Letters Received from Henry D. Wilson (Husband)

Summary:The collection contains approximately 140 letters from Henry to Ellen, 37 of which were written before their marriage. Many letters were written between 1893 and 1895, in 1897, in 1899 and 1900, and in 1908 and 1909. There are a few letters from 1906 and 1907.

In his letters to Ellen, Henry discusses life on the ship, the places he visits and what he sees, along with some medical concerns regarding his shipmates. He also discusses his photography and stamp collection hobbies at some length. He often writes of his devotion and love for Ellen. This topic is especially prevalent after an episode in 1908 where he was almost tempted into an affair while in California.

Henry's letters to Ellen often include the date the letter was written. Sometimes, they were written over the course of several days. There are numbers on the envelopes of the letters he wrote to Ellen before their marriage. Some of these are numbered on the first page of the letter (possibly by Henry) as are letters later in their marriage. In part, this was to establish the order they were sent because the letters did not arrive in order depending on where and how they were mailed. Although they are not consistently used throughout and start and stop several times, the use of the numbering systems indicates that there are gaps in the collection.

The letters dated from May to October 1893 indicate a growing familiarity between Henry and Ellen (letters from other people indicate they were engaged in 1893). Henry's first letters address her as "My Dear Miss Price" but soon address her as "Nellie" or "Sweetheart." His letters display a sense of humor and a growing familiarity between Ellen and him. In a letter dated August 24, 1893, Henry writes, "Dearest Nellie, after having read the letter I wrote to you yesterday you must have come to the conclusion by this time that I had an attack of cerebral softening—but it was only a morbid evening due to malaria." In another letter, dated September 30, 1893, Henry writes, "I did not know that you knew how to make butterscotch or would have had you to work when I was around as I am not a bit averse to candy making when I do not have to do the work."

In 1893 and 1894 Henry writes from various places in South and Central America, such as Brazil and Nicaragua. It is in these letters that he first discusses his interest in photography, and some problems he is having with his photographs. In a letter dated May 17, 1894 continuing through May 20, he writes the following, "This afternoon I tried to develop some of the films that I took on the old roll but the temperature and dampness had spoiled them all....I saw an advertisement of a printing paper that I shall try. It has a peculiar gelatin that will not [spill?] in 100° of water. If it is true the advantages will be very great for work in summer or in hot climates." Henry also mentions his concern about yellow fever and what he calls "climatic fever." He talks about what he sees in the countries he travels to. For example, he writes about different types of fruit available.

Although the numbers on the envelopes indicate that Henry was writing letters between July 1894 and January 1895, these letters are not included in the collection. The final letter in July 1894 is numbered 111, the first in January 1895, dated the 15th and the 19th, is numbered 175. In the January letter, Henry mentions the poor quality of a recent letter and says. "I don't wonder that my letters have been unsatisfactory but they have not worried you as much as they have myself. There are times when my whole nature rises in a state of rebellion and the trouble is I do not know the cause and can not do much for it. Before I knew you these moods use [sic] to come in often when I was a mealancholic [sic] and that was the time when I would drink too much for my own good and do foolish things. I would gamble, lose every cent I had and run in debt without a particle of concern. Since I have had you they have been growing farther and farther apart and I thought they had nearly disappeared." His final letter to Ellen before their marriage had a flower pressed in it (January 19, 1895). Although the flower was removed during the processing of the papers, its impression remains above and below the fold January 19, 1895).

Between December 1896 and October 1897, Henry's letters are written from the U.S.S. Castine. This ship went to South America, where Ellen came to stay for a while to be near Henry (some letters from this time are addressed to her in Uruguay). It is in these letters that Henry first mentions stamp collecting, a hobby that he mentions during other times as he writes to her. Many letters outline arrangements they are making to see one another and there is some discussion of the goings-on on the Castine.

In January 1899, Henry writes to Ellen from the U.S.S. Castine in Puerto Rico (sketching San Juan Harbor in a letter dated January 6, 1899). Soon the Castine is sent to the Philippines. He mentions buying smallpox vaccine for the crew (April 25, 1899), life and duty in the Philippines, and what he sees on the different islands. In these letters, he spends more time discussing his stamp collection and what is of value and what is not. He writes to Ellen of the Navy's activities in a letter postmarked May 18, 1899, saying, "We are supposed to be in a mission of stopping trade but it comes the nearest to piracy I have ever seen and yesterday was the first time I ever felt ashamed of being an officer in our Navy when Robertson was sent to burn a poor miserable little schooner that nearly everyone felt satisfied was a useless destruction of some poor man's property."

