| Title: | R. W. Smith, Philadelphia to W. Smith, Co.Antrim, Ireland |
|---|---|
| ID | 2536 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smith, Robert W/10 |
| Year | 1842 |
| Sender | Smith, Robert W |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | runs a distillery business |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian Check Jonathan And Jon. W, Robert And Robert W Presbyterian |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Moycraig, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smith, William |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D1828/22: Presented by James Steele, Mosside, Ballymoney, Co.Antrim. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9503233 |
| Date | 22/08/1842 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 27:03:1995. |
| Word Count | 1423 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | to: Mr Wm [William?] Smith Moycraig in Care of Mr D McKey [McKay?] Postmaster Mosside [Moss-side?] County Antrim, Ireland By the Politeness of Mr Hugh Scott [----------?] From: Philadelphia Agust [August?] 22nd 1842 Dear Brother - Besides the inclination that I have to write to you concerning every thing that happes [happens?] to me here I find it a dutey incumbant [duty incumbent?] upon me my heart tells me not to let slip the favourable opertuntiy [opportunity?] of sending you those few lines in answer to yours of the 25th June I received a few days ago it seams [seems?] from your letter that my father and mother is not satisfied because I did not expes [express?] my regard for them in some fainting language or hipocritical [hypocritical?] pretentions [pretensions?] put there is none of that flows from a pure heart and though mine is not pure it has as tender feelings as eny [any?] of you I will venture to say that my father never begat nor my mother gave suck to the child that thinks more of them than he who addresses those few lines to you nor has ever done or would do more for their happiness therefore I think that there was no use of such insinuations if my father would leave it in my power to answer a letter to him I would compliment him in the best manner in my power although I never struck my toe against the blarney stone My mother gave me her commands when she parted me and I have never lost that respect which is due her tender feelings from a dutiful son you remember that she wished to se [see] me at the place from which we set sail but I could not allow it I suppose affection did not want its part, and there was something that She communicated to me then that I shall ever remember I hope that I have not been brought up with so kind a family to be ignorant of that respect Which is due to a parent and I could see my poor old father hold up his handkerchief meny [many?] times as the steam boat plowed her fomey [foamy?] track through the mighty waters carrying away to a distant land to [two?] of his sons that ought to be the stay of his old age perhaps never to see one of us mor [more?] as might be insinuated but one is returned and the other perchance will never but forget he that writes those few lines from a foreign country as I trust the lord will protect him although amongst strangers I thought it very strange that I did not get a letter from James Brown when he arived [arrived?] here and had determined never to write eny [any?] more I thought that I could live on your Spite and not on your pitey [pity?] but Wm [William?] your letter has satisfied me on that respect my unkle Wm [uncle William?] and his little family are all well your little namesake and your Cousin often talks of his Cousin Wm [William?] and I tell him that you have a little ship for him and he says that he will go to Ireland to get it he is a fine little fellow and my favourate [favourite?], buisness [business?] of every kind is miserable more especualy [especially?] the Liqour Buisness [Liquor Business?] we are doing nothing almost but My Unkle Wm [Uncle William?] has bought too [two?] Farms of land in Mercer County Pensylvenia [Pennsylvania?] about 50 miles from Pitsburg [Pittsburgh?] 200 Acers [Acres?] Each and he is offering 2000 Dollars profit for his Bargin [Bargain?] and that will help us along with those harrd [hard?] times write often as the time is not precious at present and to every letter that I receive I will reply we have had the plesentest [pleasantest?] Summer Ever I experienced in this country it was Cool and damp compared to former ones that I experienced it is not very Healthy this Season but thanks be to God I enjoy good health as ever I had in this country and moreso than ever I had in Ireland and I sincerly [sincerely?] hope that those feew [few?] lines may find you enjoying the same blessing is the sincere prayer of your affectionate brother Robert Smith, William we have had a serious time lately with the Coulered [Coloured?] people and the Catholicks [Catholics?] being the worst of the too [two?] the Negrows [Negroes?] were walking in a Temperance Procession with their banners displaying what we did not like I need not mention it as you know little of the laws of this country and as little need you care however you need not care theer [there?] was from one to too [two?] thousand Coulered [Coloured?] people in the prosession ]procession?] about 12 Oclock PM, and about 2 Oclock PM there was not the face of a Single Coloured person to be seen in either our City or country there was estimated about 5000 Whites in the Mob and the Masecre [Massacre?] was Dredful [Dreadful?] I was amongst them a good part of the time but I thought it a pious notion to keep Clear of such Scrapes the white Mob burned the first night property blonging [belonging?] to the coloured People to the amount of 25000 Dollars Consisting of their Hall and one of their Churches which I think was a shame for them to Molest the temple of the Lord although it blonged [belonged?] to those of high Colour and I bleave [believe?] that there is not a minister of the Gospel throot [throughout?] the union that would not accquessee [acquiese?] with me in the foregoing remark the havvock [havoc?] in both sides was desporate [desperate?] and indeed I saw the most of it Please inform me the reason why you did not let every person see my Letters that I sent since I came back to this Country if you do not give me the reason I can Conjecture it was because that I gave the publick [public?] a description of the caracter [character?] of my Brother James if I must call him such if I write my secrets I will deserve [torn] it as such but if you do not read [torn] [torn] to every well wisher I shall deprive you [torn] of reading eny [any?] of them yourselves I wrote to a friend to see if ever you published them and I find out that you never did do murder will out as the Negrow [Negroe?] says So I would just say to you that there is no use of putting a Candle under a bushel I mean giving the comunity [community?] at large any knowledge of this country unless our agents publishes it let eny [any?] person see this letter to exclude me of the blame of being private in my comunications [communications?] to you as Parents and as brother I receaved [received?] a letter from John McFadden a few days ago and he has got hurt by a Coal Cart passing over him but is Got almost well he is no danger of loosing [losing?] his life by that accident the rest of My friends is all well but I am sorry to inform you that ny old Shipmate James Black is no more I followed his remains to the narrow house on friday last the place appointed for all his demise originated from beathing [bathing?] in cold water while he was warm I hope that his fate will be a warning to all that knew him hear [here?] and that My old acquaintances Robert McElhose and Hugh McConayley [McConnelly?] departed from this world I trust to a better will be a warning to all they that heared [heard?] of it both old and young it has sunk very deep on his mind and I trust that it will call you all to a sense of your duty that witnessed it as it has me in a forein [foreign?] land the Lord turn all you who hear from sin. Sir I send with the bearer of this letter Mr Hugh Scott one case of Razors as a Token of respect I bought them for my own habut [habit?] freely send them to you you may give one of them to the rest to shave with Wm [William?] I must stop of [off?] as the watchman has called Past 12 Oclock as I have a letter to write to sister M Jane and Hugh goes of [off?] early in the morning I will write more the next time adue [adieu?]for the present I remain your affectionate brother with respect Robert W Smith [arrived |
