Letters from George Shedd to His Wife, Abigail
These letters were written to George Shedd's wife and children during his travels during 1856 - 1858. These trips were primarily connected to his role as Penitentiary Inspector, but also include news of friends and relatives he visited on his travels.
Wayne Tp. Dec. 2, 1856
Dear Wife,
Well here I am at Mr. Taylor's enjoying as good & as welcome hospitality as man ever need ask for. I reached here about 6 oclock last evening after a hard days work. The roads are as bad as mortal ever saw. No road about Denmark at the present time can afford any analog to the generality of the roads after I got into Danville. From here to the city, I expect to find them still worse if that be possible. I find it about 40 miles from here to the City. Too far to think of going through in one day with such roads. I did hope to go a part of the way today, but the storm is so hard I do not think is prudent or duty to venture out. The wind over these large prairies is very severe & the sleet cuts like a knife. My eyes suffered somewhat from yesterday's ride. I got some wet but not very much. Rain commenced in earnest soon after I arrived, in fact before I got the horse put up.
I do not think I was ever more gladly welcomed. Mrs. Isbell hoped I would be called up before morning & in fact expected I should be. All safe yet. Sophronia has got one of the finest husband's & homes that can be found & she makes as good a wife. They have a house like Jane's - all finished except the two back chambers.
I had as fine a call & dinner at Dr. Wilson's as could be asked for. The Dr. is much better situated than I expected, but they have been a good deal sick this fall.
I think of things at home as the storms pelts against the window. At this moment it is increasing & is terrific. I hardly know the like - rain & hail & wind, all in my face if I should start.
I fell most for the young cattle. I hope they are let into the barn & tied by the neck or horns.
Evening. Well I am still here - one of the most stormy days & uncomfortable I remember ever to have seen. The wind has gone down a good deal & it is snowing some. If it is decent in the [morning] I shall start & go as far as I can. It is about 40 mile to the city. Too far to go through tomorrow as the traveling is.
I hope the little are all good. Hibbard must be a good boy & do all the things, as well as he can. I cannot tell when I shall be at home - probably not till about the last of next week.
I do not feel like writing tonight. Am going to bed early & try to get an early start in the morning if possible. Good night.
Wed noon - 5 miles north of Crawfordsville, on my way. Good by.
Iowa City, Dec. 4th, 1856
Dear Wife,
Well I have got here at last, reached the city about noon today. It has been the worst traveling I have ever seen in my life. I rode about 20 miles yesterday, & I believe I never made a horse so tired before. I do not remember that I was ever more nearly exhausted. The weather was as cold & blustering as the traveling was hard. I was about 10 hours on the road yesterday. I borrowed a good pair of overshoes of Mr. Taylor, & bought another pair of gloves & an India rubber overcoat & after all suffered badly.
I wrote you a letter at Mr. Taylor's & at a little town 5 miles north of Crawfordsville, found a man going to Mt. Pleasant & so sent the letters along to be mailed there.
I felt quite unwell yesterday & this morning, but feel quite well tonight.
I found Mr. Winterbottom & D. F. Miller waiting for me. Great importance is attached to my visit here. What results will follow, the future must show. I have this P.M. been introduced to 4 times as many names as I shall remember.
Friday morn, 5th. Now wife, what shall I say to you? I have written & thought & talked to Legislators upon my mission here & have just closed a letter to Little & Brewster & I am tired. My health is good today, I am very careful of my diet, & careful to avoid excitement. There is a movement on foot by some to give up the Penitentiary at Ft. Madison & take or rather locate it out west. I have been at work to stop the movement or thwart it if attempted. I try to be very candid & men seem to treat what I say with much respect. As Simmons said, I was never treated with more "solicitude" in my life. Mr. Greenville is here, a member of the Senate & D. F. Miller began to speak to him about the wants of the Penitentiary, & told him that I should be here on the subject. Well, said Mr. G., I know Dr. Shedd & if he is to be here you need not say a word. I shall believe what the Dr. says, & shall do what he recommends. A good many seem to feel just so, Mr. Miller says he is very glad I am here, & Mr. Winterbottom bretends to think that I can do more than any other person. Men, as I am introduced to them, often say, I know the Dr. by reputation. But I feel embarrassed by the secret movements there are here to fix it so as to run me for the office of Superintendent. I do not know what will grow out of it. But enough on this topic.
How do you all get along? Are the children good & well? Unless you write me before you receive this letter, I may not receive any letter from you. I hope to get home next week. Love to all.
Yours,
George
Mount Pleasant, Jan 5th 1858
Dear Wife,
I have got so far on my way. I came to this place last night in order to make a visit to the Lunatic Assylum. I expect to meet the Warden in the cars this morning.
