Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Jacobs, Harriet Brent

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Date

1861-11-08

Description

Handwritten letter from Harriet Brent Jacobs to Amy Kirby Post. Jacobs writes of recent events including the birth of Cornelia Grinnell Willis's daughter, and her own progress with her slave narrative.

Subject

Jacobs, Harriet A. (Harriet Ann), 1813-1897

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

1354

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                         Mar. 8th
dear Mrs Post
                    Your letter was
welcomed like the face of
an old and dear friend-
it would have been answer
ed sooner but I have been
in the midst of more cares
than I have the time to write
when your letter came Mrs. W
had been ^ill^- in bed four weeks
and the next day gave birth
to an infant- a fine little girl.
it died from the effects
of its Mothers illness not ex
pecting it so soon I had
to be both [obliterated] [^accaucher^?] and nurse
when the doctor came he
pronounced all right for

(Page 2)

for which I was very
thankful for this reason
my dear friend I could not
attend to my own business as
I should have done I know
that Mrs Child will strive
to do the best she can more
than I can ever repay but
I ought to have been there
that we could have consulted
together, and compared our
views- although I know that
hers are superior to mine
yet we could have worked her
great Ideas and my small
ones together I have sent her
your letter to read it is best
for me to be straight for
ward the Book will not
be out until the first of
December- I had hoped to

(Page 3)

have it out in October
          I heard from Mr Thayer
yesterday I blame myself for
not writing you sooner
but I was waiting to be
sure that I had accomplished
the arrangement- I will
write again in a few
days I have lots to say
which time will not
allow God bless you
think of me as one who
loves you dearly
                    Harriet

love to my friends

Annotations

Harriet Brent Jacobs, an author and former slave, is writing to Amy Post, a close friend and benefactor. Cornelia Grinnell Willis and Nathaniel Parker Willis had paid for Jacobs's freedom from slavery. Lydia Marie Child was an author and abolitionist. She served as editor of Jacobs's slave narrative. Thayer and Eldridge Company was a publishing house.

Tags

Child-birth; Enslaved people; Personal

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Jacobs, Harriet Brent, “Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 24, 2024, https://rclomeka2.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3641.

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