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1850 Census with Sarah and Laura in Petersham with olivia
Sarah brought infant Laura on a trip from Virginia to Massachusetts - not mentioned in letters
Letter 19
BABY LAURA & HOUSE BUILDING
Sarah A. B. Look to Miss Ellen M. Lincoln - Envelope postmarked Fincastle, Va. Oct. 29, 1850
New Home, Bet. Co. Oct. 22, 1850
My dear sister Ellen,
I have just finished a letter to Janette, and now commence one in reply to yours which came to hand last week, knowing you will be anxious to hear of our welfare at and our journey to our new home. It is now two weeks since we reached here. Had a very pleasant journey, though rather long being out from Monday till the next Monday noon. But the sun shone upon us all the time, which was rather unpleasant afternoons, it being directly in our faces. The roads were very dusty too, there not having been rain for a long time. I did not find riding so far in carriage, and not on the best of roads, as tiresome and fatiguing as I had expected. Laura, too, stood the journey better than I thought she would. She would go to sleep soon after we started in the morning and sometimes sleep for two or three hours. But in the afternoon she would be awake and very restless and uneasy some of the time. She was quite discontented and worried for several days after we got here, she seemed to think she must have on her bonnet and be going again. She is running all about and in all the mischief you can imagine. She has become a great favorite with some of the carpenters, who like to get her evenings for a little while.
Our house is getting along to completion quite fast. The carpenters will be done in a few days, and the masons are here ready to commence lathing and plastering. You wish me to describe it do you? Well the front is two stories high having two rooms below and two above and a passage, just the width of the front door, which extends through the chimney into the dining room. The door into the parlor opens at the right from the front door, that into the sitting room is through the chimney upon the left, which leaves the parlor quite retired from the rest of the house. I have but one fault to find with it, which is that the parlor is upon the side that the driveway will be, in sight of the barn, well and all the business of the house, while the sitting room is entirely out of sight. But it was Loomis’ fault as he was consulted as to which room the chair mouldings should be put on, the Captain thinking they had better be put upon the sitting room. It was done before I came here or I should have had it different. Loomis is very sorry about it now, though he didn’t think anything about it as the time. There are two windows below and those above in front. The rooms are much longer than they are wide. I think my carpet will into one breadth nearly cover parlor and sitting room both. The windows in the ends are double, that is, the bigness of a common window in the middle with wide casings and one light upon each side, making four lights in width and four in length. A piazza extends clear across the front ascended by four or five steps from the ground. The dining room is about 18 feet square, has a window upon the west side and an outside door upon the east side, in the corner right by the door the stairs, how awkward! If they had only built two small chimneys instead of that monstrous great one, and had the stairs in its place, how much prettier it would have been. Loomis thinks Mr. Breckenridge is sorry now he didn’t build it so. If he isn’t I am. There is a pretty little chamber over the dining room if they will only partition if off from the stairs, which I am afraid won’t be done. From one side of the fireplace in the dining room opens the kitchen, from the other our sleeping room, which is the largest and prettiest room in the house, but for one thing = the partition between that and the kitchen is made of rough boards which are intended to be whitewashed. It is too bad for a nice handsome house like this to have any such awkward work in it, to save a few dollars for I don’t know what else it is done for. There is a place left in the chimney so we can have a stove in it, and if there was a closet I couldn’t ask for anything more. In one corner of the kitchen is a large convenient storeroom, in the opposite corner is staircase which leads into the rooms above the kitchen and bedroom, under the stairs is a closet for the ironware of the kitchen. Do you suppose I can keep it there? There is but one window with an outside door in the kitchen, which when the door is shut is a great deal too dark, and that is the only fault I have to find with that. In the corner where the stove is you can but just see it in a dark day. Another thing which I regret exceedingly is, Mr. Breckenridge has decided not to dig a cellar. He may put up as many meat houses, spring houses and ice houses as you please, the whole of them ain’t worth half as much as a good cellar. I don’t know as you will be able to comprehend anything about the house from this description, but you must come and see for yourselves and then you will know all about it.
