| Title: | Isabella Marshall, Georgia, U.S.A. to Andrew Marshall, Belfast. |
|---|---|
| ID | 40 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Allen, Isabella/120 |
| Year | 1839 |
| Sender | Allen, Isabella & W. J. Campbell Allen |
| Sender Gender | female-female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife-businessman |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Georgia, USA |
| Destination | Belfast, N. Ireland |
| Recipient | Marshall family |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | daughter and sister / son-in-law, brother-in-law |
| Source | D/1558/1/2/39: Presented by F. D. Campbell Allen Esq, London Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex, England. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9805130 |
| Date | 05/01/1839 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 08:05:98. |
| Word Count | 1687 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Sandhills 5th January 1839 My dear Sisters Christmas and New years day are both past and with them I hope the half of the period of my residence here. I spent both days very quietly and had plenty of leisure to think of home and be with you all. I think you were all assembled and as well and happy as I wished you I would have given a great deal to catch but a momentary look at the drawing room or parlour; but it was vain to wish. I am writing now by a fire wood fire with the three gentlemen beside me busy with accounts. Mr. Campbell is reading numbers and names aloud but that does not interrupt me. Mrs Campbell and Aphera are employed in the other room and now you have a picture of our household or at least of their position at the present moments. I hope one day you will see the whole six for Mr C [Campbell ?] speaks of visiting Ireland the summer after next and if we are all in the land of the living you will see some of the Hospitable Georgians. Aphera often tells me all the desriptions I will give to you of my life here and of the treatment I have received and you may be sure she draws the reverse of the reality She is as extraordinary creature. Almost always in the highest spirits and telling stories of all descriptions but affectionate and warm-hearted and high C[___?]. She joined the Presbyterian church last Sunday and promises to be a staunch supporter of it. But enough of her she desires me to give her love to you for she knows you she says as well as possible from my description so accept it from her. I have been in daily expectation of receiving letters from home but I have been doomed to disappointment day after day. No mail has arrived from the North since that which left on Christmas day and which brought the intelligence that the Packets of the 7th and 19th were in New York bay. of course they contain letters for us and I am all anxiety to get hold of the epistles ; but the severe frosts we have had have frozen up the rivers and prevented the travelling of steamboats the great means of conveyance in all directions though the country. I hope the frosts will take its departure and not leave here deprived of news which out from what is to me the most interesting news in the world. I suppose there are numbers wishing like myself for the rivers to be again set free. When I travelled up the Huddson [Hudson?] and St Lawrence and saw how dependent, their inhabitants were for communication with each other and the rest of the world on the free currents of the giants like any I could not help pitying their situation in winter when perhaps for months they were [deburred ?] from many gratifaications. The severe winter frosts are numerable impediments in the way of water travelling and the importance is that the making of roads to avoid the inconvenience in winter will be a very slow operation here where the necessity except at particular times is not felt. I only hope I may not be much longer made to feel the deprivation but may see my letters unchilled by the cold make their appearance shortly. I am still knitting and am reading now a novel of James' namely "One in a thousand" It is very well written and is highly interesting I thought my sympathy in fictitious personages was greatly decreased but I find the fascination of the present fate, the anxiety for the welfare of the heroes and heroines as great as they all were in reading any novel. I left up the book and can with difficultly lay it down. I have been lately but little in town. I drove there to day and visited parts I had not seen before. It is a thriving pleasing town and seen on such a day as this one as clear and bright as crystal looks remarkably well but nevertheless I know nothing could induce me to live in it. I see little of slavery certainly few if any of its evils but I cannot without a feeling of the greatest repugnance see in the streets and on the roads negroes at work, some heaving wood, others driving waggons & all engaged in menial occupations and reflects that they are all the rights of different masters to sell them when they please. The advertisements in the papers of estates or plantations for sale the various buildings [enumercated?] and amongst other articles numercarated 200 or 150 negroes with their qualification described are shocking and time instead of reconciling one to such things would only make me hate them more. I could have no satisfaction or comforts being in a country where such a state of things existed with little or no prospects of their improvements. I shall be glad to set foot again in a land where whatever other evils it may have is free from that of slavery and where we are served voluntarily. This reminds me of the servants at home. Have you changed any of them. I suppose I shall scarcely receive an answer to this query till I reach Belfast. Is Jenny still in Wellington Place and still intending to come to me on our return. I hope she is ; and if still with you you might tell her so. I suppose before this finds its way across the Atlantic Roy will have accompanied Anna to Glasgow and be busy improving herself in painting. What a number of things he will have to chat over on our return When I think of getting back I feel quite impatient and will willingly resign all sightseeing in Virginia for the sake of seeing in the spring the dear old spots. I am likely to become but little acquainted with the Augusta people and on truth I doubt much are for making acquaintances that will when I go away be broken up for ever for I suspect few will cross to Ireland and with my will I am sure I will cross to America. And I will with such an idea have this with regrets. The woods are becoming like familiar friends to me Mr Campbell drove me yesterday evening through winding paths among them ; sometimes we left the cleared track and drove through the trees as they grew in their natural state and I could not help feeling regret at the thoughts that I should soon have to no more woods to wander in. But says Roy what are stunted rakes of bare landhills to green fields and hawthorn hedges ? the latter have the advantage certainly but I have become familiarised with the former and would have no objection to be able to carry a few acres as a specimen home for your gratifaication. There are other things he would like to take home for you in the eating shape. William would take Indian corn in the shape of honouring and I in those of corn [___?] or [___?]. [Buchaheah ?] we would both take but would leave the sweet potatoes to the Georgians or whoever chose Rose my table attendant has come to inform me that the fire upstairs is lighted and this being Saturday night I must say goodbye When I sit upstairs at my fireside I often think of our chats last winter at our bedroom fire and wonder if you have as long one this winter. But again goodnight dear sisters I think a few months will see us all again united Give my love to all to Bella & Andrew. I never see a child without thinking of them I need not go one of the list of those that love is said to you had them and I need only add that I ever remain Your attached and devoted sister Isabella Allen. My Dear Friends, As usual Bella insists that I shall write something, and I have asked the usual question What shall I write ? for I presume she has given you all the news I am happy to say that she has got over her rheumatic attack, and I hope she will be able to preserve herself against it for the remainder of the winter. I cannot however get her to take what I consider sufficent care of herself. We are beginning to look forward to our return with some anxiety, but my movements are for some time altogether uncertain. I shall probably be able to say something more certain on this subject in my next letter to my mother which will quickly succeed this, In the mean time, I have only to keep alive in the recollection of some of you that we shall want a house in the same [___?]. and that we would like it in your neighbourhood, if a convinent one at a fair rent could be obtained. - We look anxiously for letters from home, as it is now three weeks since Miss Knowles' letter reached us. The packets of November have had long passages, and the account of the freezing of the Nothern Rivers and a change of carriage of the mail, were without later dates from New York tham Christmas day although we should have them in Course up till the 31st of last month. - I shall be much disappointed if the ship that sailed from Belfast for Charlestown arrives without bringing us leters. Bella & I often speak of it, but she thinks that you will not write by her, - but I can't believe it ; a short time will show which is right - I send my love to you all, you know who are comprehended in that general term ; say to my mother that I will write to her by the next packet but one at farthest, and believe me to be very affectionately yours W. J. Campbell Allen. |
