| Title: | Coogan, Michael (Brother Declan) to Coogan, James, 1860 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6314 |
| Collection | Carlow-Coogan Letters |
| File | coogan/3 |
| Year | 1860 |
| Sender | Coogan, Michael (Brother Declan) |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | carpenter/shoemaker |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Ballyloughan, Co.Carlow, Ireland |
| Destination | Lincoln, Illinois, USA |
| Recipient | Coogan, James |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 724 |
| Genre | reprimand for not writing, decease, brothers working, funeral, family |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Ballyloughan July 19, 1860 Dear James, It is with feelings of pleasure that I say I can write you. Which I could not until a few days ago [when] we got a letter from Patt from New York in which we got your address, and until that time we knew not where to write to you. We thought if you were not dead you wouldn't turn away not to write to us after so long a time. We would be overjoyed at any time at hearing from you. We would covet to trouble in any kind of way if you do write to us regular. Dear James, you missed word of hearing of my father's death, which occurred on the 18th of January/59 [60?] after about 9 months illness with polyps in the nose, and he died, may God have mercy on his soul, very uneasy when he did not hear from you or know where you were. And I always did say how did he gain such disrespect or disregard from you that you gave him the satisfaction of departing this life without writing him one word to let him know how you were going on in a strange country. Dear Jas, I know you would have a wish to know after so long a time and the loss of my dear father how we are situated. Well, we are all here at present just as you left us. Hugh and Mathew are working at the shoe making business, and Dennis succeeded in learning the trade from my poor father before it was the will of the almighty God to deprive us of him. I am learning the trade from Dennis now, Mathew intends next March to join the Police, and Patt said in his last letter to us to let me learn the house carpenter business which I intend to, also to bind myself for a year to a man in that business, and then he'd pay my passage and bring me to America. Dear Jas, Last year was the most distressing year that ever was in Ireland this length of time on account of a severe drought which struck in the first of May and continued for weeks and which left cattle almost to perish of the thirst and corn almost not in it at all. This year is something better. Potatoes afford pretty well up to this, and I consider that they have seen a blight a few days since. Dear Jas, we must always remain thankful for your good present, the 16 pounds, which gave my poor father the greatest satisfaction. He went to the seashore to strive to glean some health, and when he came home, finding no remedy from that, he went to the head doctor in Dublin under the best responsibility of any country man going into the city, and he remained there for 15 days still finding declining in his health in spite of the most learned physicians, and he came home and in three months afterward it was the will of God to call him out of this life, lamented and deplored by all who knew or heard of him, and he had the longest burial [party] that ever entered Ballinkillen [Cemetery]. Foot and horse men covered 1 mile and a quarter of the road. May the Lord have mercy on his soul and grant him the comfort of Heaven. My mother does be always uneasy thinking she should die as my father did without hearing from you. Dear Jas, when you were leaving Ballyloughan this place, [we] were out of, and we got it back again for I promised. . . . [?]. Let me know in your next letter what sort of a country you are living in. Is it a job for the carpenter trade? If it is, some of us should go shortly to that place if I thought it would answer better than New York. James Doyle and Margaret and family are doing well and send their love to you, also John O' B. Jas Tierney and John are both constantly inquiring for you and send their love to you. They are both married and have 2 children, all the neighborhood joins in sending their love to you. No more at present, I remain, Your loving brother, Michael Coogan |