After his return from the Philippines, the next batch of letters from Henry comes from between June and October 1900. At that time, Henry was on the U.S.S. Michigan in the Midwest. His letters, which come from places such as Toledo and Detroit, mention that he has requested a change of duty. He encloses several letters from offices in Washington, D.C. that suggest he is trying to use connections through Ellen's father. (A letter from C.C. Todd of the Hydrographic Office in Washington, D.C. mentions a connection to the Attorney General through Henry's father in law, referred to as Major Price) (The C.C. Todd writing this letter is very likely connected to Eliza Todd, from whom Ellen receives a letter in 1893).

Between 1901 and 1907, there are five letters from Henry to Ellen. It is the 1906 letters in which Henry mentions having a son and mentions the baby's birthday in a letter dated June 8, 1907). The correspondence picks up significantly in 1908 when Henry is sent to California with the U.S.S. Kearsarge. His letters often mention the amount of attention Navy officers receive in California (His letter dated May 7, 1908 includes a newspaper article on "fleet madness" in California). Henry writes of constantly having to go to receptions and parties, telling Ellen in "..The finest houses were opened and the people were really crazy to get officers to dine with them. of course we met all classes, the girls and women too—for that matter were brass button foolish —and it seemed if all you had to do was put on your uniform and take your choice; Some were bright and pretty—and to say that there was no temptation would not be telling you the truth dear, because there were times when I was lonely—and things did seem so easy to go the other way..." (May 20, 1908) These episodes apparently evoked anger and jealousy from Ellen. On July 2, 1908 Henry wrote a letter in response to one from her saying, "..It was because I was just lonesome—and blue—without the slightest thought of anything wrong because when I am with a woman that is the last thought to enter my head and from things that have been said to me I wonder if that is not why it has been that women have always liked me—because they have. I say that without conceit and I think it is due to this reason—often that is [sic] is a question of drifting along—and at times if you shut your eyes it is so easy to drift—but as far as I told you when it came to the last moment I have somehow escaped." In the same letter he speaks of his amazement at Ellen's reaction to this situation saying, "I do not know if you know it or not, but your last few letters have been the only ones that have really let me see deep in your heart." In this vein, her writes on July 6, 1908 "I think we have both found out a little more about each other." He explains the near affair in a letter dated July 30, 1908 and again expresses his amazement at learning the depth of Ellen's love for him, saying "Be just as jealous as you want to be—and as queer as it may seem from me I want you to be jealous—and if you thought of another woman with her arms around my neck it may be wrong but it makes me happy to think that you would rather kill her than to go and cry and feel sorry for yourself." For the remainder of his letters to her, Henry writes often on these themes of the nature of (their) love and fidelity.

After his letters of July, Henry's letters from the U.S.S. Kearsarge cease until September 1908, when he writes from Australia and then Yokohama, Japan. His letters indicate the ship has crossed the Pacific. His letters between October and December say that he is again in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. He sends samples of thread lace (November 17, 18, 19, 1908) and mentions that he received the Spanish War Service Medal and will get a Philippine Campaign Medal (November 27, 1908). One of the more notable events he describes is discussed in a letter he writes on December 9, 1908. In this letter, he talks about the events of the previous hours. He explains how as they were finishing dinner they heard a signal indicating that a man in their fleet had gone overboard, and the search procedures that followed that led to the man being found. When the rescued man was finally able to talk he explained that he was one of two men to fall overboard. Some ships turned back to look for the other man, but he was not found. Henry writes that it is possible the man hit his head when he fell, but he writes, "..it is said he was heard to call for help after he hit the water. It seems very gruesome to think that he was possibly able to keep afloat and after the ship searched and could not find him that he was able to see the lights steam away and be left in the ocean only to sink." He also relates a smallpox outbreak on the Georgia in a letter dated December 11, 1908. He continues writing about how much he loves Nellie and how he cannot wait to be with her once more.

In early 1909 Henry writes his letters from Suez, Malta, and Gibraltar. At this point Henry is heading home. A letter from March 20, 1909 indicates there is a problem because Ellen's father might have had an insurance policy signed over to him in case of Henry's death. Henry is angry about this and says he wants the policy changed immediately. He mentions to Ellen that even though she has lived at home, he has supported her. Henry's final letter to Ellen is dated August 11, 1909.

The collection also includes some undated letters. The content of these letters indicates that they were written from different periods of their correspondence.