William Audley Couper papers

called this morning - Oh! Tootee how nobly you asked about our beloved Mother's leaving home, God will bless you for it, my darling sister - Mother intends to add a P. S. - I had a great deal of news to tell you but I cannot think of any now - I am so glad you are with have dear Mammy Gale sad with you Kiss her for me, I am so happy to hear she is so much better - I hope she may soon be quite well - I will write you next week. Good bye, my darling sister, kiss dear Mammy Gale, & all the little darlings a thousand times for me. Hoping we may all meet in the fall in health & happiness - I am as ever your devoted Sister Florence

My head & hands still feel the rough side of yesterday I felt unable to write you a long letter & could not think of giving you a short one. Neither have I yet fixt [sic] on any definite plan. I hope in a day to be able to tell you more of our movements. We are most hospitably entertained by Henry & Mary - but I must not make them twice glad. I think in my last letter from Savannah, I asked you to address your next letter to Allentown. I think your answer to this may as well be directed to New Haven to the care of Lord ---- as I do not think I shall remain here over one week Cousin A & M^r Woolley will leave us in a few days.

We all felt sad in parting with dear William & he the dear good son was so devoted to me & your little brothers I wanted very much to get some little things for the babies

[top right, in pencil] [4]

[they] will be hurt if I do. I consulted William & he thinks I had best remain where I am. Poor poor Bourke - what a shipwreck he is making of his own & his sweet wifes [sic] happiness. It is impossible that anyone can be more amiable or patient than Sarah is -- I am trying to persuade her either to go with us North or go South this summer. If she goes South I know you & William will do all in your power to induce her to visit you. Remember my child that all all I have left behind in the way of comforts is at your service. The 1 dozen doiles [sic] only cost 56^1/4 cts. I send them to you, the 4 pair of gloves, I hope will fit you. The bread, I hope you will enjoy. As I send $1-worth which is more than you can use - I want you to send Dunham a loaf - & give a little of it to the sick negros [sic], two pieces of the ginger cake give to Ishmael if he is able to eat it. The two straw hats are for Neptune the black for dresses, & 2 black silk handkerchiefs are for Liddy and Linda, the two tin coffee pots are for Cupid & Toney. The iron pot is for Quamina. Tell my precious babies - that I will bring their toys when I return - & that they must think of me when they eat the cakes. I went through the market on the Sa-turday evening - how I wished you could have had some of the good things I there saw, such splendid beef, mutton, pork, & the finest vegetables I ever saw - tomatto [sic] in abundance, & even water melons, for which they asked one dollar a piece. I thought if I could just have transferred all that meat & all those vegetables to Retreat the negros [sic] would not have the conscience to be sick any more.

I have written you a long letter with very little in it. But I feel like a cat in a strange garret, & some what bewildered. I do hope we may not leave before the Mail gets in on Wednesday. And Oh! how I pray you may be able to give me good news of all I left behind - first of your own dear self & children, then my poor negros [sic] - M^r Dunham & the place & of Mrs Gale, tell her I have not seen her grand child - but Mrs Branch told me yesterday that she had seen him very lately & that he was perfectly well. I must say goodnight - Amanda will wish me to add a few lines for her in the morning Praying the choicest blessings on you my precious child, I am your devoted Mother AMK

very great happiness of seeing him - but if it pleases God! that I meet him I will not fail to repeat over & over again what a precious child we have in you my Tootee. I cannot say enough in of how much I owe dear Sarah Bourke for her tender care & devotion to me. You my child could not have been kinder & Bourke- how mortified he is - I would I could persuade him to turn from this his besetting sin. But I can but hence hope. I dread going on board that ship. But God! is more Powerful than the winds & waves - to his mercy I shall commit myself & children -- Your little brothers are like fish out of water, they would much rather be at home - Floyd has worn out the pair of pants I got for him only on Friday, which is saying very little either for him or for the pants. I hope you will write by every Mail to our precious Butler & entreat of him to be careful of his health & conduct. Oh! how cruelly anxious I am about the precious boy. May God! protect him. Oh! Tootee if I was but good enough to die what a world of trouble I would escape. If I could be be content to leave all in the hands of God! & feel that all He orders is for the best how much happier I would be. God! give me faith, this is what I lack. Pray for your poor Mother. Kiss ten thousand times those precious babes for me Oh! how I do love them. Give my love to poor Mrs Gale To my servants - all that is kind, beg them for my sake to try & take care of themselves & of all that belongs to me. Tell them on this depends their own welfare & much of my happiness -- Remember that your letters to Butler must be here the day at least before the 8^th & 22 of every month. Continue to direct your letters

