Bush, Abigail. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Bush, Abigail. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Bush, Abigail

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Description

Handwritten letter from Abigail Bush to Amy Kirby Post, n.d. Abigail describes her trip aboard The Star of the West on her way to California. Abigail remains sickly, and describes some of the people aboard ship. Abigail also details the allure of seeing Cuba from the deck.

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

31

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

[Text printed vertically upwards in top left corner]
Do not Expect to reach
the Isthmus untill [sic]
Friday AM, you will
write me, if you have
not before this reaches
you, do so at once
shall write other friends
             duly. you were
             very Kind to me
             while in R I shall
             Ever [Love?] to remember
                      it, -

[Text in top margin]
                                      Thursday Am, all Confusion preparatory to leaving
                                      although we will not take the river untill [sic] AM.
                                      mail Bag out to carry this to you, dear friend, I feel comforted
                                      On Board Star of the West Tuesday AM 24th
                                      by your Love & Faith in spirit [Ministration?], have made
                                      the acquaintance of an Uncle of Jesse Hutchinson who was
                                                       with him on his return from Cal,
                                                             again Farewell, Loved ones Abigail

[Text normal]
Very Dear Friend

                                      I feel fully persuaded that a
few lines, from ^me^, from this Distant Brief Home, upon the
Deep Blue Sea, will be acceptable, to you, Friend of my Deep
Tender Love. & strong Sympathy,s & While I write, the
deep fountains, of my Love are stired [sic] within me, & Tears
will flow (although I am surrounded with such an abundance
of water,     I have been very mercifully dealt with,
although my starting was so sad, what a sorry note,
my last, was to you. & indeed times were sorry,_
a Burning Fever raged all that night & I must needs
start at seven in the Am, & I stated, I felt very
unwell all of the Hours in NY, on Mon AM
7 Oclock I went to the Office of the steamer. & in
all of My Sailing, for Cal, I had never seen the
rush of that AM, I looked upon the maps & wept.
& could not refrain, from Exclaiming, in the hearing, of
a party, of plain, Inteligent [sic], [Farmer?] looking Men
_Doomed to Disappointment Sorrow & a [brave?]
[illegible] House, its Comforts & Endeerments,
& their Look seemed to Say Are these Your
                                    Golden Dreams ^?^ &

(Page 2)
We went on Ship Board, Tuesday PM 2 Oclock
in the midst of a severe shower of rain, I would but
Laugh, Drenched as we all were, it seemed so in
Harmony with My Cal, getting of [sic], I looked
upon the receding shore, But I had no Tears
Dear, as Many, very Many, are to me, Yet, Home,
& Home,s Loved Ones were Before me, & I cared
Little wether [sic] the Winds blew High or Low
My Wanderings without Home had Disarmed the
Sea of its Dread, & as the Steamer Moved off
I, Drew, a Freer Longer Deeper Breath,
you will be glad for this, Dear Amy, I know,
you, in my stead would have done, Likewise,
        We toook some Tea, at 6, next on the
Bill of Fare was a Hurry into Our Births [sic]
& the Sea Diet Accompanyments [sic], we were
sick    [En Messe?] poor Georgy had to wait
upon himself, Mary & Beby toook an Out
side sick place in the AM. I was prostrate
untill [sic] PM, was then taken upon Deck &
became better. & have not had a real sea sick
hour since, some rough the three first days,
pleasantly cool. it’s a Grand Big, Water, (not Awful, but
as H C Wright, says, Beautiful because God is here.

(Page 3)

^for the first four days,^ saw no Living thing, Save two Tiny little Birds
like our Yellowish Green Caneris [sic] & one swallow.
poor things seemed tired. One almost, lit upon my hand.
on Sunday AM a fine Fish was Caught, to see,
& be served upon our Dinner Table, saw many
of the [Blk?] Fish a species of Whale. Much smaller
than the sperm. I had almost forgotten to speak
of Our Family between five & six Hundred in Number
ninety seven Ladies, fifty Children, Lots, of them, Cry,
Mothers, sick, the poor Fathers, [Hard upon?], walking
Trotting Duty, their Faces, are not the shortest,
or Happiest that I have seen, in my Whole Life,
many wives giving to Cal Husbands, some ^determined^Husbands with
their families Many Brides some Young Ladies,
Doomed for Cal Brides I suppose. One pretty
girl all the way from Germany to meet her Betrothed
in San Francisco, to be married on ship Board, I could
Many things of Passengers but may not take any time
as Many Letters are to be finished, I find good
nature a very Important item for Every day [sic] use
here, there are many things not the most pleasant, & those
that fret most, fere [sic], poorest, I fancy, a party of
complaining Ones. sit opposite me at table & have
a regular quarrel Every day with the Waiters,

(Page 4)

Yesterday AM before I was upon Deck Land was seen. St
Domingo her town & Buildings discerned at some
ten AM, Cuba,s Land was pointed out to me, I
would have supposed it a Dark Cloud casting
upon the Sea, but, as we neared, I saw, Gods
Beautiful Handiwork, in her shape, & proportions,
rising out of this Mighty Deep, a pretty similarity
in the points of her Length, three, several points
on Ledges, rise, One above another, we passed some
six or Eight miles to the south of her discerned
varied hues of her fields, & Fruits, I presume,
but no habitations, seen, would Loved to have
gone to her shore.. her past, present, & Future
all awakened many thoughts in my mind as we
passed., but she soon became again to us the
dark Cloud nesting upon the sea., I should greatly
Enjoy you by my side here, I suppose, I have only
seen the Elephant upon her Sleekest side, yet.
& by no Means, in her proportions, _we are now, &
for the last three days & nights, feeling the Heat
oppressively, Children [drop?] [illegible] arms are
both very sore from her vaccination, I am very
happy in Georgy being with me. say, to the spiritual friend,
[illegible] that I have Obeyed, the Command to be Cheerful, his visit
was a blessing to me although I also Remember the broken Link, & awoke
in great distress two nights since looking for an absent One of the
Household, but it was a Dream. Only, I prey God. spirit friends whisper
I am also with you Jesse it seemed to say [lest?] [illegible] I keep my promise;
[Text in right margin, written vertically upwards from bottom corner]
Love; kind & Tender to the Loved Ones, all, at Home & to all the Dear Friends
[Text in top margin, written upside-down from right corner]
not one is forgotten, in My Heart or Mind. Mr Dixon the Getleman ^friend^ is
very kind. -

Tags

Personal; Spiritualism

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Bush, Abigail, “Bush, Abigail. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 25, 2024, https://rclomeka2.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2333.

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