James H. Blackwell, Correspondence / Letters Received,, 1816-1891, undated

Summary:

FROM JOHN T. BLACKWELL (FATHER), 1816-1820 & undated (1 folder)

There are seven letters included in this folder. Letters include mainly information about family and home situations. Family members mentioned are: mother (who has been ill), Jemina, Sally Ann, Mars (family dog who misses James), and Ovid, a lapdog. One letter dated August 18, 1820 is from Manasquan, where John, mother, and Sally Ann are visiting. Mother has been very ill and their trip there depends on her health.

FROM ELIZABETH BLACKWELL (SISTER), 1825-1839 (2 folders)

There are thirty-four letters total from Elizabeth in the collection. Most of the letters contain content regarding home life, relatives, and town happenings. She mentions who is sick, who is buying property and who is leaving town, among other things. She writes him from various places including Trenton, Philadelphia, Lamberton, Elm Grove, Flemington, and New Brunswick. Mostly she is writing to James when he is in New York, but a few letters are to him in Flemington. Family members mentioned in letters are Mother, Father (before his death), James, Jemina, Sally Ann, Oliver, Lucy, Sarah and Cousin Peter.

Elizabeth talks about the railroad a few times in letters dated in 1836. One mention of it in a letter dated February 16, 1836 says that the railroad is supposed to go through today and all of the gentlemen in town are there to help it through. Then, in a letter dated July 11, 1836 she tells James that the railroad is completed from New York to New Brunswick.

Elizabeth frequently discusses certain illnesses that are of concern to family and friends at the time. Mentioned was influenza and typhus. In a letter dated July 17, 1825 she says "La Fayette passed through here yesterday…the troops was to have turned out but there were so many of them sick it is very quickly in and out of Trenton. There is a fever that is very contagious called the nerves typhus…" And the on February 15, 1837 she says "(mother) she and Aunt both have the influenza Jemina has had it since she come home got cold the night of the wedding it is a general complaint through the town and country."

Elizabeth also documents the concern of losing mail to robbers. In a letter dated April 3, 1837 she says- "We begin to feel uneasy about our brothers at New Orleans we have not had no letters in almost two months but perhaps there letters have shared the same fate as others been destroyed by the mail robbers or probably high water has prevented there coming in."

There is a good example of winter in this letter right before Christmas (December 18, 1825 from Trenton): "There is no news in town as I hear except the Delaware is frozen over and the boys go a scating but not on the river. You must write to me if Sarah has gone home and if Miller is attentive as ever and tell Lucy that if I get a good opportunity I will send her a sugar plumb for Christmas. I was very sorry to hear of the cold my dear mother caught on that very cold day she had to turn out of her room. I hope you have got the stove up in the back parlar…"

FROM SUSAN BLACKWELL (SISTER), 1816-1839 & undated (3 folders)

33 letters total. Some letters are to James in Flemington, one to Doylestown, and many are sent to him when he was living in New York. She wrote from various places including Maddison, Flemington, New York and Lumberton. Family members mentioned in letters include: Aunt Maria, Oliver, John, Elizabeth, Cousin William, Sally Ann, Cousin Ellen, Uncle Jonathan, Aunt Pamela, Uncle Leigh, Jemina and Henry, Cousin William Hunt, and others. Friends mentioned include: Maria Reading, Theodore Ellis, Mrs. Allen, Thomas Cox, Mrs. Matilda, Aaron Clark, Daniel Reading (who died of Typhus fever), and others.

Susan's letters to James paint a portrait of what it was like to live in New Jersey during the early 1800's. She describes home life including: severe weather, the health of family members and friends, what clothes were fashionable at the time, the railroad that was going to be built in New Jersey, sale of property in the area, and counterfeit money problems, among other things. In a letter dated May 7 (no year) Susan mentions counterfeiting- "There is a great deal of counterfeit money afloat on the Trenton Corporation Company $12 tickets. It is said that John Henry son of David is in Trenton Jail for having a hand in it."

There is a good description of the effect that the railroad had on the people of the town, and their expectations for what the railroad would do for them in Susan's letters. In following passage from a letter dated January 11, 1835, Susan describes the railroad- "The railroad is all the go, Mr. Clemson called on us last week, he says he intends trying for it, to run or through the hollow or spring lot if that is the case it will touch our lot. He says there is going to be a great deal of building this spring. He intends putting up two or three houses on the new street back."

