My Dear Husband
I this morning received your two letters from Carlisle and Sunbury and last Sunday I received one of the 2 this month from Chambersburg it found me closely consumed in bed from which reason it wasn't immediately answered, you will see by this I have perfectly recovered. The day I wrote you last I was taken with the jandes [jaundice] which confined me to my bed three long weeks. I bore my sickness with great firmness without expressing in the least, except at being prevented from writing to you.
My very sickest night we had a fire in Abingdon which broak [broke] out in Colo. Preston's new brick house and took all before it on that side of the street down to William Trigg's, there its ravages was [were] stopped. I was the most active person weak as I was in carrying out and garding [guarding] our little plunder in case the house which I had no doubt of should be burnt, you would have been astonished at my composure and deliberation.
Edward has written to you since and detailed the hoal [whole] circumstances. I [?] weather [whether] his letter nor mine of the 2d of this month will reach you soon the[y] were directed to Beathleham [Bethlehem].
Your account of your good health delites [delights] me very much and your hardiness astonishes me, but don't my Dear Husband expose yourself unnesesarily [unnecessarily] your health may be injured when you least expect it. O how my heart longs for the joyful hours of our meating [meeting] that I might see you in perfect health, but no more of this.
I am now become the perfect philosopher and will bare [bear] every thing with fortitude for my Husband's and my Country's sake, my tears flowed very plentifull [plentiful] when I heard of the Traitorous conduct of Hull, our belove[d] Country received a severe wound which must fill the heart of every American with the bitterest indignation. I hope it will inspire the youths of our Country with more curage [courage] to resent the injustices offered us by that perjured nation that continues to have the audacity to call itself our mother.
You see I am no coward, and if you should think proper to permit me to be situated near you I can assure you my Husband I never would be the caus[e] of disgrase [disgrace] to you, nor will I ask anything unreasonable or even wish it, but my heart would be much gratified to see you before you take the field, if it cannot be I will submit with patience.
You tell me to write Abingdon news it is such a little place and filled with such little minds that I really think the news is not worth entertaining your great mind with. I must however except Judge Jonstone's [Johnston's] family which every branch of further[?] the appithel [epithet or appraisal] I have given to the rest of the villagers, the[y] are great in my opinion, but Mr. R and his family act with more littleness than ever. God has given him a head but no heart or at least a very puny one. I could tell you a great deal but it is best to omit giving you a detail at this distance.
The spirit of patriotism is not very high in this place. I expect there will be but few that will vollenteer [volunteer] there [their] services to thise [this] coutry [country].
There have been no orders for the militias of this pleace [place] yet, their Col. has not yet returned I heard that E had made a conquest of a Mr. Read from Kentucky.
I do not know that ever our honourable Brother has even mentioned my name to any of his correspondence [correspondents], at least none of them have ever told me he has, nor have I ever been shown one of his letters tho the[y] are oftain [often] handed all round in my presence you must understand are very oftain [often] in collected bodies. I am ignorant of the ears of "this" seclusion of me nor do I make any inquiry in to the ears my independent spirit will never be broken nor beat.
Our oald [old] father and mather [mother] are well sister Betsey has had the lump taken out of her breast and is perfectly recovered. I am so pestered with company to day I can nether [neither] write well nor help as much as I intended. I will send it with all it[s] imperfections and write more and better next mail.
I am much lower in fleash [flesh] than I was with the most affectionate heart your wife
Maria H. Campbell
[End part one. She had intended to mail it on that date, but the letter, with new part two added, was not postmarked until October 1, 1812. For part two, see next post.]
[Edward Campbell (1781-1833)
David Campbell (1779-1859). Serving as Major, Twelfth U.S. Infantry.
Maria Hamilton Campbell (1783-1859)
Betsey/Eliza Campbell (1787-?)
Col. Preston = William Smith Preston (1765-1835)
William Trigg (1784-1813)
William Hull (1753-1825), for cowardice and dereliction of duty, was sentenced to death by firing squad but spared by President James Madison.
Peter Johnston, Jr. (1763-1831), had recently moved with his family from Prince Edward County to Abingdon.
Mr. R = [not sure at this juncture to whom she is referring.]
For their help and assistance, many thanks to the staff of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. For more information about the Campbell Family Papers (1731-1969), here's a link to the guide.
[Many thanks to Sue Davis, William Myers, Mary Davy and Sally Young for their ongoing research collaboration.]
No comments:
Post a Comment
Commentaires