Name/Title
Letter from James Alexander Hamilton to Alexander Hamilton IIIEntry/Object ID
HHV 005.54Tags
Accessioned objectDescription
Letter from James Alexander Hamilton to Alexander Hamilton IIISubject
Horse, Syruis (horse), peach trees, fruitery, pears, new coachman, Democrat party of Calhoun and Van Buren, struggles of new democracies, HoraceSubject Person/Organization
James Alexander Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton III, Mary Morris Hamilton, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Martin Van Buren, General Baldomero Espartero, Mary Morris Hamilton Schuyler, Angelica Hamilton, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, Frances HamiltonSubject Place
* Untyped Subject Place
Nevis, Madrid, SpainCollection
Hamilton CollectionCataloged By
Tara R. IacobellisLetter Details
Letter Date
Aug 29, 1843Sender
Name
JAHAddress
John Miller Esq
US Despatch Agent _ No 13
Henrietta Street Covent Garden
London
To Alexander Hamilton Esquire
Sect’y of Legation of the U.S.
MadridAddressee
Name
John Miller Esq, To Alexander Hamilton EsquireTranscription
Transcription
Nevis
Aug’t 29 1843
The copious rains of the last fortnight have made this place Dear son most beautiful our / old more her fold and 1. 2. & 3 year old colts are feed / ing on the Lawn half knee deep in clover she / is so old that her teeth are bad and with nursing / her colt is rather thin and probably will / never again be as beautiful as she had been / She will probably give us her last fold (I hope / it will be a filley) next Spring Syrius (3rd years / past) is perfectly broken to the saddle + harness we / drive him short distances every day. The two year / old part I thought was ringbound but as he is / not I intend to have him altered this fall and / make the full brothers a [span?pair?] they are very / much alike and certainly as to blood will / be unequalled The yearling is taller + will / be I think a more stylish looking Horse / than either of the others. [^ The two year old] He will [^ be] brought into / use this Winter + may be driven with / Sirius next summer with safety + advan = / tage Lee + the old man are [trusted?] to / + do all the work of the farm _
Our [Fr—ery?] is [d–ing] under the Peach trees and almost all in full bearing and with / very fine fruit better it is said that any that / can
[END OF PAGE 1]
Can be purchased in N.Y. and so are many / of the pear trees particularly the [van Fichlers] _ our / [Mullers/Millers?] promise well _ altho the last weather / is injurious to them + the Peaches and our garden / yields us a great abundance and variety / of excellent vegetables owing I must say to / our good mother’s shill and perseverance / Her [c-??] man has done all the work _ I have / got a new coachman who is a most capable drive Having once as I am told driven a / stage so that four in hand is our [common] / team. We are passing the summer most / pleasurably altho with very great economy /
The drought injured nay destroyed / very many of the trees I planted are / this spring [n–?] full i hope to fill / up the whole space in the rear of the / House _ quite back to the Fruitery by saving locust seed + transplanting three / we begun to understand what they have / long known in England that the secret + [?---est] / way to master a forest is to begin with / the seed and to transplant twice I am / preparing to go largely in that way this / [c–??]. + in the next fall to put the / trees exactly where I want them The trees / in front + on the sides of the House are growing ./ well _ My farmers are industrious / and obedient people. They have put / in my large crops and I hope will / do well for themselves as well as me /
[END OF PAGE 2]
I find that the half is more than the whole and that it / [d–?s] nothing in labour _ Be assured this is the [last?best?] ?? / for me to farm __
The business of the country is prospering _ The unemployed / capital is greater than it ever was before ) The specie in all / the banks of this State equals the whole calculation / to [??] $500,000 _ $14,500,000 the former being 14 million the latter / [^ a half million more] _ The Deposits amount to [rising?] 24 Million /
The Political [agilala?] is beginning particularly with the / selection of the [Demos?] Calhoun + Van Buren _ The former / is certainly increasing in strength _ and will I have / no doubt be a candidate whether the latter is or not. C’s friends say they will support the nominee / of the Committee if it is held at a proper time (next / Spring) + is properly constituted (that is by [^ of] delegates / sent from Districts) The Van B. Party has yielded / their full part The [Cal/last?] they dare not yield [page torn] / and should C. find he is in a necessity / He + his friends is [??] Dur-[??] call / on other [committee] + He will move Clay / will certainly mean the WHig nomination + be defeated / Espartero is we suppose driven out _ Had he capacity / for the Crisis? We think not _ It is now to be feared / that the / Country will be torn by Civil ?? War / in its very current form _ Before 25 years the Penin = / :sula will be turning very rapidly to its origi = / nal state of a wilderness _ Democracy brings bitter / fruits in all countries but particularly so in / Europe when the People are so entirely incapable / of Governing them selves from their extra ignorance / and them having been so unaccustomed to the / business _ your Dear Mother is most excellent / Health. Mary is growing fat Angelica is without / de-[??] Eliza + Fanny + the children are well / They are all now with us _ We will look for / your next letters with solicitude in the hope /
[END OF PAGE 3]
That we will hear of your return to health + safe / return to your post / We hear of Irving’s letters / to his family They are most flattering as to you / God bless dear Boy + keep you in / safety _
Your affectionate father JAH
[BOTTOM OF PAGE 4]
I hope you are making notes and now and then reading / a little Horace _ Let us know all about the nice / people who are at the Hel-[??]
[ADDRESS]
John Miller Esq
US Despatch Agent _ No 13
Henrietta Street Covent Garden
London
To Alexander Hamilton Esquire
Sect’y of Legation of the U.S.
Madrid
[REVERSE OF ADDRESS]
From Papa
Aug. 29th 1843
____________
Rec’d Sept 22ndTranscriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
EnglishOther Names and Numbers
Other Numbers
Number Type
Former NumberOther Number
H 888General Notes
Note Type
Curatorial RemarksNote
Condition: Fair, edges have slight tearing.Created By
tiacobellis@hudsonvalley.orgCreate Date
July 31, 2024Updated By
cmonaco@hudsonvalley.orgUpdate Date
October 16, 2025
