WCP1259

Transcription (WCP1259.1038)

[1]1

Savannah

Sepr 26 [1844]2

Dear William3

We reached this port in safety after a blustering voyage, which made us all ill though not so bad as I was in the Quebec. Our Passengers were very agreeable many of them Merchants from the South who go to New York once or twice a year to purchase Linen drapery of all kinds, some of their wives were on board, Mrs Price4 (whom you will hear more of hereafter) was very polite to us5 and kindly gave us a pressing invitation to pass our first vacation with them at Macon, we missed our merry Captain and many of our agreeable fellow passengers whom we left at New York — We were agreeably received at Savannah by some of the Bishops6 family and friends who entertained us for the day — The Town is formed in squares & very clean but the appearance of the Coffins in the shops at the corners [2] of every street somewhat appalled us, the season here was unhealthy and many deaths had occurred within a short space which the new made graves fully verified, we on this account had no desire to remain longer than to wait for the Train which was to convey us on our road to Macon after we left the railroad our journey was formidable a mere track through immense pine forests & the whole distance (40 miles) on a rolling Country, that is incessantly undulating[,] in 12 hours we performed this fearful journey in safety, (the Steward & Treasurer) Mr Howard Fay7 was waiting for us and after breakfast he brought us to our destined home & sweet was the welcome that awaited us, the House is a very nice one & is in far better order together with the whole Farm than anything we have seen on this side the Atlantic — the situation is evidently healthy and the air is delightful, the Grounds are Extensive beautifully wooded chiefly with the Pine, Oak Ches[t]nut & Cedar[.]8

This original letter having been lost the above has been written from memory, in all essential points it is the same[.]

1
The author of the original letter was Frances (Fanny) Wallace, (later Sims), (1812-1893); sister of William and of ARW. This transcript is based on a contemporary copy in a notebook, (NHM Library and Archives, file Ref. No. WP1/3/93). The hand appears to be that of ARW's mother, Mary Ann Wallace, (née Greenell), (1792-1868). Text at the top of page [[1]] of the copy in the notebook: "my kind regards to all who Enquire after me Adieu dear boys you shall have a more interesting letter next time God bless you all & dear Mamma also | Farewell from your | Fanny" is the end of the previous copy, a letter from New York, 12 Sep. 1844. See WCP1258.1037.
2
Savannah, Georgia, USA. The year date is based on a previous letter; see endnote 1.
3
Wallace, William Greenell (1809-1845). Brother of ARW; land surveyor and architect.
4
Price, Mrs (fl. 1844). American friend of ARW's sister; resident of Macon, Georgia, USA. See WCP1264.1043, Fanny to her mother, from Macon, 20 Dec. 1844.
5
Fanny Wallace and her companion Elizabeth Sinclair. Both took positions as teachers at the Montpelier Institute. See note 6 and WCP1257_L1036, Fanny to her mother from the ship Quebec, off New York, USA, 17 Sep. 1844.
6
Elliott, Stephen (1806-1866). American bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Georgia; founder of Montpelier Institute, where ARW’s sister was a teacher.
7
Probably Fay, Samuel Howard (1804-1847) treasurer of the Episcopal Institute at Montpelier Springs, Georgia, c. 1841.
8
There are five lines containing a series of dashes between the paragraph ending "Cedar" and the note in the same hand "This original... same" at the foot of the page.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Transcription (WCP1259.1038)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Szentgyorgyi, Katherine [2012-09-17] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-01-15] Transcription checked by Lucas, Paula [2018-11-30]

Please cite as “WCP1259,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 23 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1259