And the following is an excerpt from a letter dated December 14 (no year): "The Flemington people have got the Rail road fever. There will be application made at the next sitting of the Legislature for two rail roads, in this part of Jersey, and several others in other parts, there is one from Belvadere to Clinton then down the Branch to Sommerville, the other from Lambertville to intersect the other on the Branch- I understand the act is passed in Pennsylvania, and in the cole reagions they calculate to send the Lackawanna Cole to New York for $3.00 a ton. Our friend all say hold fast to the property and not sell yet. One of these roads in intended to go to Morristown thence to Baltimore & Washington leaving Philadelphia. Tell Cousin Thomas, Flemington will not be out of the world then when we can get to the great city of New York in three or four hours. Why we can almost go there to market, and back and cook our dinner.

Letters from Susan also make a few references to the sale of a farm in Hopewell. This could possibly be the family farm but it is not clear in the letters.

FROM OLIVER H. BLACKWELL (BROTHER), 1822-1839 & undated (4 folders)

53 letters total. 34 letters are from New Orleans where he owned a medicine and medical supply business in the 1830's.

Oliver's letters to his brother James were well represented in the collection, totally 53 letters with numerous different topics. Oliver corresponded to James on everything including: academics, housing situations, friends, family matters, business and business supplies, life in New Orleans and his experiences there and in his travels. Oliver's earlier letters were bright and he spoke of his days at the Academy at NewBurgh. He mentions what subjects he is studying (plane trigonometry, geography, algebra). Around 1829 his letters describe his travels and all of the items he wants James to send to him. Mostly are medical supplies, some personal items and also text books. Things seemed to be going well for Oliver and his business when he reached New Orleans.

While in New Orleans, Oliver discusses going to Texas and seeing what is going on there. This is a result of business getting more "dull." There is a brief time in the early 1830's that Oliver talks of the city of New Orleans as "healthy" and business as "improving". This does not last long, however. It is apparent from the letters that business was very sporadic and the high and lows changed almost from letter to letter.

Sadly, Oliver's his later letters show a very different Oliver from early years. He had suffered some physical injuries but also was doing very poorly financially- his business was suffering greatly and he owed money. His letters to James became less frequent and they sounded very depressed. Some factors affecting business for Oliver when he was in New Orleans included illnesses and epidemics that he mentions more than once. In a later from 1835 he says that strangers and others are leaving "as fast as they can" and that it will be very "sickly." Also in 1839 he again mentions the problems of illness in town and calls it an "epidemic." By this time, Oliver was very sick himself and complained of many symptoms including difficulty walking, being partially confined and having pain in lower extremities. By Oliver's last letter (in the collection) dated October 26, 1839, Oliver describes the business as in "a horrid state" and he complains of very bad health.

An interesting passage to note is one mentioning the Creek Indians in 1839: "The citizens of Alabama are suffering very much from the Creek Indians. They have been troublesome there for some time."

FROM J. CLARKE, 1838 (1 folder)

Two letters from J. Clarke, both were sent from Trenton. The letter dated October 3, 1838 is regarding a meeting with W. Hunt at a boat and also that Clarke is setting out for New Orleans and will try to see him before he goes. The letter dated October 20, 1838 is regarding goods that Clarke is shipping to New York by boat (on the Caroline Francis and Samuel Tappen).

FROM VARIOUS CORRESPONDENTS, 1828-1891 and undated (1 folder)

Seven letters. One letter from an E.C. Cadwell, female, is sent from Rome to invite James to her wedding and enquire about his sisters. She also mentions visiting New Jersey and that there will be a railroad soon in Flemington.

One letter is from a friend, B. Thomas. Thomas calls himself an "old friend" and is writing to send his condolences for the "sad affliction which has befallen your family." Later he clarifies that James' father had died. He/she also enquires about Elizabeth and the rest of the family. Also mentioned is the marriage of Catherine Davis to Mr. Holmes.

Two letters are from E. Hunt. One is regarding a trip to Washington and the request of James to find out when a ship is leaving for New Orleans. The other letter is regarding family and business matters.

Two letters are from a recipient that cannot be identified. Letters are regarding textile goods and fabrics.

One letter is from Thomas Hunt who is responding to James' request for information about John.