| Title: | A.A. Longstreet, Georgia to Isabella Allen, Belfast. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3597 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | longstreet, a. a/4 |
| Year | 1844 |
| Sender | Longstreet, A.A. |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | upper-middle class housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Fairview, Georgia, USA |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Allen, Isabella |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | D/1558/1/2/45: Presented by the late F.D. Campbell Allen, Esq., 15 London Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex, England |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9804180 |
| Date | 17/04/1844 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 08:04:98. |
| Word Count | 1104 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Fairview April 17th 1844. Had any one have told me, My Dear Friend, last November when those beautiful bags were handed to Aunt and myself by Mrs Bones, that the month of April would find them unacknowledged I should have proclaimed such an one a false prophet. Yet such has been really the case and the worst feature in the affair is that I cannot present to you an excuse which will be sufficiently potent to make you pardon my neglect and apparent forgetfulness. Repeatedly has it been my intention to write to you this past winter and times without number has Aunt refreshed my memory but when I have been ready to address you I found it was too late in the month to send my epistle by the next packet and then I have delayed till some other time which has never arrived till this warm day in the month of April. There let me thank you, Dear Mrs Allen, again and again both from Aunt and myself for your very pretty presents doubly enhanced I assure you by being productions of your own handywork [handiwork?]. Mine I intend carefully preserving and every time I look at it, "memory faithful to her trust" shall waft me back to the period when I found such a pleasant friend as yourself. Since I last addressed you a multitude of changes have taken place in our own immediate family connexion [connection?] as that I scarcely know where to begin. The affliction under which we are all now binding is the saddest stroke with which our Heavenly Father has yet seen fit to lay upon us. I mean the sudden removal of Uncle Smith from this to a better world, I have lived sufficiently long in this "vale [vail ?] of tears" and have felt enough of sorrow to know that "man was made to mourn" and that our griefs "spring not from the ground" but are sent from our All wise and All merciful Father. The circumstances under which our beloved relative was taken from us were of so aggravating a character that all we can say to comfort one another is "Be still, and know that I am God." I presume Uncle Campbell has already written to Mr Allen and appraised him of the derangement of Uncle Smith. It was produced by loss of rest and excitement to discover the perpetrator of a fire which has lately occurred in Clarksville. Aunt Smith and himself left that place as soon as the Physician whom they consulted deemed it necessary. Almost every step of the journey increased the malady and when he reached Augusta he was a furious madman. He was immediately taken to the Asylum of Philadelphia where he lived but eleven days without any lucid moments and without a relative to smooth his dying pillow. He breathed out his spirit to his Maker (for we feel assured he is "in the regions of the blest" from his walk and conversation before reason was dethroned) on the twenty fourth of last month, and his remains we hope will arrive this week to be interned in the Cottage cemetery. I have dwelt longer on this mournful theme My Dear Friend than I intended but I feel assured that you will drop a sympathising tear for the Bereaved ones and offer up a petition that this affliction may be sanctitude to all of us. Our hearts were but beginning to heal from the breach made by the death of Cousin Oswell Carmichael last summer of most rapid consumption when this new bereavement came upon us. How emphatically true it is that "sorrows love a train; they tread each others heal". But I do not intend filling up all my sheet with a rehearsal of our afflictions so I leave these mournful recollections and turn to other subjects. My Sister Hannah every time we meet has something new to tell me of the delights of last summer, of your beautiful Isle she is loud in praises, with your City she was delighted with Mr & Mrs Porter perfectly charmed and I am sure were she present would send kind regards to them. She is constantly begging us to ask her something about Ireland for she loves to talk about the charming time she spent there. Uncle Bones and family are in their usual health so alas are Mr Moore and Mr Clarke excepting old Mrs Moore whose health is rather precarious. Mr Robert Clarke, Mr I. Duris and Mr Frazer are all still unmarried I have tried all I could to make an impression on there [their?] hearts but I find this trio involnerable. Another who may stand by the side of these is Mr I. Brown. Mr N. Brown married last year Miss Tore of Edgefield who in due time presented him with two responsibilities. They are living on a farm and are very happy. Three of the number that styled themselves "the Cousinhood" have married in the last two years viz Cousin I. Carmichael to Miss Bishop a very beautiful young lady of this place - Cousin N.L. Walton after Mr Robertson had served nearly as long as Jacob, rewarded him with a bistourment of her heart and hand. They reside in Mason but she and her sweet little babe are now on a visit to her brother. Cousin Kate Carmichael married a pious little pattern of Presbyterianism by name Mr Dow (of Scotia) last year, and both of them seem well pleased with their bargain. We expect to leave in a few weeks for our home amidst the everlasting hills, to spend our summer midst the cool breezes of Habersham county. It is actually distressing to see how infatuated Uncle Campbell is with that place. He never thinks of visiting any other part of our gigantic country and as to Green Erin I have relinguished every expectation of seeing it except in dreams or in "my minds eye". Aunty loves Clarksville nearly as well as Uncle Campbell but the strong charm to her is having Aunt Emma so near her. Let me beg of you Dear Mrs Allen to write to me before long I know I don't deserve the least favour of your hands but see I am so penitent surely you will forgive. Can you refuse? Aunt, Aunt Adams my Sisters and Cousins send kind remembrances to you. Present my respects to your Parents and Sisters and after again repeating that it will afford me much pleasure to receive any communication from you and desiring to be remembered to Mr Allen I remain as ever your attached A.A. Longstreet |
