Select Item below to DOWNLOAD - Once item is selected, right click and choose 'save as'
3ee8db5d-d560-463e-9566-23cebc7c439a
Peleg Wadsworth to Lucia Wadsworth, 29 December 1798
Manuscript letter
Philada 29thDecr.1798
I had not time to thank you dear Lucia for her pretty Diary ending 16th Inst: before the Closing of the days mail. I thot it advisable to send off what I had, rather than risk the whole by writing longer. And our Family Correspondence is of such a complex nature that it makes no great adds whether as strict order is observed or not, for there are but few things in it that are appropri-ate to any One; & where there is, such I trust is the Harmony of the Family, that each enjoys in a great degree what any Other does.
---------- It is true my Lucia, you don’t “fill up your paper” with so much (p. 2) faulity[sic] as your Sisters, but then what you fall short in a flowing easy Style in which they excell[sic], you make up ^in brevity of Expression & Sentintentious[sic] Style no less agreable. If you ^they have Advantage of you in a flow of words, you have them in compressing your Ideas into a small (but noless[sic] elegant) Compress. This you will perceive adds variety to my Family Correspondence as well as agreableness[sic].
You gave a sketch of an Engage-ment at Esqr Davis’- The addin[sic] the Forces was great to be sure & might have ensured a decisive Victory – You seemed to think it did not – I have known fatal Wounds given where the Skirmishing was but light. (p. 3) It is the Direction & Forces of the Arrow that is fatal & not barely their num-bers. What is Lieunt Steel? - & have you ever yet had an Oppty to try the Force of the “Sorcast Cockade” on Capt S.? Is Wm Vaughen to be & Miss Smith to be tost in the Ocean of Matrimony this Winter? –
Before this reaches you I expect John will be with you & then you all will be whole footic’d[sic] in a Gallant. I think you have been under some embarrassment hither to on that amount for altho you may have had many some were not able & others not willing to tackle the sley & to wait on you when & where you pleased – but I’m sure He will be dispos’d to – Adieu my dear Lucia.
P Wadsworth
[Date:] December 29th 1798
[Numbered:] 52.
[Addressed:] Lucia
I had not time to thank you dear Lucia for her pretty Diary ending 16th Inst: before the Closing of the days mail. I thot it advisable to send off what I had, rather than risk the whole by writing longer. And our Family Correspondence is of such a complex nature that it makes no great adds whether as strict order is observed or not, for there are but few things in it that are appropri-ate to any One; & where there is, such I trust is the Harmony of the Family, that each enjoys in a great degree what any Other does.
---------- It is true my Lucia, you don’t “fill up your paper” with so much (p. 2) faulity[sic] as your Sisters, but then what you fall short in a flowing easy Style in which they excell[sic], you make up ^in brevity of Expression & Sentintentious[sic] Style no less agreable. If you ^they have Advantage of you in a flow of words, you have them in compressing your Ideas into a small (but noless[sic] elegant) Compress. This you will perceive adds variety to my Family Correspondence as well as agreableness[sic].
You gave a sketch of an Engage-ment at Esqr Davis’- The addin[sic] the Forces was great to be sure & might have ensured a decisive Victory – You seemed to think it did not – I have known fatal Wounds given where the Skirmishing was but light. (p. 3) It is the Direction & Forces of the Arrow that is fatal & not barely their num-bers. What is Lieunt Steel? - & have you ever yet had an Oppty to try the Force of the “Sorcast Cockade” on Capt S.? Is Wm Vaughen to be & Miss Smith to be tost in the Ocean of Matrimony this Winter? –
Before this reaches you I expect John will be with you & then you all will be whole footic’d[sic] in a Gallant. I think you have been under some embarrassment hither to on that amount for altho you may have had many some were not able & others not willing to tackle the sley & to wait on you when & where you pleased – but I’m sure He will be dispos’d to – Adieu my dear Lucia.
P Wadsworth
[Date:] December 29th 1798
[Numbered:] 52.
[Addressed:] Lucia
Archives Number: 1005/4.1.1-03#67
U. S. National Park Service
Permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this website.
Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site (1005/4.1.1-3#67)
Public domain
Peleg Wadsworth Papers (1005/004.001), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Correspondence - Outgoing (1005/004.001.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, Letterbook - 1794-1807 (1005/004.001.001-003), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Correspondence - Outgoing (1005/004.001.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, Letterbook - 1794-1807 (1005/004.001.001-003), (LONG-FileUnitName)
Image
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 Catalog Number : LONG 27923
Title: Finding Aid to the Wadsworth-Longfellow Family (1610-1971) Papers, 1610-1971 (bulk dates 1745-1950)
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#WL
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#WL
2021/03/24
12/29/1798
Manuscript letter in the Wadsworth-Longfellow Family Papers, Peleg Wadsworth and Family Papers, Peleg Wadsworth Papers, Correspondence, Outgoing, Letterbook - 1794-1807. (1005/4.1.1-3#67)
Public Can View
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
Friday, August 25, 2023 10:15:10 PM
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 3:59:32 PM
1005-4-1-1-03-67 p4.jpg
jpg
4.3 MB
Historic