William Audley Couper papers

[top right] San Francisco 16^th June 1852

My Dear Florence

I regret that the nature of my official duties is such as to compel me to write under an annoying press of business - My letters, therefore, are of no interest or value - I should like to say a thousand things which might amuse and possibly enstruct [sic] you but I constantly find myself in the gin-horse round of business thoughts which drive all other ideas out of my stupid head - I think two mails have arrived without a letter from you - I suppose you have the excuse, for not writing, that your studies prevent and I can well imagine they do - I have no fault to find - I only beg you to write whenever you can, if it is but two lines. Your dear mother informs me, she has requested M^r & Mrs Couper to take you home with them - I mean Georgia, Virginia

and yourself - I am quite well pleased that you should go - You and Virginia can return to N.Y. or Philad^a and finish your studies - Lord will probably be with you at home and you will all cheer your dear mother and make her happy once more - I hope Butler and myself will be home next winter, so that, if it please Providence, we will have a merry house - Dear Butler has been quite sick with the mumps for some days past. He is now recovering and is quite comfortable. If you receive this before your departure from Philad^a I beg you will take with you such books as will enable you to persue [sic] your studies - including music - with the assistance of Georgia. Thus will enable you to enjoy home and improve ^ your mind at the same time - How do you and Virginia like music - Singing, in particular?

I have never doubted your voice or talent - I have only feared the lack of confidence in yourself - If you had a little more brass I am sure you would improve astonishingly -

Kiss your dear sisters for their and your ever affectionate father

T. Butler King

My Dear Florence - Since writing the above letter the mail from New York of the 9^th May has arrived bringing your dear letter of the 3^d - . I thank you with all my heart for it - It makes me quite happy. I will write a long letter in reply by the next mail -

Ever your affectionate father

T. Butler King

[centered, in pencil] [Mrs. William Audley Couper Frederica P.O. St. Simons Isld Georgia]

[top right] Philadelphia 19^th June 1852

My own dearly beloved daughter,

After a most delightful passage of 60 hours we arrived safe in the much famed City of Philadelphia - from which I this very moment wish myself one thousand miles from. We got to the wharf too late to leave the boat last night. From dear Lordys [sic] letter which I sent you I expected every moment to see him- perhaps your adored father come on board, but hours past [sic] & no enquiry "for Mrs. King" At twelve we retired to our beds - As soon as it was light this morning dear William was up on shore to try & find the whereabouts of Lord or the girls - he could not succeed - returned to us with carriages and brought us to Jones' Hotel. As soon as they got their breakfasts M^r Woolley - William & the boys were off again in search of the girls - called at No 15 Washington Square & returned to tell us that - the Picots believed that the young ladies were 50 miles off at Allentown. The day wears away & we can hear nothing of your dear Father or Lord. I think William intends returning in the "State of Georgia," which will be the aerli earliest opportunity by sea which will offer. God! grant he may reach you safe but for the dread of endangering the lives of your dear Sisters I would take them & return home as fast as Steam could carry me. I am already heartily sick of this horrid place And then my Tootee I am so miserably anxious about your be-loved Father. I would I had heard nothing of his contemplated return until I could have heard of his safe arrival. Oh! my Child how utterly miserable I am. I am like a ship in the midst of a stormy ocean without chart or compass or even a rudder to guide me right. Oh! that I could leave all in the hands of an all wise director, & he resigned to all his wisdom may see fit to order. I said we had a pleasant passage - it was so in every sense of the word. The Ship & Capt unexceptionable the fare sumptuous - the attendance unexceptionable

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

to send by William but - I was so confused while he was with me. I hardly knew what I was after. Georgia tells me she sent two trunks by Adams' Express to the care of Messrs Andersons & Co. She expected them to reach me before I f left. Now the girls will require their cloaks before they get home - it will be less expensive for me to get them back than to get new ones - therefore my darling - if these things reach you - please pack in one of the trunks the 3 cloaks - the 4 bonnets the dress intended for me the caps for Amanda & myself, & send them back. I will write to you again in a day or two & may be able to give you clearer instruction. William mentioned that Hamilton will probably come North as soon as his parents return home. Now if he would have the goodness to take charge of this trunk it will be doing me a real favour - take the chance of sending me one of your dress's - one of Anna's, Willie's - Bell's, I have & you can tell me if dear Cooney has grown any. I hope the dress the girls sent you for Anna fitted the precious child. These girls are talking so much nonsense around me I hardly know what I am writing. I believe that dear William will attend to all my interests at home. But I will write more fully another time. As William will tell you I already feel better - tho' last night I experienced had a terrible headache. Rhina is much better - but is as home sick as I am I can scarce believe it is not yet 2 weeks since I left home. I hope all may yet end well. I will try & hope for the best. Oh! that I could just peek first at you & the babies & then at the poor people