Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER S 1021
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE May 2, 1809
AUTHOR William Sawyer (brother-in-law)
RECIPIENT Philip J. Schuyler & Mary Anna Sawyer Schuyler
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE General [John] Armstrong (US Minister to France 1804-1810),
Hannah Farnham Sawyer Lee, George Lee, new Lee child, Arch Duke Charles, Mr R . Livingston, Mr Robert [Purriance], Mr. Gen’l Parsons,
PLACES Rhinebeck, Dunkirk, France, Holland, Austria, Ratikon, Jena,
Prussia, Hungary, Spain,
KEYWORDS the “Fair American” (ship), birth of new Lee child, Hobby Horse,
Hostilities in Austria, Battle of Jena–Auerstedt, “conquest of
Spain”, “French husbands”, a watch, watch case, furniture, snuff box
P.J. Schuyler Rhinebeck N.Y. Dunkirk May 2. 1809
U.S.A.
My dear friend. In two or three days from this I leave / France on board the Brig Fair American_ she will I hope / put me on the other Side in a very short time _ we have 40 / or 50 pafsengers_ the vefsel fo small that the greatest number of / us will not have even a berth. I intended to delay writing / you until I was at anchor or Safely landed ~ but I forward / by the Bag a few lines from this . least the Confusion & haste / in getting on shore & departure again of the vefsel may pres[page torn /] I left Paris a week since _ in which period the public vefsel / has arrived _ and I have had the inexpressible Satisfaction of receiving in a note from Genl Arm’g your letters with My dear / Mary Anns of the 22nd Jan’y _ They are the first words from / any one of my friends after thirteen months Silence. My / friends then thank God were in health - a period like this is / often So eventful that I trembled in opening your letters. / I feel now a new confidence that your health, & welfare all may be continued . I am delighted with / the news from Boston - after Lee & Sp[ouse?] their cannot / be a person more gratified than myself at the arrival / of the little Stranger_ I hope these matrimonial events /
[END OF PAGE 1]
& changes may afford my dear sister Lee a better / System of health. _ There is a HobbyHorse in Holland / already packed up for my little Wm _ I see no / prospect of its going out. _ /
Scarcely have hostilities commenced with Austria but /before her unfortunate destiny is fixed, she will probably / cease to exist as a primary power - You will have by / files of papers the details of the action which continued / three days near [Ratiskan?] - - and the ifsue of which / they say (perhaps in terms of exaggeration) will be more / fatal than was that of [Sena?] to Prussia . We have not / yet the particulars the papers announce 30,000 prisoners [?] / 20 Gen’s Standards cannon &c. in great no _ and that the / Arch Duke Charles has retired to Hungary with his Stat / Major _ _ The conquest of Spain is not yet finished . / I hope to write you in a few days from a neighboring / country __ With great Sincerity & affection yours
W.S.
[END OF PAGE 2]
I embrace [^you] My dear Mary Ann with [page torn] inished affection _ after my / wanderings, are finished __ may my lot be cast near yours. _ for if I / should after all remain to feel the want of the more near & tender / connexions who else in the decline of my life can Supply their place / . _ Your good husb’d I am well pleased to see is not lefs an advocate / for matrimony than ever . I believe he has never written me a letter / which [^has not], like a good Story ended with marriage . I assure you the / French husbands hold very different language . I regret much / to hear that Mr R . Livingstons health is indifferent - make my regards / to them _ I send you, probably to the care of Mr Robt. Purriance, a watch / with the furnit’r _ I wish you may receive it in Safety - in the Same / [^little] Case _ is a Snuff Box which you will be good eno’f to forward to / our friend Mr. Gen’l Parsons _ Yours Aff’ y W.S.
I hope you [^have] received / }
my [Ptr’t?] although my friends at Paris told /}
me the Painter had not [forwarded?] }
[END OF PAGE 3]
[ADDRESS]
Letter from / Paris
Philip J. Schuyler Esq’r
Rhinebeck State of
New york.
Brig Fair American U.S.A.
[[POSTMARK 1 - red, circle]
PHI
2
JL
[POSTMARK 2 - red ink]
SHIP
[POSTAL NOTATION - red ink]
19 14Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