I am glad to hear of the change in the old house, and that you have so good neighbors, for I am sure Angeline must be a pleasant one and I hope her husband is. Give my love to her and tell her I hope she will stay there until I come home again, for I want to see her. I wish she had been there this summer. How pleasant it is for Aunt Prudy too. Tell her I ask Laura occasionally if she wants to have on her bonnet and go and see Aunt Prudy. She starts up, claps her little hands and looks round for it perfectly delighted.
Mrs. Breckenridge and her mother, Mrs. Gilmer, called on me today. They brought me a beautiful boquet of flowers, some varieties of which I never saw. They said they thought I might like them as I hadn’t a chance to get many here. They smell most deliciously as they stand on the table before me.
Poor Lucy Ann! What a loss she has met with her sweet little boy. And the Dr., poor fellow. How is he getting along with that new trial? I hope it is not as bad as you represented it. Are the people of Petersham and Barre all fools or idiots or what are they? I should think they had reached the climax of foolishness or rascality by now if they hadn’t before. Has Lucius given up altering the house this fall? Have you finished your quilt? Olivia, how do you get along with your two little ones? The dear little things, how I wish I could see them. I want to see you all as much as I did before I went home last spring. I should think it had been a year instead of six or seven weeks since I left you. Loomis has been sick for a few days past with one of his bilious attacks. He is now able to attend to his business again. We found our buggy and box at Jackson when we got there. They had come up from Lynchburg the day before. The things I bought in New York are now there, but Loomis can not go for them for another week. My two trunks which were left at Father’s have yet to come, and then I hope my things will all be here. Tomorrow I am going to Fincastle to get something for white dresses for Laura. Brother Sam’l. left us last Monday for Red Hill, where he will stay a week or two and then go on to Louisville. We miss him very much. I forgot to tell you that I am living in real Yankee style, that is I am doing my own work excepting washing. I’m an excellent cook I’ll assure you. Have had first rate luck in everything I have tried to make. Loomis says as long as I do as well as I have he will keep me, very encouraging surely. Loomis authorizes me to say that he will write to Charles before a great while. So I shall defer sending the deed in this, but tell him it is bound to come some time.
It is raining today so I can not go to Fincastle. I do not regret the rain at all for it is needed very much. I hope you won’t find any fault with the length or bad writing of this letter. I have written it evenings a few lines at a time just as it was convenient. Write me soon all of you and believe I remain as ever your affn.
Sister Sarah.
Letter 20
Mother arrives
From Mrs. Laura Lincoln to her children at Petersham.
Fincastle, April 29, 1851
My Dear Children,
Through the persevering care of a kind Providence, after a long wearisome and expensive journey, we arrived safely here Mon. eve. 21. Found Sarah and family well excepting here accustomed headache. When we arrived in Springfield Charles went out in pursuit of Mrs. Burnap, she had not arrived at her brother’s, being in S. Hadley a distance of 10 mi., ‘twas about noon when Charles go to Mr. Childs’, he set out immediately for his sister, having 20 mi. to ride out and back we could proceed no farther that day. C. first found Wales Stone he could do no less than invite us to call, We were treated politely, but I felt more like an intruder than anything else. The next morning we met Mrs. Burnap at the car room in the rain, for it rained almost incessantly for two days. We proceeded on, arrived at N.Y. about 5, were detained a long time for some baggage, I believe the article was a band box of Mrs. Burnap’s. At length we got into a coach, were driven round a long time, (whether purposely or accidentally I know not), being a few moments late we were constrained to spend the night instead of proceeding to Philadelphia, as was anticipated, in the cars. The night was anything but pleasant, raining very hard, wind blowing and rattling the blinds exceedingly and withall mattresses to lay down upon which were not sufficient to prevent the sensation of feeling the slats under them, Mrs. B. rested much better than myself. We then had to take a steamboat, that with other means of conveyance during the day, we arrived in Baltimore to spend the night we ought to have been in Wash. For lodging we paid only .40 each. We were in company with several very interesting ladies who belonged to Bal. some of which were acquainted with Mrs. A. Cleveland.
