Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER S 1006
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE December 6, 1818
AUTHOR William Sawyer (brother)
RECIPIENT Mary Anna Sawyer Schuyler
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE Sybill Farnham Sawyer (”mother”), Rev. Stephen Van Renssalear
Schuyler, Hannah [Farnham Sawyer?, sister], Mrs. [Lear’s?], Mr.
Mason, his large family, John Pierpont, Mr & Mrs. Westerlow
Bio: John Pierpont, https://lawlit.net/lp-2001/pierpont.html
PLACES Boston, Georgetown, Washington DC., the [Crawford’s?],
Harvard (“college”), New York, Newburyport,
KEYWORDS William has “taken the charge of the family” in Boston, move to
Georgetown, location somewhat removed, Harvard Rebellion of
1818, “journey from N.Y.” of “extraordinary” speed, parties/balls in
Boston, Boston gentlemen, church, visit with Mason family in
Boston, “Sunday carriage”, “Mr Holley’s society” (Hollis Street Unitarian Church), gout,
[PENCIL - later]
Mr Sayer to Mrs Schuyler in / Washington _
[ORIGINAL]
Boston Dec’r 6th 1818
My Dear Mary Ann. It cannot fail to add to your enjoyment / to get repeated information of the welfare of all your / near friends here, and I believe it is the first time since I / have taken the charge of our family here that I could afsure / you in the month of Decr that they ever all in perfect / health. Mother will pafs the winter with us at her own / voluntary wish, and I hope will in future be only an / occasional visitor at the old family dwelling. We have / enjoyed thus far the finest climate pofsible, no fnow, the / common is still green, and excellent walking + riding in / every direction. We take a great interest in your souther / excursion this winter, you must keep up a constant / communication almost journal like. It will be probably / through the channel of your sister, although I shall thank / you for all your give me, the [men?] so as I am indeed / a bad correspondent/ I was rather forry, not knowing / perhaps all the good reasons to find you located at or so / near Georgetown _ For all large parties I know it is not / material, and some of the members are usually in [??n] / that quarter. But the greater part and no doubt most / of your pleasant acquaintances amongst them are too far / from you for any thing like social and pleasant vicinity.
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After all the parade and [harts?] +c - your pleasure will / depend principally on agreable acquaintances + friends and / the power of cultivation a pleasant personal intercourse / with them. I hope if you find that your first location / unpleasant that you will get a better one, you cannot be / I think at [Crawford’s?], or else it is much changed since / I was there. Stephen left us last ev’g after pafsing / three or four days of the little Thanksgiving time allowed / then, he is doing I believe very well, Cottage is again / very quiet and order established. The Rebellious / class have principally returned to their duties. /
Hannah gave you an account of our journey from N.Y. / she might omit to say however the time in which we / accomplished it which I think was extraordinary if / you consider our retinue _ as we left you you recollect / on Friday morn’g and took tea at our Home on / Saturday ev’g. Boston is pleasant this winter not a / great deal of difsipation, but sufficient to enliven it and / give now and then a new topic. Mrs. [Lear’s?] [cards?] are / [out/cut?] for a [Ball?] a- on Friday next. Hannah does not / accept iat these great [rants/visits?], but joins smaller parties / with as much satisfaction as ever. You are of course /
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At a distance from our Boston Gent’l/ I passed last ev’g / (Saturd’y] at Mr Masons _ when his family were afsembled they / are numerous and remarkably united, he ought to find / some equivalent in giving up the daily satisfaction of / witnefsing so much family enjoyment. Mother + Hannah / are at church to day notwithstanding rather a violent S.E. / storm but they have got a Sunday carriage which is / an excellent plan. Mr. Pierpont whom you may remember / to have heard of formerly as a Lawyer at [New’y port?] and / a [fract?], is now preaching here with considerable eclat. / His delivery is excellent and voice sonorous and / harmonious, with very respectable talents, I think / they will settle him at Mr. Holley’s society. We / shall soon look forward to your expected visit. I have / no doubt by Jan’y our good + provident mother will / be fitting some bed or chamber to receive the / welcome tenants. I hope the Washington climate / with your cheering influence will keep your husband / free from gout and all other ails + troubles _ My / regards to him _ and comp[’s?] to your inmates Mr / & Mrs. Westerlow if they remember me, your aff’t / brother W.S.
[Thor’?] is going well
[END OF PAGE 3]
[ADDRESS]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