I forgot to take with me the numbers of my lands in Jasper Co. & I cannot recollect them all. I cannot pay my taxes without them. The "duplicates" are in one of the small drawers in the large standing desk in the office. There is one for 100 acres, two for 80 acres each, & three for 40 acres each & one deed for 40 acres from Tuttle. Br. James will know how to take off the Nos. right. I wish you would send Hibbard & ask him to take them off very carefully for I want them given exactly right or I cannot pay my taxes, or direct anyone upon what lands to pay them for me. Send by the first mail.
All right so far. A kiss to the little ones. They must all be good.
Much love,
George
Oscaloosa, Jan. 6th, 1858
Dear wife & little ones,
Well here I am all nice as a pin Wed. just 12 o'clock. I have been out & found Matta & conclude to to lay over for one day. I left Mt. Pleasant yesterday morning at 10 o'clock & rode all night - good coaches, good teams, good drivers, & good company. Roads vastly better than was expected. It is 65 miles from this place to the Fort. Today's stage will get through about morning or the after part of the night. The stage tomorrow may be expected 3 or 4 hours earlier & of course will be expected to get through earlier.
"Jordan is a hard road to travel" - no dinner yesterday till about 4 o'clock & no more till 7 this morning. It is doubtful whether anything can be got to eat between this point & the Fort. I have more than once wished my bag had been large enough to hold a few cakes, &c.
I saw several old friends at Mt. Pleasant & made a visit to the Assylum. It is a great building.
I have nothing to write except to say I am well &c. &c.
I am writing in a bar room waiting for dinner & there is so much story telling, laughing, &c. that I cannot write. Kiss the children for me & yourself if you can.
The children must all be good.
As ever,
George
Fort Des Moines
Jan. 9th, 1858
Dear Wife,
Well here I am, all safe & sound & as nicely ensconced as I ever was away from home. It was a hard jant to get here. Rode two nights all night long, or at least all night one night & till 4 o'clock the last night. The last night's ride & all the way from Pella there were over 12 passengers in our coach. So many extra teams had been run that we could not get another one at that time. I wrapped myself up in my robe & took it with the driver pleasantly & comfortably. We were afraid, you know, of very bad roads, but they could not well be better than for the last 60 or 70 miles. I reached here yesterday morning. After "fixing up", I went out to "prospect" a little. I made some enquiries of one of the first men I met, a resident. He enquired where I was from who am & said he knew me & had long known me & would assist me in any way he could. It was he who took me to this my present & pleasant home. I am in a private family, of a merchant, I think a pleasant a family & as neat as can well be found. I have a parlor bedroom on the ground floor, almost exactly the same size as our parlor chamber, a stove & a single bed. In this pleasant place I am now seated writing to my wife - the first act done in the room.
Yesterday, P.M., I visited the new capitol building & saw most of the functionaries & was treated with all the "solicitude" a reasonable man could desire.
So far as I can learn there is a general good feeling in favor of helping the Penitentiary & that without delay.
The Supreme Court is in session. I went into the room in the P.M. The case of the Hawk Eye Editor vs. Judge Claggett was on the docket. When at Burlington in the Hawk Eye office the Editor showed me his complaint & petition to the Legislature on the subject, asking that the Judge might be impeached. Yesterday I saw the lawyer whom the Judge imprisoned in Madison - he is bound to rive the sword to the hilt.
I had a very pleasant visit & stay at Oscaloosa. My eyes ached so very bad, however, that I was obliged to lie down in the P.M.
I cannot spend more time to write now - must write a word to the children.
George
My dear children - how do you do? Are you all well? Are you all good? Are you all happy? Do you all think of father sometimes, or have you forgotten me? I guess you are good & happy & I know you have not forgotten your "papa." I never go to bed without thinking of my dear children. I love them too well to forget them. There are 4 children where I am boarding. One boy about Hibbard's age, one a month younger than Mary & Martha, a little girl about 4 or 5, & a little boy about a year & a half, about as much of a busy body as Warren is. They are all pretty children & I guess good children. But they have not been to school as much as you all have & have not got so many books.
Do my little ones help their mother? They must. I hope to get a letter from you all next week. Mother must kiss you for me.
Good bye, children.
From your dear Father
Des Moines, Feb. 6th, 1858
My dear wife,
And here I come again. I have just been to the office for my supply of letters from home but they have not come - hope they will today. You are not sick I hope.
I was up last night with some members of the School Com. till midnight trying to fix out a school law. I do not feel quite as bright as usual this morning. The weather is quite cool & there is some snow upon the ground. Very likely there has been rain with you.