The next night after leaving Bal. we staid in Richmond, being obliged to put up about 5. Next day took passage in a canal boat to Lynchburg in company with the landlady of the house where we put up for part of the night, as we were to take stage at 2 in the morning. ‘Twas a fine house, every thing in order, but unfortunately for me (feeling I needed nothing so much as rest retired as soon as possible) only a partition separated me from a sick person who was vomiting about incessantly, and withal a lady from whom I had been in company nearly all the way from N.Y. thought to herself she had left her cloak in the boat, a very nice broadcloth trimmed and lin’d with silk, tassels, etc. She rang the bell for a servant who went to the boat, found and returned with it, so that after a while the chamber we occupied became quiet. I wished several times I had not gone to bed however did go to sleep to be waked at one. Where we staid in Richmond there was a lady sick who was not expected to continue through the night, consumption. “Twas truly fatiguing stages being small and crowded three on a seat, most of the way over a very mountainous tract of country. Most of the company being gentlemen and wishing to arrive in Fincastle early as possible, proposed walking up the mountain by means of which our progress was more rapid than it could otherwise have been. Charles’ hats have been a great perplexity to him and expense, not less than 7 or 8 doll., and now ‘tis uncertain whether he can dispose of many, if any, of them. They are yet in Fincastle. He was obliged to leave them when we took the stage. He met a teamster here by whom he sent for the box, but Mr. Look was in Fincastle Fri. and found the stage had brought it along. Charles was quite unwell on the way, looked almost sick for a while. He unfortunately gave his thumb a severe blow which was very painful for a few days, will probably lose the nail in consequence.
I can’t say but I like Vir. as well as I anticipated, have not changed my mind yet with regard to being my own servant. Laura is as affectionately pleasant as ever. I think I have never heard a child of her age talk so distinctly and prettily as she does. Give me cake Mama. Thank you, Mama and please give me such and such a thing, always speaking with most appropriate quickness.
Charles says I may tell you he is learning to make cheese, likes first rate, has not been homesick yet and is not going to be. Sends respects to you all, and others who inquire. You will please give his receipt to Dea. Haskell. Mr. Look finishes planting today, 60 acres. Several days has had call for a piece of new cheese, for which he receives 12 1/2 cents per pound, where he sells a large quantity he has .10. He is here designated at he “cheese maker”. It seems rather a curious idea that a lb. of cheese will sell for as much as a pound of butter. Sarah says she believes it does not sell for more than 10 or 12 1/2 any season of the year. There are planters here who keep 15 and 20 cows for making butter and for milk to use in the family and for the servants. It seems as though I should not wish to live easier than to do the work Sarah’s two women do, with the exception of washing, ironing and milking, I mean the work they do in the house. The colored men who work in the field told Charles today they expected he would be sick today. They are not accustomed to seeing persons of different complexion from themselves at work in the field. They seem surprised that people at the north work as hard or more so than they do. We had a call between 11 and 12, Mrs. Breckenridge, her mother and two daughters. Their queries respecting braiding hats were truly amusing. Two servants with them.
I have not found my fine comb. Please tell me where you put it as well as the places of your dresses. I am sware you may think we have been dilatory in writing, though thought of it soon after we arrived. Charles requested delay until after the 27. Not having had opportunity yet of sending to the P.O. have deferred closing this until today, besides fatigue and a bad cold have pressed so heavily upon me that even now I fear I have not guided my pen so that you can readily read what I have attempted to write. Attended the Episcopalian Church Sab., not being preaching at the Pres. Lik’d the sermon and other services very much, with the exception of ceremonies which I can’t say I did like. Am very solicitous to hear how you are all getting along amidst the perplexing scenes to which we seem to be heirs. Especially how you all do, with whatever else you may consider will be interesting to us. May the God of Heaven guide, direct, defend, preserve, protect and bless each of you evermore is the ardent prayer of your Mother. Respects and love to those if any who may chance to inquire.
Laura Lincoln. Particular remembrance to Aunt Prudy
Letter 21
inviting charles
Letter from N.L. Look, Fincastle, VA. to C.F. Lincoln, Petersham, MA and letters from C.F. Lincoln to his mother.
Sunday, Feb. 9th, 1851
Dear Brother Charles,
We are waiting anxiously for the first of May, expecting to see you and hoping to see Mother, and should be glad if you can come before May, if possible. Ellen enquired in her last letter the best way to come. To go to Boston to Richmond in a vessel would be the cheapest, but no the quickest or safest. If you come by N.Y. and Phila., when you get to Wash. you will take the mail boat down the Potomac to Acquia Creek, then the R.R. to Richmond, then packet boat up the James River canal to Lynchburg and by stage to Fincastle, which will probably be the hardest part of the journey, especially if the road is muddy. We have had a remarkably fine winter, only a few days prevented plowing or doing any other work on the farm.
