| Title: | Sam Cunningham, [Martinique?], to John Cunningham, Belfast |
|---|---|
| ID | 807 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Cunningham, Sam/50 |
| Year | 1795 |
| Sender | Cunningham, Sam |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | merchant |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Martinique, Antilles, Caribbean Sea |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Cunningham, John |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D 1108/A/7: Purchased From Mr Edward Hall, 16 Oldroad West, Gravesend, Kent, [England?]. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9507153 |
| Date | 22/06/1795 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 24:07:1995. |
| Word Count | 929 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: John Cunningham?, Belfast, [Ireland?] From: [?] June 22d 1795 My Dear Brother: I have just finished all our letters to go by these two conveyances and must beg pardon for leaving yours to the last I w[oul?]d now enter into a detail of the hardships and misfortunes we as well as all others who have property in this Country have been and are still likely to undergo for some time to come, but really time will not afford it, as I am now on duty in Fort Edward and a good deal fatigued I have no doubt if you apply to Messrs C: Greg [?]: Batt or John Boyle & Co they will show you some parts of our letters of 16th Inst and this [?] which go by this conveyance and will give you a full account of matters in this part of the world. and by next opportunity should no accident happen you may depend on having half from me, before which I probably may determine if I leave this Country or the first August to visit your part or not till of late it was our determination that either Mr Gordon or I Wd [would?] go home, but we have met with such so far from the Capture of Saint Lucia and the destruction of Grenada and St. Vincents on our [?] [?] and [?] that at this moment as you will [------------------------------?] Batt & Co[mpany?] we can not [--------------------?] In my last I mentioned being much pleased at the idea of your going to America for a Mercht [merchant?] it is in my opinion the first Country in the world particularly young Men such as you who have any one at home to support them and should the connection with Mr Kennedy not take place and that you don't think of settling in England or Ireland I have no doubt but our friends Messrs W:C: J:C: or some other will point one out, in which you may be assured of every assistance I can give you should in the mean time [saw?] unlucky that not end my days and if nothing is determined on sooner I will assist should it so happen that I came home in the August fleet, indeed I wish I never had seen this Country and that it had been my lott [lot?] to have begun business in America, in which in my opinion Baltimore is the first and most thriving place after that Philadelphia [say?] [west?] to you which will be in the cause of three or four weeks at farthest will be [were?] full, and till you hear my determination your writing me again in this Country is unnecessary and have only to say go on my D[ea?]r Brother as you have begun - give my love to William and James the former is [-?]turally smart and I hope attentive and [-------------?] have the pleasure [------------------?] young man by the hand, I shall [------?] fatigues of war I have lately and still [---------?] going in this Country, which does not very well suit my constitution Some of our Belfast friends no doubt continue to speak hard of G: & Co [Company?] and blaim [blame?] them for their losses and disappointments and they may do so, it is impossible for us to prevent we have been unfortunate by the war and the late disturbances in this Country its very true, but the fault was not ours it rested with Ministers in not sending out a sufficient force to protect the Colonies upon the whole I consider ourselves very fortunate, particularly the House of SC: & Co [Compan?]y which have come off as well, if not better than any other in the Island of Saint Lucia considering the immense quantity of business they did there since its Capture its now near two months since I removed all the property it was possible to [secure?] from Saint Lucia, and have been till within these few days almost ever since in St. Vts [Saint Vincents?] where in case this Island is not attacked I shall return in a few days, but as this Island is the strangest and [?] [?] resource should they land here I will once more enter a volunteer with the Army and see it out for what is life worth if we are to lose our own and friends property that I have [--------------?]untry particularly -----------?] from America You [---?] enough if this reaches you safe to present my love to my Father Mother and friends as well as best wishes to the friends hoping none of you may ever know what the horrors of war are, altho [although?] to do them justice here tho [though?] the villains are victorious here they are not wanton in comitting [committing?] acts of Barbarity no doubt some of you have wrote me of late but we are in such a dreadful and cruel state of warfare in this Country and every thing in such confusion that I have not yet got any of our letters by the last three Packets arrived here no man was left at Saint Lucia the others I believe are at Barbados in our letter of the 16th Inst to Messrs Greg & Batt per the La Blanche should you happen to see any part of it you will find matters represented as they really were on that day with much truth I ever am My Dear Brother Your most secure friend Sam Cunningham duplicate of this per ship Mary via Liverpool that sails with the La Blanche |
