folder 12: June 1852

not one of our party were sick enough to lose a meal. All were cheerful I was dragging myself from much that was dear to many who were are as dear to me as you are my child - your Father even more so who I have not only been disappointed in meeting here but of whom I can hear not a sylable [sic]. You can scarce imagine the terrible state I am in. May God! have mercy upon me !!! ________

William is perfectly well & devoted to my me. If he had not come with me we would have been in a bad fix. It is bad enough as it is. But would have been far worse had I been without him. As Amanda says our good friend Woolley is easily confused The boys are like fish out of water, & poor Rhina no better pleased than I am, her health is improving - I do not know why I am writing to you this morning. The fact is I am so utterly miserable I want to pour out my heart - my thoughts to you my darling. I can't think or look for anything else but further trouble. God! forgive me if I sin in this.

We left Savannah at 7 o'clock, but early as it was M^r Bourke was able to get your dear letters out of the office. Thank you my precious child for all your devotion to me & mine. William is much disappointed at not having received a letter from you. He went to the P.O. this morning but found no letter. I have no doubt you have written to him. As with Cousin A. M^r Woolley & the boys have just gone out for a walk & to see the curiosities of this babel. If by going out I could hope to find husband sons or daughters I would travel barefoot to New York. Oh! this dread of some thing wrong. Why is not Lord here to meet us? Why do I hear nothing from or of your Father? As bad as matters were at home, I had better have staid [sic] there. Dearest Tootee how different would have been my feelings - how diffferent this letter - had I been so fortunate as to have met your Father Sisters & Brothers here. I have begged William to keep his eyes & ears open to

see & hear all that is passing for your amusement. I [am] going to stop now until the one o clock train comes in from N. Y.

I had a call this morning from Mrs Picot & her daughter Caroline - & whilst entertaining them our dear Lordy came his arrival lifted some of the weight off of me, he tells me your dear Father had not arrived when he left N.Y. but was hourly expected. Should he indeed come I hope to see him by tomorrow. I am just going to propose to Lord some way of getting the dear girls here. It would be hard that William should not see sisters who love him sinerely. M^r Corbin called this morning - Lord tells me that he saw M^r & Mrs JH Couper last evening - all well & left N.Y. this morning for the Springs. My own sweet Tootee - even if all things go well with me this summer I shall not be able to enjoy it for thinking of you & those precious children. Do my Tootee be careful of your own health & of theirs. Lord tells me Malley was well a few days ago. It seems hard that he could not come along with Lord - but his education must not be neglected. I must finish this letter before night - Should your beloved Father come I will write to you again on Monday. We are staying at Jones' & are comfortably lodged We find it expensive & shall leave here as soon as possible - Kiss those beloved children a thousand times for me. Shake hands with all my servants who are doing their duty. Tell them how much I desire they will try & behave well. My love to Mrs Gale & regards to Mr Dunham. Amanda & M^r Woolley seem never to tire seeing sights - they are off again - whilst I remain at home writing to you my love. Lord, Floyd Tip - Amanda & M^r Woolley send much love. William has written to you Rhina sends lots of howdyes [sic] - God! bless & protect you my sweet my best of daughters is the prayer of your fond & devoted Mother

AM King

I have just seen a letter from Florence & Appy to Susan Hopkins saying Henry King had received a letter of more recent date from your Father - who has given up coming home before November. I really wish I had not heard the first report - Here have I been expecting hourly to see him & now to find I have still months to wait. This is hard! _______

I think it more than probable that we will start off by Monday morning at furthest for Allentown. In that event I will get William to go with us to see the girls - My own dear child I am severely tried, there does seem no longer any peace for me. But for my childrens [sic] sake I will try & [calm] my shattered nerves ---

[top right] Allentown 23^d June 1852 - Wednesday

My own dearest Tootee,

Here we all are, Mother, Cousin Amanda, M^r Woolley, Lord, Floyd, Tip, Georgia, Florence, Virginia & last of all good Rhina, all now wanting are all you beloved ones on St. Simons, with the dear ones in California, & poor Mal in New Haven. Dearest Mother is much better, all the rest are quite well, Mother had a dreadful headache last night, but she feels nothing of it to-day - we are all so perfectly happy to see them all once more, & if nothing happens in the fall, & we all return home, won't we be happy? Father in his last letter to Uncle Henry says he will leave California for good in the fall, & Butler too - This is the day brother William was to leave for dear old S^t Simons - (How I wish it was the day for us all to return) I was sadly disappointed at not seeing him, we hoped to the last that we might see him - He is in my opinion one of the noblest of God's creatures - I was very anxious to see him - all the little things we had got to take to your dear ones, I had hoped to send by him ---

Mother does not seem nervous now - I pray she may soon be well. Yesterday afternoon we all went to see dear cousin & M^r Woolley - when we went there, they both were asleep, but after a while they awoke, & we had a long talk, telling them all of our troubles & c---- Cousin Amanda & M^r W.

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