1850s-08-11: Julia Gordon to Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, Letter
This document is a letter from Julia Gordon to her friend Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, written, presumably from her home, on August 11. The exact year is not known, but it is believed to have been written during the 1850s. The writer shares local and family news. The Fitzpatrick family emigrated...
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| Format: | Electronic |
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Auburn University Libraries
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| Online Access: | http://content.lib.auburn.edu/u?/fmw01,48 |
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Electronic |
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| collection |
Fitzpatrick-Mitchell-Williamson Papers Collection |
| building |
Auburn University Digital Library |
| publisher |
Auburn University Libraries |
| topic |
Family letters |
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Family letters 1850s-08-11: Julia Gordon to Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, Letter Gordon, Julia |
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Family letters Mitchell Family; Alabama--Social life and customs--19th century; Letters; Peoples -- Domestic Life; Peoples -- Rural Life; History -- 1838-1874: Sectionalism, the Civil War, and Reconstruction; |
| title |
1850s-08-11: Julia Gordon to Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, Letter |
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1850s-08-11: Julia Gordon to Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, Letter |
| description |
This document is a letter from Julia Gordon to her friend Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, written, presumably from her home, on August 11. The exact year is not known, but it is believed to have been written during the 1850s. The writer shares local and family news. The Fitzpatrick family emigrated from Ireland to the Virginia colony in the early 1700s. Over time, the family moved from Virginia through the Carolinas and into Georgia before finally settling in Line Creek, Alabama and Verbena, Alabama. Several members of the family were active politically including William Fitzpatrick, who served in the Georgia legislature, and Benjamin Fitzpatrick, who served two terms as governor of Alabama. Sarah Fitzpatrick, a descendant of this family, married Columbus White Mitchell who was from a prominent Alabama family. The couple had ten children, seven of whom survived infancy. Three of their sons served in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy (Phil F. Mitchell, Joseph A. Mitchell, an |
| author |
Gordon, Julia |
| author_facet |
Gordon, Julia |
| id |
AUfmw0148 |
| url |
http://content.lib.auburn.edu/u?/fmw01,48 |
| thumbnail |
https://cdm17353.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getthumbnail/collection/fmw01/id/48 |
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1705449246378950656 |
| spelling |
1850s-08-11: Julia Gordon to Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, LetterThis document is a letter from Julia Gordon to her friend Mary Louisa Mitchell Williamson, written, presumably from her home, on August 11. The exact year is not known, but it is believed to have been written during the 1850s. The writer shares local and family news. The Fitzpatrick family emigrated from Ireland to the Virginia colony in the early 1700s. Over time, the family moved from Virginia through the Carolinas and into Georgia before finally settling in Line Creek, Alabama and Verbena, Alabama. Several members of the family were active politically including William Fitzpatrick, who served in the Georgia legislature, and Benjamin Fitzpatrick, who served two terms as governor of Alabama. Sarah Fitzpatrick, a descendant of this family, married Columbus White Mitchell who was from a prominent Alabama family. The couple had ten children, seven of whom survived infancy. Three of their sons served in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy (Phil F. Mitchell, Joseph A. Mitchell, an[page 1]
Sunday Morn Aug. 11th
My Dear Lou.
Wearily have the
hours passed since you left
us. but how happy am
I that I can still think
of you and address to
you words of love and
friendship. We have [no ?]
church to-day so as usual
I pass the day in
answering letters. some of
which are pleasant - others
irksome. I suppose you
are annihilating time
most delightfully. but I
[page 2]
can assure you it is not
so with us in this part
of the country. however
for my own share I
am "taking life easy."
by reading, eating, sleeping
and a little sewing
occasionally.
Grannie is quite
well again but she still
looks very pale. as well
as myself. however we
imagine it is very inter-
esting and in this way
we comfort ourselves.
Your Aunt Celia
(Mrs. Rice ?]) is very ill.
(Inflamation of the stomach)
She was preparing to
go to [Galledega ?] Springs
and I suppose ate impru-
dently and was taken
[page 3]
very sick - but she has
the undivided attentions of
Drs. Merriwether and Fitzpatrick
as well as of many kind
and anxious friends. and
I hope she may recover.
[Granny ?] and Sallie are
very much frightened perhaps
unneccesarily. yet she is
really very ill.
I think that
every one else in the
neighborhood is well.
Mr. Littlepage [Nina ?] &
[Colt ?] are in fine health
but he is much oppres-
sed in spirits on account
of losing his patch
and claim He is truly
unfortunate is he not!
Miss [Keene ?]
has a very pleasant young
lady staying with her.
[page 4]
Her name is [May Gannis ?]
and myself called on
her on Thursday - She plays
and sings well but
is very homely. Miss
Dillard is still at Dr.
[illegible] Mrs. Dillard is
there also. She [will ?] not
take a trip to New York
as she expected. Mr.
Dillard is going without
her. How soon will you
return. I wish you would
come [soon ?] your mother is
very anxious that you should
come. She is very lonely
without you. When you
write tell me when you
can come I am glad to
hear from Phil that you
are enjoying yourself
but I think you might
[page 5]
[written sideways at top of page 1]
curtail your plea-
ures a week
or so. and return
to shed the light
of your contenance
upon your friends
How is Betsy?
Give my love to
her. and tell her
I am dying to see
her. and Cousin
Bennet. how is he
I have come to the
conclusion that he
is decidedly a dan-
[page 6]
[written sideways across page 4]
gerous young man for he has [left ?] [most ?]
assuredly a deep wound in my heart that
no one can heal not [illegible] a physician.
Present to him if you please my kind regards.
I had the exquisite pleasure yesterday of seeing
Mr. [Grimes ?] He is very [illegible] The Old Doc
has returned from Virginia I think [illegible]
you left but he has [come ?] [illegible] a
[wife ?] as [usual ?] Good bye all send
love. and accept the affectionate
regards of your [best friend ?]
Julia [Gordon ?] 1850/1859:08-11Gordon, JuliaMitchell Family; Alabama--Social life and customs--19th century; Letters; Peoples -- Domestic Life; Peoples -- Rural Life; History -- 1838-1874: Sectionalism, the Civil War, and Reconstruction;1850/1859:08-11Fitzpatrick-Mitchell-Williamson Family Papers, 1850-1989, Auburn University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, Auburn University, Auburn, AlabamaRecord Group 1223, Fitzpatrick-Mitchell-Williamson Papers, Folder 46 pages, 16 cmengAuburn, Ala. : Auburn University LibrariesThis image is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of this image are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. For information about obtaining high-resolution copies of this and other images in this collection, please contact the Auburn University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Department at archives@auburn.edu or (334) 844-1732.Stillimage; Text;1850s-08-11_GordonJ_to_WilliamsonMLM_letter.pdfapplication/pdfDeeply RootedAuburn University Librarieshttp://cdm17353.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fmw01/id/48 |