I have been out with the little boys here to buy some paints, brushes, etc. for the children & some books for the girls. I have even bought a nice book & a box of paint & a brush for each of the children. I am sure they will be pleased with their presents. I have been rather stupid today. I have not felt like making much effort at anything. I did not eat quite my usual dinner & the good landlady said it was because I did not receive my expected letters from home.
Evening. Well your letter has come to hand & has been read like the others with much interest. I hope got over his little trouble soon. I am glad to hear that you are all so well & that the children are also good. I wrote them a letter a short time ago, directed to the girls.
They say they want to see me & I want to see them & home.
You speak of Mr. Barkins attack upon sin. He made one upon me in a memorial to the Senate, but it will not amount too much. Still it is very unpleasant. After all it is no worse than I expected that I know of. He is a bad man & is in bad odor. His spirit of revenge is sinful. He will lie equal to any man that I ever had to do with.
I write you so many letters that I have not much to say that would interest you. I am sorry to learn that aunt Porter is still subject to her poor turns. I hope to be at home before long.
I have finished reading Hibbard's book through today. Hibbard must not get sick while I am about. He says it is rather hard to cut the wood. I presume it is so, but it is worth a great deal to be able to do it. I am glad I have got such a boy. It is the way to make a man. Kiss all the children. They send me a lot of kisses.
Love to all,
George
Des Moines, Feb. 8th, 1858
My dear wife,
I have sent four letters home within one week. Do you think I am growing homesick? I am getting tired of my stay. I am resolved to make a trial to hurry up the wheels of legislation a little. I shall try hard to get home next week.
A heavy fall of snow last night, said to be the deepest of the season, probably about 6 or 8 inches.
I wish you would have some water put to those two boxes of roots in the cellar. I have forgotten to say anything about it before. I am afraid they will become too dry & suffer.
If Nelson has time he had better exercise the horses occasionally. He & Hibbard can ride them some if you do not want to ride yourself in the buggy. N. must keep Frank "clean" so that he won't get lame - he will know what I mean.
There is to be a meeting of the Congret. Society here tonight to elect a pastor.
Do you kill any chickens? I hope so. I don't want to keep so many. Nearly half of my living here is eggs & chickens & buckwheat cakes & molasses. I feel a little dyspeptic from too much food & want of active exercise. I walk a good deal but that is not quite sufficient.
Hibbard says he cuts all the wood you burn. Has anyone brought any perhaps Mr. Fisher? & is N. getting some put up in the woodhouse for summer?
I have no doubt all things go on nicely. It makes me feel proud that I have to so smart & good a boy as H. There are two boys here a little younger than he but they do not do as much work as he does, nor do they book study as much - still they are good boys. They can do some things better than H. can. But H. can learn. I think our little girls are as smart as anybody's girls & help their mother as much.
How I should love to kiss all my children this morning & wife too!!
I cannot stop to write more now.
Good bye to all with kisses,
George
Deerfield Station, 4 miles from C. Kimball's - May 17, 1858 Monday morn. 10 oclock
My dear wife,
I bade goodbye to Charles & his good folks about an hour since & am now waiting for the cars to go to Columbus. I reached Charles' after dusk Sat. evening. They had expected me one week ago & began to fear that I might not come. I shall never forget the reception or the visit. It seemed strange but it was explained by their saying that I was the first & only relative of C's that had called upon him since their marriage. He has a jewel of a wife. She still teaches with him in his school - he at $1000.00 per year & she at $400.00. She has the charge of 150 pupils. There are six teachers in all. They moved upon their farm about two weeks since, a fine farm of 50 acres, worth about $75. to $100. per acre. Both have no fancy for "show" but both are as fine as the pure gold. They were so glad to see you & the children. She wants to keep the sleeping babies. They want to see you & promise to visit us soon. Charles thinks his mother will live several years longer for my visit to her if I go to see her.
I will say more on this when I see you. His mother-in-law send you her love.
I reached Cincinnati Sat. P.M. I stopped there about two hours. The city is so changed that I could but two buildings that I knew. I was delayed several hours by a flood from the hardest & most extensive shower I ever knew & almost ever heard of. We passed through & in the midst of a strip or belt of hail about 10 miles wide that covered the ground like snow in winter. Some 40 miles farther east it was still more severe & washed away our track. The storm by where we were was about 40 or 50 miles east of Alton. I reached Cincinnati & this point & all other points & have passed & is spoken of as one of the most severe & heavy rains ever witnessed. When I left the boat at Alton about midnight on Thursday night it was lightning north, east & south of us in the far distance. I have learned that there were severe showers near Chicago & through northern Ill. & Inda. & about Cincinnati. There is a freshet stage of water here & very little planting has been done here.
