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Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Mary (Appleton) Mackintosh, 5 July 1861
Manuscript letter
Cambridge. July 5th 1861.
Dear Mary
I see, by the papers, you have, at last heat equal to ours, so I suppose you will be thinking of Tenly but I shall not venture to direct there until I know.
Robert has told you, of course, of his visit to Berkshire & the perfect weather he had all the time, & his satisfactory talks with all of his friends there. Fanny Kemble must have much enjoyed an outpouring, which, from his account, must have been a very full one. He got from her an alarming specimen of autobiography about us all, which I am rejoiced he secured. Perhaps it [p. 2] was never meant for print, but merely for her own delectation, but it was not certainly safe in her hands or those of her executors.
Yesterday was the fourth, & as usual a very hot, noisy day but tranquil enough here. R. dined with us & did not go to town to see the crowd until the afternoon, when he beheld the balloons go up & the fireworks in the ev’g, coming out with us after. We took Alice in to see them, for the first time, & she enjoyed them much, as they were remarkably pretty. The immense well-behaved crowd is a fine part of the show, - but when the patriotic emblems appeared there was more enthusiasm than usual of course. It seemed a pity [p. 3] to waste all that powder on mere display, but as it employs many workmen, I suppose the Governor did not like to give it up. The city economized to the extent of giving up the annual dinner I believe. It is a day of as solemn import to us as the first kept, & it was sad to think it had no longer any interest or enthusiasm over any portion of the country. England, though more friendly, does not yet seem to appreciate this struggle for national existence on our part, & the impossibility of our allowing a military despotism on our southern border, controlling all the Gulf & such an inland frontier, extending into Mexico, &, if necessary, invoking foreign protection, which we should have too [p. 4] much pride ever to do. If this war is now stopped, without success on our part, the South would form a navy, &, in a few years, there would be a worse one. It could not be escaped, & must be settled now forever. You & all Americans abroad should aid public opinion on the right side, the side of civilization against barbarism. Gen Patterson has crossed the Potomac and entered the North of Virginia, defeating several thousand rebels with no loss on his side, & this advance of one wing of our army will be followed at once, probably, by that near Washington and the Western force, possibly driving the rebels south without much of a battle.
July 7th We go to Nahant next Thursday the weather is so hot & the children beginning to droop. It is only a little farther away, & I can get up by the boat, in a hour, to see dear papa. We wish he could be [p. 5, marked 2] moved to Lynn where the sea air might keep him stronger (for he [crossed out: keeps] remains very nearly the same) but as he has not driven out for 3 weeks we dread attempting it. He is so thin he feels much the fatigue of sitting up long. He has a very cheery nurse.
Uncle Wm came out with me to Longwood the Saturday before he left for Washington & talked much of papa. He thinks he counts his life only from day to day, & is unwilling to leave anything unsettled 24 hours, feeling he may sink away in a sleep, [p. 6] as I trust, when the time comes, he will, without pain. He has none now, only his cough is tedious in the early morning & the excessive debility is wearing. He will evidently be glad to be at rest, & feels that his work here is done.
But his mind is bright & he takes an interest in the daily news. The President's Message is a quiet, sober document, rather too timid & too polite to the rebels, I think, but he wishes to convince them he has no angry feeling, only obeys his duty to the laws. We hope Congress will be short and sensible –
[p. 1 cross] Aunt Sam has felt her knee again lately – but keeps quiet – The Comet was an unexpected arrival & seemed quite striking coming so in the North just at the 4th but as you probably have him we ca’nt claim him.
Charley has been a week at Nahant, sailing round Cape Ann in his little boat, & Erny is also there with his friend Charley Lovering (son of our old Paris friend) We hope R. will go down with us as he seems in no hurry for the W.I. but I hope he does not stay, against his plans, on papa’s account. Yr affte Fanny
Dear Mary
I see, by the papers, you have, at last heat equal to ours, so I suppose you will be thinking of Tenly but I shall not venture to direct there until I know.
