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The Charles P. McIlvaine letters were written in the 18th and 19th century and therefore may contain language that we understand today as harmful or offensive. You may encounter paternalist descriptions of Native Americans, racial slurs, or sexism. For more information, see our policy page.

Description

Voyage back to U.S. aboard ship "Aetna" of Sandyhook

ISBN

KMcI641124

Date

11-24-1864

Keywords

letter, McIlvaine, Du Bois, travel, daughter

Transcript

Ship Etna

Nov. 24, 1864

Dearest, darling Mamy,

WE are off Sandy Hook having taken a pilot & should be landed this Ev. – but two cases of Small Pox in the steerage will detain us at quarantine till the morning. We are quite well & thankful to be so near land in safety after a terrible passage. All the bad winds & seas of all my previous eleven passages put together would not exceed what we have had this time. Such constant severe gales dead ahead. Only for a part of one day since we left the Channel, during a voyage of 16 days, have we been able to be on deck without hard holding on in the face of cold head winds & in danger of being wet with the sea.

But none of us have been seasick. Emmy & Charley are capital sailors & have borne up brightly all the while. Charley, of course, but I hardly expected quite so much of dear Emmy.

I write hastily & as the shaking of the ship will let me. I long to hear about you and Wash & the dear children. Give my best love & Emmy’s & Charley’s to all & take my precious darling a whole load of mine to yourself. You are as ever my own, most darling Mamy.

Your loving Father

Letter to Maria (Mamy) Du Bois (daughter)

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No Copyright - United States