If you can buy me “The Illustrate Treastise on Domestic Animals” without putting yourself to any trouble, I wish you would. You will find it at C.M. Sexton’s , 121 Fulton St., New York. Price is .75 in cloth binding.
Love to Mother and all the brothers and sisters and believe I remain,
Your affectionate brother Loomis
Note enclosed from Mrs. Look (Sarah Lincoln) to her Mother.
Dear Mother,
I don’t know how much I am anticipating the time when Charles will come and I do hope I shant be disappointed in seeing you with him. You can braid as much as you please but you won’t be able to sell may hats until another Spring as you won’t get here in time this year. If you bring leaf, I wish you would bring me some, also if you can find some Turkey red cotton for .20 or .25 cents a yard, I wish you would get me six yards for window curtains and I will pay you for it when you come. Lay in a good supply of needles and thread, for needles cost ninepence a paper and thread .10 and .12 a spool. I think with Loomis you will find it more pleasant to come by railroad than in a packet. Let us know what week you will come if not the day, as we can go to Fincastle for you when you get there.
Hoping to see you soon, I remain
Your affectionate daughter Sarah
Fincastle, April 29, 1851
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As Mother has not items of interest to fill this sheet, she desires me to write a few lines. You can readily judge of my surprise Monday night at beholding Charles, after answering a thundering knock at the front door. It was just at twilight. My first query was, “Where is Mother?” and when he replied, “At the hotel in Fincastle” you may depend we sent the buggy for her with all possible speed. Not until we had eaten our supper, however, as the horses had to be fed before one could go. She got here about half past nine o’clock. We were not looking for them quite so soon, as we expected to hear from them again before they started but they were none the less welcome. I shan’t hear anything about Mother going back next fall so you need not expect her. So I advice Lucius to be looking about for a permanent housekeeper. Are you going to make the alterations in the house you were talking about last summer Lucius?
Mother has been making up her delaine dress and is now cutting Charles’ pants. I am making a new calico dress. I carried three dozen hats to the stores week before last and sent another dozen last week. Besides the calico I bought a plum blue bareges and will send you a piece when I cut it. Mother can’t find the pieces of your dresses which she thought you had put up. I want you should send me some of all you get, so I may know how you look.
Mother wants I should write something to Janette with regard to learning music. Now I am not a competent person to give advice or hardly a suggestion upon the subject, but as I have been appealed to I would say this much: I would not learn music apart from a thorough English education and she is the best to judge herself whether she has the inclination to go through a regular course of study, including music, with the expectation of sometime remunerating herself for the cost in the capacity of a teacher. I would possess myself of the useful accomplishments before ornamental, as they will be much more serviceable in after life. But I do not wish her to be directed at all by what I have written, as there are those at home older than I am and consequently better judges in the case. I would like very much indeed to see her become an accomplished scholar and teacher, but to spend so much of her little fortune as it will take merely to learn music I should not think would be a very profitable investment. I suppose she intends going to school in the fall or hope so at least. But I must bid you all good bye for the present. Write often and let us know how you are all getting along. Olivia, don’t forget to answer my letter before long. Much love to you all from your affn. sister
Sarah.
Letter 23
hog drovers
Summer Hill, Sunday, Dec. 12, 1851
Dear Mother, brothers and sisters,
It seemed a little age from the time you left us until we received your letter a day or two since. I was beginning to feel right anxious - though I don’t know but it came as soon as I had any business to expect it. I was so glad to hear you got home Saturday, but what dark, unpleasant nights you had to travel in the stage. I hope you out-traveled the rainy weather after you left the stage. I believe it was raining here most of the week.