Robert has told you, of course, of his visit to Berkshire & the perfect weather he had all the time, & his satisfactory talks with all of his friends there. Fanny Kemble must have much enjoyed an outpouring, which, from his account, must have been a very full one. He got from her an alarming specimen of autobiography about us all, which I am rejoiced he secured. Perhaps it [p. 2] was never meant for print, but merely for her own delectation, but it was not certainly safe in her hands or those of her executors.
Yesterday was the fourth, & as usual a very hot, noisy day but tranquil enough here. R. dined with us & did not go to town to see the crowd until the afternoon, when he beheld the balloons go up & the fireworks in the ev’g, coming out with us after. We took Alice in to see them, for the first time, & she enjoyed them much, as they were remarkably pretty. The immense well-behaved crowd is a fine part of the show, - but when the patriotic emblems appeared there was more enthusiasm than usual of course. It seemed a pity [p. 3] to waste all that powder on mere display, but as it employs many workmen, I suppose the Governor did not like to give it up. The city economized to the extent of giving up the annual dinner I believe. It is a day of as solemn import to us as the first kept, & it was sad to think it had no longer any interest or enthusiasm over any portion of the country. England, though more friendly, does not yet seem to appreciate this struggle for national existence on our part, & the impossibility of our allowing a military despotism on our southern border, controlling all the Gulf & such an inland frontier, extending into Mexico, &, if necessary, invoking foreign protection, which we should have too [p. 4] much pride ever to do. If this war is now stopped, without success on our part, the South would form a navy, &, in a few years, there would be a worse one. It could not be escaped, & must be settled now forever. You & all Americans abroad should aid public opinion on the right side, the side of civilization against barbarism. Gen Patterson has crossed the Potomac and entered the North of Virginia, defeating several thousand rebels with no loss on his side, & this advance of one wing of our army will be followed at once, probably, by that near Washington and the Western force, possibly driving the rebels south without much of a battle.
July 7th We go to Nahant next Thursday the weather is so hot & the children beginning to droop. It is only a little farther away, & I can get up by the boat, in a hour, to see dear papa. We wish he could be [p. 5, marked 2] moved to Lynn where the sea air might keep him stronger (for he [crossed out: keeps] remains very nearly the same) but as he has not driven out for 3 weeks we dread attempting it. He is so thin he feels much the fatigue of sitting up long. He has a very cheery nurse.
Uncle Wm came out with me to Longwood the Saturday before he left for Washington & talked much of papa. He thinks he counts his life only from day to day, & is unwilling to leave anything unsettled 24 hours, feeling he may sink away in a sleep, [p. 6] as I trust, when the time comes, he will, without pain. He has none now, only his cough is tedious in the early morning & the excessive debility is wearing. He will evidently be glad to be at rest, & feels that his work here is done.
But his mind is bright & he takes an interest in the daily news. The President's Message is a quiet, sober document, rather too timid & too polite to the rebels, I think, but he wishes to convince them he has no angry feeling, only obeys his duty to the laws. We hope Congress will be short and sensible –
[p. 1 cross] Aunt Sam has felt her knee again lately – but keeps quiet – The Comet was an unexpected arrival & seemed quite striking coming so in the North just at the 4th but as you probably have him we ca’nt claim him.
Charley has been a week at Nahant, sailing round Cape Ann in his little boat, & Erny is also there with his friend Charley Lovering (son of our old Paris friend) We hope R. will go down with us as he seems in no hurry for the W.I. but I hope he does not stay, against his plans, on papa’s account. Yr affte Fanny
Archives Number: 1011/002.001-031#011
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Correspondence (1011/002), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1861 (1011/002.001-031), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1861 (1011/002.001-031), (LONG-FileUnitName)
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Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Code: LONG
Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
NPS Museum Number Catalog : LONG 20257
Title: Finding Aid to the Frances Elizabeth Appleton Longfellow (1817-1861) Papers, 1825-1961 (bulk dated: 1832-1861)
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#FEAL
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#FEAL
2016-01-30
07/05/1861
Manuscript letter in Frances Appleton Longfellow Papers, Series II. Correspondence, A. Outgoing, 1861. (1011/002.001-031#011)
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Organization: Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 5:09:48 PM
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 5:09:48 PM
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