until his return to Macon. Ask William to tell you about my crop. Do not forget turnip seed - & to send negro measures about September to O Johnson & Co Savannah. the women are all to have bootees - does Dupey still intend to make me cart bodies - William offered to send for the wheels - Dear Tootee how shall I ever be able to pay all these expenses —

I will not close this until tomorrow - G & J have written to you, Sunday noon. Last evening we called at "Maple Cottage" Mrs D- has been been exceedingly attentive - Lillie is quite a Belle - we met several gentlemen there - She looked very pretty - tho' I do not think hers a face which improves on acquaintance. Lord & herself seem to be on good terms. Mrs D- treats him as she would a son. How well he shows in society far better than at home - he is intelligent, entertaining, quite the polished gentleman. We see very little of him. As he has had a great deal to do - Poor Malley calls himself a loafer. he has to give up his room & comes to us - Lord too has to give up his room & stops here Flora Appy & myself had come up & had taken off [illegible] G. was in the drawing room - when Dr Matthews called. G— had to entertain him alone. He came for us to go to church this morning - G. A. T. & myself went to hear Mr Beardsley - who gave us a most excellent sermon this afternoon G & F. will go - to hear a celebrated Preacher from N. Y. What an awful catastrophe was the burning of the Henry Clay & more than 60 bodies have been found - many very highly respectable persons were lost. Some burnt to death others drowned. Amanda and Mr Woolley went up to Albany in that very boat when they went up the Hudson. They were racing it then. By putting this letter in the office this evening you will get it this day week Georgia will defer writing until tomorrow or the next day — So that you may get it the mail after. You must try & put up with the letters I send you - tho I acknowledge they are hard to discipher. If I had leisure to arrange my ideas I could make make out better Kiss over & over again those beloved children for me. Tell them their Mother loves them most dearly & longs to see them again - My love to dear William & say I have never felt easy since he left me. Could he have remained with me it would have been the saving of some Hundreds of dollars — My love to poor old Mrs Gale - Tell all my negros "howde" particularly Papy, Old Jane - Clementine - Maria - Lady - Joney Cupid Quamona Polly dear me I may as well stop or I will be naming them all — I do hope & trust poor Dunham is better present us all kindly to him. Nalley says he intends writing very soon also Appy. Lord when he can find leisure — God! bless you my

own dear child - take care of your own precious self. do not forget that on you depends a [illegible] a share of the happiness of your devoted Mother A M King

give me. I find that some bills contracted by your sisters have been sent home. They cannot tell me the exact amount. I should like to have them settled as soon as possible. I am thinking the best way will be just to enclose you a few lines to Messrs. Andersons & Co. requesting them to forward to these people the amount due them. Had I known of this whilst I was in Philadelphia I may have settled them whilst there. But as I have so little money with me perhaps the above plan will be best. If I could but have remained at home - how much the money I am now spending may have contributed to our comfort. I must leave the repairs of the house altogether to your good husband's better judgement. I know if his health continues good he will do everything that is necessary on as economical a plan as possible. Do you not think a door would be best to shut out the little entry from view - it would not cost a great deal and would add much to the comfort of the parlour in the winter. If McIntosh is not able to do the work William will have to find some one else tho' where he is to be found is the question. I begin to love my little birds again & feel quite in love with some nonpareils I saw on board ship. If they are not expensive I would be glad if dear Ira could get me two pair. Henry has expressed a great desire for a good mocking bird. I wonder if Mrs Wilson would sell me one - feel her pulse on the subject. I tried by hints you recollect to get a male nonpareil & she would not understand me. Be sure to send me your dress or sizes - it will be such a gratification to employ some of our confessed leisure in doing something for your loved ones. My own precious child how dear you are to me and those sweet children. They are never absent from my thoughts. What would I not give to have them now around me. God's in mercy grant we may all meet again. It seems to me if I had just such a house as this the garden & other comforts - if I had all my family with me, I could live for years without going outside the front door. Mary King is as she or anyone else can possibly be to us Brother Henry is in bad health - he is some thing in the state I was