We have been pretty busy since you left waiting on hog drovers - have kept twelve droves. The Tuesday after you left, a rainy, snowy day while we were at dinner, five men came in to have their hogs kept. Loomis could accomodate but three, and the rest staid with some of our neighbors back. There were 24 or 5 men in all and they had a hundred of bushels of corn and would have been glad of 20 or 30 more but Loomis hadn’t it husked. He sold the corn good and poor for .75 a bushel. Their bill was something over $80. You may well suppose we folks in the house had something to do. I don’t think I slept an hour that night I was so tired. They were the rudest, roughest set that have staid here. It was a cold, snowy day and they had drunk more than usual or they would probably have behaved better. The next night we had one drove with 7 or 8 men. There were two men who owned the hogs, one an elderly the other a young man. When they arrived at Liberty the old man was taken with a severe paid in his head and was obliged to stay while the other man went on with the drove. The next day he died. He was married last spring for the first time to a lady in Manawha and brought her with him from Kentucky to her father’s to stay while he went down with hogs. Friday night we had two more droves and Sunday night two, thus making 8 in less than a week. Since then they have come one at a time and a little farther apart. Most of them have got by now though there may be two or three small droves from Western Virginia yet. Those that first went down are now returning. Friday morning 7 came in to breakfast, besides nine who had staid over night, and this morning four more came in. They had walked ten miles and got here before I was up. They travel from 40 to 50 miles a day. Loomis has sold about 450 bushels of corn in all at 75 cts. Their meals have come to nearly $40. But we don’t get much money. Loomis has had to take a hog that was too lame to travel from most every drove. But he has sold them to those whom he was owing, so it was the same as money. Besides he had rather have the pork than corn, for if he was at the trouble of shelling it and hauling it to Fincastle he couldn’t get more than 40 or 42 cts. for it. Some of the drovers left their bills to be paid on their return, among them that Mr. Hickison~ who died at Liberty.
I have given you a pretty long history of the hog drovers. Now let me tell you about an agreeable surprise we had yesterday. Late in the afternoon I heard a light tap at the dining room door, got up and opened it, saw a stranger, invited him in and set him a chair by the fire. He came in and shut the door and then said, “Why Sarah, you don’t know me.” I looked at him again and was not long in recognizing Josiah. He has grown if anything taller than Loomis, has a fine set of whiskers and wore a black fur hat, so it is no wonder I didn’t know him. Loomis didn’t know him at first, saw him coming towards him with a pair of saddle-bags and umbrella and supposed it was some hog drover. He left Father and Mother well, says they have not given up coming this winter. Sister Julia’s little boy has been very sick since they returned to Brooklyn. He always has been a very unhealthy child.
I haven’t been to church since you left. The two first Sabbaths were so unpleasant we couldn’t go. A week ago yesterday we started to go and had got beyond Mr. Breckenridge’s gate when we met a waggon of emigrants. Loomis turned out to the right, You will recollect the road is right narrow there. They began to turn but did not get out quick enough and ran against the wheel and broke the crosspiece between the shafts. We had nothing to do then but to walk back home. Loomis made them hitch the buggy behind their wagon and bring it home. The damage done to it was but slight, but the man paid Loomis a dollar for his nigger’s carelessness and the trouble he had put us to. I had on nothing but thin shoes to walk in on the frozen ground and consequently I took a dreadful cold, which is nearly well now however. Yesterday Loomis had no one here to help him and could not get his work done in season to go, so I was disappointed again. You see I bid fair to remain pretty secluded this winter. I would like to be in Petersham and attend your Circles of Industry, I would work heart and soul to have our church repaired.
I was surprised to hear you found Janette in Worcester, for I had supposed she had completed her musical lessons long before you went home. Is she going to school or isn’t she doing anything but practicing music? I wish she would write to me, she ought to find time for that I am sure. How I do want to see you all. Do you braid any, Ellen? I suppose Olivia doesn’t get time to do much with her little family. Where are Aunt Lucy and her family? I was not sorry to hear that Uncle Enos was married, if he has a good wife and I hope she will take care of him. Laura missed you very much. She says, “Uncle Charles come back next spring.” One day she put on her bonnet and said, “Ma I want to go to Massachusetts. Come on, Ma”, and the poor child fairly cried when I told her she couldn’t go now.
Some hog drovers came in last night and I had to lay this aside and I am now writing as hard as I can to get it ready for Loomis to carry to the office and he is now ready to go and I must stop. Some of you write as soon as you get this. Love to you all. Loomis says he will write to Charles before long. Kiss Luan and Ellen for me and Laura.
Your affly. Sarah.
TO: 1852
