Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER VC 1190a-b
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE March 18, 1852
AUTHOR Rev. Stephen Henry Battin (son-in-law)
RECIPIENT Mary Smith Gardiner Battin
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE “brother Jo” (Joseph Battin), “wife” (Catharine VW Battin), Dr.
Brandeth, John Battin (father), Mr Cooper, Mr Cooper’s
Grandmama, Pierre Van Wyck, General Howe, William the 4th,
PLACES Cooperstown NY, “The Hall” (to be sold), “Mrs Isaac Cooper, Mrs
Baker’s sister”,
KEYWORDS sick wife, wine punch, gin toddy, + brandy + water as remedy,
opiates, “maine liquor law”, sale of “The Hall”, gift of ornate silver
communion set and goblet (description), admission of John
Battin’s role as British soldier in Rev. War, had kept family secret
but realize many knew, “Mr Cooper’s grandmama was a huckster”
in Philadelphia, death of John Battin (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FD11-647)
Cooperstown . March 18th 1852.
My dear Mother,
It seems almost as long / since we heard from you as it does since we / heard from brother Jo. He wrote us 10 lines / while my wife was sick, a sort of wine punch / gin toddy, + brandy + water letter, recommending / all very highly, for her restoration, tho’ we had / to be cautious in the use of either opiates / or stimulants – I should advise him to vote / the Maine liquor law at once, He is down / upon the quacks, with their nostrums, + thinks / the flask all powerful, Well Katy is quite / restored to health, altho yet confined to the / house during our March winds, and very / thin, She is mere skin + bones, However she / goes all around the house, and her appetite / improves _ The children are pretty well, / with the exception of slight colds, + my own / health quite good, tho thin in flesh —
“The Hall” we suppose is to pass into other / hands, when we do not Know
[END OF PAGE 1]
It will soon be advertised, Why could not / Dr Brandeth be induced to purchase a / place so handsome + notorious as this is, / There are 5 acres beautifully lain out, very / gently undulating, in heart of the village, / + fine garden spot, the whole in pretty good / repair, for $9,000 or 10,000, richly / wroth $15,000 — I have just received a / beautiful gift from the family being a / silver private - communion service - a / goblet, gold gilt inside - a plate, and vial / silver mounted – enclosed in Morocco / case with cross + name engraved on it, / very appropriate + very acceptable, / no special Convention will be allowed, So / I don’t know when we shall get down / to see you . probably as soon as you will / be ready for your Summer visitors, / Mrs Isaac Cooper, Mrs Baker’s sister / has applied to us to take her to board / during the summer, + we have concluded / to do so, a very good amiable + motherly / old Lady __ She was a Morris,
[END OF PAGE 2]
Well I suppose you saw the former / part of John Battin’s history, the very / part I was keeping dark about, / Tho’ I suppose we might boast and / can well boast of descent from English / officers on both sides as we can and / but few know it. Still we concluded / to wait until the odor of the tap / room had died away on the breeze, / before we hung our a new sign / other people always Know your business / better than yourself,
Had father been wiser + gone him / with William the fourth for whom he acted as one of his body guard / while Howe’s army was in the City / he might have enjoyed his half / pay at least, But penniless + / ignorant of commercial business / what else could he do but keep / an Hotel on the English plan /
[END OF PAGE 4]
Which for a time was the common / resort of English officers like himself / Well, Every tub stands on its own bottom, / I learned the other day, that Mr / Coopers Grandma [Herimore?Hermione?] was / a huckster in New Jersey and carried / vegetable to the Philadelphia market, / an humble origin has been the / cause of good fortune to many a man / as well as of evil fortune, and the / comfort is,
We don’t stand solitary; / with love to all + the hope that you / are all well again including Bro / Pierre, I remain Your affec Son
Stephen H. BattinTranscriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