I have passed over some beautiful country & by forests of beech & maple that delighted me greatly. This place has the most evergreen trees & shrubbery of any place that I have ever seen, the most beautiful pines & cedars & spruce & balsams & juniper, a species of the larch that I ever set eyes upon. I was introduced to a rich banker today who told me that he set out in his yard 905 different varieties of trees & shrubs & about 1000 in all.
The cars will be along soon & I must wind up this ball of yarn.
Love to all.
Yours as ever,
George
Columbus, 4 oclock P.M. Monday May 17, 1858
Well, here I am, just in time to save another severe shower. It rains so that I cannot go out & so to save time, sit down to chat a moment with you. I must tell a little more about that shower on Friday P.M. It is reported that a hurricane did much damage about Peoria. It was said when I passed Mattoon that a village 10 miles north had been demolished. I have seen a man today who was 40 miles below Louisville & says they had a great rain there in the evening with much wind. It was severe at this place. There is a flood here now, higher than there has been for 10 years. The farms on the Little Miami are all over flown.
I forgot to tell you that I helped to eat a can of blueberries, gathered two years ago on C. Kimball's farm & do you suppose they were good? The rain is holding up a little & I will go out.
Well I have taken a cursory view of the Ohio Penitentiary. It is a great concern. I hope Iowa will never be obliged to have such an one. Evidently the discipline is completed. The Penitentiary at Alton finds a parallel only in some of the miserable schools of heathendom. But I will not trouble you with these things. I expect a letter will be started tomorrow for me at Auburn.
How does Jane get along? I would be glad to see her. Hope to hear that she is better. Hope you & the children all keep will. I wish you would tell me whether you had a shower last Friday from or between 2 & 4 oclock P.M. Reports are that the same storm that I was out in blew a terrible gale at Salisbury & Peoria. It was tremendous I am told at this place, that is, as I have trand it, the storm raged from the Miss. River to Columbus & far up to the north & far down to the south & all & everywhere it was of great form & violence. I shall try & find out more about it.
I must stop now. A kiss to all.
George
Will write again when I leave.
Sing Sing, N.York
Thursday eve. May 27th, 1858
My dear wife,
I wrote you & the children letters last Sab. I left Auburn on Tuesday morn, reached Albany in the P.M. & left there for this place at 10 1/2 A.M. & reached this place in the P.M. I think of starting for N. York tomorrow P.M. I may visit Philadelphia on Monday or Tuesday next. If not I shall start for Boston & in that case I shall hope to see Rindge on Saturday of next week. I am hurrying to get round as fast as possible. I shall be tired of seeing the elephant by the time I get round. Today I saw about 100 female convicts eat their dinner & then go to their cells & be locked up while the lady keepers should eat theirs. What a sight, some were good looking girls & some looked like the very incarnation of sin.
Tonight I saw about 1000 men march to get their suppers & go to their cells. They seemed almost like a parade of soldiers upon a muster field, that is in numbers & discipline of their march.
But let these unsightly & unnatural things pass & turn to something that is beautiful & majestic - the work of nature. I look from the window as I write upon a sight I have not seen for years, the mountains, or rather abrupt rugged hills upon the opposite side of the river. I have looked & gazed upon the trees & hills & distant blue mountains tell my eyes are sore. During the evening that I was in Albany I walked about the city, through its finest parts, for an hour or two, but I saw nothing so beautiful, so perfectly charming to my sight as the shrubs & evergreens & trees that I saw in such abundance & beauty in Auburn, of which I wrote you a few words. If I do not beautify my yard now, it will be because I cannot do it.
But it is growing dusky & I must close. The office is quite a distance off & I must go to it before it closes. I have not been upon the bluffs yet to see the city of Sing Sing.
My love to all. Tell that that I am well & would prefer home to any prison I have yet seen.
A kiss to the children & yourself.
George
Medford, Jun 9th 1858
My dear Wife,
I wrote you from Rindge on Sat. last & the children on Monday. I returned to this play yesterday (Tuesday), shall go to Boston in the 8 o'clock train for business today. This place is the terminus of a road upon which the cars run about once in two hours each way. I have already told you that cousin is not able to go to Iowa & the folks are not willing to have the little girl go.