San Francisco, California|San Francisco Cal: Aug 31st 1852

My own dearest Sister

Though I have not received one line from you since our dear Mother left home. I am sure you have written to me for the Southern mail (always irregular) has been left on the Isthmus by the last two mail Steamers. I got letters from Mother two days ago that assured me of your good health _ the same return of Mr Wm Couper &c So I do not feel uneasy though very much annoyed. I have written to you by every mail since I knew of Mothers in=

22nd August 1852

My beloved Anna

I dare say you feel quite neglected that neither your Mother - Aunty or uncle have written to you. The fact is my precious little Anna - I have not much time. I have to darn stock ing just as I used to do when at Retreat. I will not tire you my pet by telling you all I have to do.

I do not like to sew - & have no eye sight either.

Your Aunt Georgia went to Saratoga 13 days ago I did expect her back before this. I hope she

Expecting Father I ran down to New York one evening & returned to New Haven the next day. Our few last weeks were particularly jolly, the jolliest part of the college course. I met Mother, your gude man & the rest of them as you well know the day after they reached Philad. He has told you of the little that occurred in that big, dull city. We reached this place safely tho' tired. On Saturday the 26th inst. I rose early and by dint of hard travelling reached New Haven at 9 that night. I intended leaving in a day or two, but a little business and the great fascinations which I met with there detained me over a week. I had great pleasure in riding with & visiting the young ladies &c. &c. & with my College friends — There was one very agreeable part, and on July 5th we had our usual picnic, which was this year pleasanter then all before, or any I ever attended. There was scarcely an [allay??] only the old (of whom there were two) and some of the young scolded me for flirting too desperately with one of the prettiest young girls I ever saw, she has such eyes tho' that I pardoned myself

{ Mrs. William A. Couper Frederica St. Simon Island Georgia}

San Francisco 14th July 1852

My Dearest Tootee

In my distress about your dear mother your letter of the 5th ulto gave me much consolation. I feel quite sure that under the protection of your good husband she will be as well taken care of as circumstances will permit and that she will be comfortably lodged in some quiet place where she may enjoy the society of your brothers and sisters and be cheered by pleasant scenes and the company of agreeable people. You cannot imagine my dear Tootee what a shock the intelligence of your dear mothers indisposition has given me. I am in a constant whirl of business which gives little time for reflection and requires all my energies to manage. This is a sad relief to me - yet it is a relief - else I know not what I should or could do. I am struck almost dum by the idea that your dear mother who has ever enjoyed such strong health has at last been prostrated by a derangement of her nervous system. It will now avail nothing to enquire how it has been done. Her exposure has been I am sure, mostly unnecessary, but I would not now say so to her. She has taken the best means to recover and may God in his mercy

bless and restore her to health. I shall await the arrival of the next mail in fear and trembling. If she can but escape fever until her arrival in the healthful atmosphere of New Jersey, all will be well. What I dread is fever at sea - but the voyage is now so quickly performed by Steam that there is much less danger than formerly in a sea voyage. I hope for the best. Dear Brother has been quite sick with mumps, but is now quite well. He will write to you. I am greatly indebted to your good husband for taking charge of your dear mother. I pray tender my best thanks to him. I hope you had some one to remain with you in his absence. I feel much anxiety on that point yet I suppose of course you would not remain alone. I console myself with this idea. Pray write to me frequently. The intelligence of your dear mothers indisposition has made me almost as nervious as she is represented to be. I hope Mr Couper will take care of the plantation. Your mother mentions that Mr Denham is in bad health and that Mr Couper has promised to attend to the plantation. He has, therefore, enough on his hands. I cannot say how soon I shall return. If God in his mercy grants our prayers for the recovery of your dear mother I may remain here until November or perhaps longer In fact I could not get away sooner, were I to resign tomorrow. Such is the extent and nature of the business of which I have charge. This separation