slept until three when I got up expecting that I should get in at five but I was doomed to be disappointed when dressed I got on the deck and saw a very large fire on the north river (as they cal [call?] the Hudson near New York but as it was rather dark I went back to the cabin where there was a good deal of animated discussion about the war and a five per cent tax put on on the income tax of 63 [1863?] therby [thereby?] making it eight per cent but they [the?] only conclusion they came to was that it was wanted and must be paid and that they would pay twice as much [put?] down the south should go well their [there?] was a man there that had lately come from the [?] and he said that they were in a state of [?] and the the papers of the south where [were?] worse for telling lies than the york [New York?] papers that they told the more awful lies making the Southern people believe that the north committed the most outrageous [?] on the prisoners they took there by [c--ting?] the most deadly [?] to the north but he said that the people were beginning not to have to [too?] much faith in them as heretofore Well at four I went on deck again and we were just entering along the warfes [wharfes?] of the great city and it was a grand sight to see the innumerable slops [sloops?] barges and boats of of all [?] an [and?] ships crossing from one isle to the other here and there might be seen a ferry boat crossing from Jersey just like [?] [?] [?] and it was off the speed [that they?] is incredible well at five we were not in at the warf [wharf?] and I could see that I was not going to be in time for the first boat to Jersey or I hould [should?] say train. We did not get in until half past Six and to off I went down to see if I could catch the first train but found that I would not on my way down to the office of the Jersey central railway I had to pass through a #PAGE 3 butchers market and of all the bad looking Men that ever I saw they were the badest [worst?] I thought to myself that they were to fit to hang a negro to a large post or do any other deed of cruelty well when I got to the office I found that the next train left at ten oclock [o'clock?] So I found my way back and made up my mind to have a stroll So off I started and after a walk of about ten minutes I found myself in broadway the far famed broadway well I once more thought that I was in London Oxford Street and not in the largest city of the Union well I walked for about six miles and then returned and thinking that I would be the better of a breakfast but not liking to [?] one of the large restaurants of broadway found my way down to warf [wharf?] and went into what I thought was a good place well I was doomed to be disappointed asked for breakfast and after waiting for about ten minutes a cup of dish water [dishwater?] for coffee and a small [bowl?] of beef steak and about two inches square of bread was put down for me a poor half starved man I gave the waiter a great stare sat down and [?] in about a minute I call for more bread and received [another?] [supply?] of the same dimensions and again I called for bread until I got tired rose and asked how much it was thirty cents AND EXTRA BREAD ten cents making forty well you will be rather astonished when I tell you that I was hungryer [hungrier?] when I got up than when I sat down So out I went and had half a mind to call some where [somewhere?] else and see if I could not get a better breakfast [?] gave up the idea I then bought a coupple [couple?] of apples and off on the [?] again this time I went down to [barnums?] Museum one of principal places of amusement of the people of New York I did not go in as I had not time but as it was by this time nine oclock [o'clock?] I thought that it was time that I should as the fellow said make back and see about getting my luggage down to the office I hired a porter for seventy five cents to Carry it down which he did bought my ticket which cost me three dollars and then got my baggage checked the checking I must tell you about First thing you do is to buy you [your?] ticket you then go to the baggage master and tell him that you want to get your baggage checked he #PAGE 4 asks to see your ticket you show it to him and he puts up your baggage a [?] ticket it on it with a certain number on it and the place it is for he also gives you a corresponding number which you keep and you have nothing now to do with your baggage until you arrive at your destination when they change cars you have nothing to do but to get into another carriage and when you get to your [?] and present your ticket and you get your baggage you can get it checked any place and it costs you nothing it is one of the best things I have seen in this county and saves a traveler [traveller?] a great deal of trouble having got my ticket I took the ferry to Jersey city and from that the cars to Philadelphia which place I arrived at at 1 oclock [o'clock?] and it cost me three dollars for a carriage to the hotel where you must leave me for the next letter. I shall send enclosed a five cent note just to let you see the [?] money I hope that Miss Knowles and all at the [?] are well tell them for me that I hope they will spend a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Also You and Margaret and all the family I expect a long letter from William and My Sisters And from the two boys It is five weeks since I got a Letter from you So that it will be a pleasure to hear from you. I must now stop And with love to all At home and in the Square Believe Me Your Attached Son Richard Rothwell Tell Particulars as to where I am working in my next Direct Post Office Newcastle Delaware |