I left Rindge yesterday morning & visited the old neighborhood where I lived so long. It has changed but little for the last 30 years. The people who were old when I left are dead & gone, the middle aged have become old & the young have mostly left. When I lived there there was a large school, now it is merely nominal, having last summer an average of 5 scholars! They all seemed very glad & wanted I should stay longer. I hope to get through my business here this week so as to be able to start as far as Weathersfield by the last of next week. Eliza Kimball goes to Ohio with me, & possibly I may prevail on her to go on to Iowa but that is not very probable. Br. Kimball is in a poor state of health & does not feel quite willing that Eliza should leave him. Sister has grown old very fast since I saw her last, but she is the same sister, still the same noble woman.
It is amusing to learn the ideas of some people about the west. One man in Rindge asked me if the west is getting to be somewhat civilized & he was much astonished when I told him that in Denmark we had about three times as good opportunities for schooling as they have in Rindge!
I hope you keep well. Be careful & not get overdone by your work, especially on Mondays.
It has been a very cold & late spring here, but for three or 4 days past has looked & felt more like summer. You say, & so say the papers that there have been long & heavy rains throughout the west. I hope there will be a season for planting yet & also a season for ingathering of a full harvest.
Tell br. James that I have received his letter & will write him if I can find time.
Tell the little girls that I saw them at their play, night before last, but they did not come near enough to speak to them. There were very busy. I wrote the children a long letter on Monday & sent it to Hibbard because you say he is so good a boy.
It is nearly time to start so goodbye. I begin to long for home. "There is no place like home."
George
Cousin sends very much love
Boston, June 19, 1858
Dear wife,
I am just ready to leave Boston for Rindge. Have been detained here longer than I had expected. Shall spend next week in visiting & start for home on Monday next, one week. I take J. T. Edwards out with me as a grand master workman to help us start right. I have very much to do yet this morning & so cannot stop to write much.
Health good, Love to all. Will write once more next week.
As ever, George
Rindge, Monday morn, June 21st, 1858
Dear wife,
Well, here I am again. I sent you a line on Sat. Morn. from Boston saying that I should not be at home as soon as Sat. evening of this week as stated in a former letter. I expect to go to Jaffrey with sister Kimball tomorrow & return the next day. On Thursday I hope to start for home in good earnest. If fortune smiles, I shall be in Burlington on Thursday, probably in the morning perhaps not till evening.
Your letter of the 7th inst has come to hand. O, the rains! While we have had them hard, but not so abundant. That terrible storm you spake of on Tuesday, the 1st day of June, I suppose it has demolished towns & destroyed many lives. From all that I can learn there have never been so many, so heavy & so wide extended rains any season since the county was first settled. There is a poor prospect for crops.
I attended a few noonday prayer meetings in Boston while there. They were generally well attended and interesting. The morning meetings were said to be the most fully attended.
I bade cousin Lydia farewell on Wed. Last. She sends out by me most of the mementos of mother & sister in her possession & most of her own books. She felt bad that she could not go to Iowa with me. It was hard parting with her. There are 4 sweet children in the family who all sent some little present to our children. They are poor & have not much to send, only the widow's wish. They were once worth thousands. I gave the children 25 cts each & my best kiss. I wished I could have done more. I gave cousin $10.00 in gold for Curtis & myself & cousin says she shall keep it to pay the expenses of her passage to the tomb.
The people here send a great deal of love to you. Eliza will be my company as far as Cleveland.
I must write one more letter before mail hour & so must say to you & the dear little ones good bye. Do the little ones know how often & how much father thinks of them? Give them all a kiss.
George
Iowa City, Dec. 7th, 1858
My dear, dear wife,
It is Sabbath evening & yet I feel that I must chat & commune a little with my "love." I board in a private boarding house with perhaps 40 or 50 others & while many of the rest are congregated in the common parlor talking & joking & laughing, I enter my room alone & think of my wife & dear little ones. I have been too busy since I left home to allow my mind to dwell much upon "home" but tonight I cannot easily prevent it & I would not if I could. Ah! Home sweet home, there is no place like home. There are no friends like my wife & little ones. Do the little ones think of father in his absence? Are they good children? Is my wife well & are the children well? How I could delight to stop in for one half hour & love & be loved by you all. I have attended two churches today & now the bell calls for a third & I must go. I am disposed to hear as many different preachers in the city as I can.
Tuesday. Mr. Miller will leave this P.M. for home & I must say one word more to my wife. I went to bed Sabbath evening quite unwell, but felt better in the morning. Thought & wrote intensely hard yesterday & I feel tired today. I am trying to get a Bill ready to go before the Senate tomorrow.
I have just received a letter from Mr. Little saying that the wind had blown down about half of the fence on one side of the prison yard & done much damage to Winterbottom & the state. Mr. Miller starts for home this PM & will take this along. I have sent you two letters previous to this, which I hope you have received.
I have no time to write more. Good bye.
George
