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Title: Wm. McCleery, Ship Huron, New Orleans to John M. Orr, Chicago.
ID3760
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
Filemccleery, w.h/58
Year1848
SenderMcCleery, William H.
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationship captain
Sender Religionunknown
OriginNew Orleans, Louisiana, USA
DestinationChicago, Illinois, USA
RecipientOrr, John M
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipfriends
SourceCopyright Retained by John McCleery, 80 Circular Road, Belfast, BT4 2GD.
ArchiveUlster American Folk Park.
Doc. No.9702134
Date04/01/1848
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 10:02:97.
Word Count957
Genre
Note
TranscriptJohn M Orr Esq
Chicago
Illinois
NEW ORLEANS
JAN 5
LA [Louisiana?] [Circular postmark dated 5 Jan 1848?]


Ship Huron
New Orleans
4 Jan 1848
My Dear Friend John
It is with the greatest pleasure I write
you now as I recd [received?] yours of the 9th Sept.
yesterday via Pt Ferry [Portaferry?] in which I was much
interested in reading - but take my advice my dear fellow
& do not go much about those unexplored streets of that
thriving little city of Chicago, without having a hand
lead & line to sound as you go, for should anything
befall you in those depths, there is none to raise a stone
or memorial of my mutual friend & late companion through
youth, Black Jack, so beware you are now in a strange land
& I am our friends are scarce & for a chum & a good one is
scarcely to be found. I had a visit yesterday from our very
deeply interested mutual friend companion & towney Thos.
[Thomas?] Warnock and you may guess your holiness was a great
part of the confab.[confabulation?]. We had also under weigh
times past, present & future & which will likely never
return. T.W. [Thomas Warnock?] was one I did not expect
to meet here altho [although?] I had a letter for him, but
directed to Cincinatti. I have one also for a John M. Orr
Esq. at Messrs. Smith, should you be acquainted with said
exile of Erin, who deserted his native land & who I dare
say will [disown?] it soon, please deliver -
Since you last heard from me I have been in Belfast. I
discharged our cargo of timber & have come out here, cargo
300 tons coal after a long passage, & latterly short
of provisions & water. I left Belfast lough on the 19th
Oct. & your letter arrived in P'ferry [Portaferry?] the
day before, but it was rather impossible to have it sent
to me. Latest acs [accounts?] from P'ferry [Portaferry?]
to me as yet 15 Nov. & E.A. speaks of Magt [Margaret?]
having left Miss F's & being under the tuition of the
eldest sister, also of [Mgt?] [Margaret?] being a regular
old woman & their having great laughing at her on Sundays,
also J.E.'s turning out well this winter & looking quite gay.
When I saw them 3rd Oct. they were all quite well &
your father delivered a sermon relition [relating?]
to his 25th Anniversary of his joining that congtn
[congregation?] & was reckoning up his number, some of
which he saw were dead, some left & some in foreign lands
& the rest came under the denomination of Straglers
[stragglers?] - of which I asked him if I were one -
Your mother was rather uneasy abt [about?]
you not having written that mail -
but I tried to console her by saying that you would
have nothing to say & that she could not expect one
every mail - write me here [by?] return of post, care
of J.T.B. Fetherston Esq. N O [New Orleans?] as it is
likely I may be here 2 or 3 mos [months?] freights are so
bad & so many ships here - I am still in the old "Huron"
as 1st mate since I left Quebec, and am very comfle
[comfortable?]. I had the offer of a Brig as master
while in Belfast but would not accept as I was well where
I was - The schooner I was to get on my return home, Capt.
[Siffism?], formerly Capt. of this ship, got her the ship
he was detained at home for never arrived & he sailed in
the above schooner [Vixen?] for Barcelona [stained] [torn]
I had a visit from Robt. [Robert?] Crangle of [Wheelin-?] [torn]
-sent down here buying food for the above place & [torn]
about the old country. He mentions of little [torn]
business line this season & times here I can [torn]
& T.W. [Thomas Warnock?] an [had?] him - I understand you
are in the [torn] I suppose a timber mecht [merchant?]
sells brooms & matches or a [torn]
Blue thread & butter milk, but as to what a timber mcht
[merchant?] I [torn] make out. What would you think
of a sailors life [torn] T.W. [Thomas Warnock?] does not
like it at all - he says he never was well while at sea -
Any word of a Matron for you, and the [like?] [of?] about
you. If you were in Portaferry you would have a chance for
Mrs. Jones Gelston, as Tom has croaked & left her to seek
another, she I believe, sent for old Capt. Hopkins, but
he sent her word he was engaged & [Unless?][them?] going
to be [married?] to Miss Henderson B. [Causay?] - she 18
yrs [years?] old & an old man.
I am to spend next Sunday at Mr. T. Fetherstons accompanied
by friend Tom. My big brother Robt. [Robert?] gave a blow out on
Halloween to his friends about this neighbourhood & E.A.
tells me among the sports of the evg [evening?] Riding
the Beetle was the principle [principal?] in which
accomplishment Robt. [Robert?] displayed his talents of
equestrianism to great perfection. I expect as I mentioned
in my letter home he would be giving lessons on that act [account?]
when I reached home. Perhaps he could give you a lesson if
you were near him, extra now as you are joined the cavalry -
In yr [your?] letter explain this cavalry you are in.
5th Jany [January?] I had a walk last night with friend
Tom who took me through the place & I have never been in a
place I thot [thought?] more of. I was greatly surprised
finding this city so quiet as I got a very bad name of it
[No-man?] but remaining Your afft [affectionate?] Friend
Wm. [William?] McCleery