Jane's Melancholy Letters

Among the letters Julia Esalina Palmer handed down in her family were four written to her by her sister, Caroline Jane Palmer Alderman, from her home in Ohio when Julia was in New York visiting relatives. Julia had been living with Jane and husband, Jerome Alderman, at the time this visit started, in the early summer of 1847.  Among others, Julia visited their grandfather, Zephaniah Platt Palmer, in Jay, Essex county, New York.

Julia and Jane were orphans; their mother had died when they were little girls and their father left them with various relatives. They did not know where their father was—only a few years ago a cousin of my father found Henry Palmer’s death record in the military records of the Mexican War; he had died in June 1848 at sea in the Gulf of Mexico. The girls may also have had a baby sister that died with their mother—at least, the 1830 Census shows that the family had three little girls five and under.

In the letters, Jane mentions Truman—this is Silas Truman Barnes, whom Julia married in 1852. Julia’s other suitors are also mentioned; one is Edward Stickney (in New York) and another is a young man named Lepper (in Ohio). Jane’s two children are Marcellus Cassius Alderman (age 5) and Lucy Alderman (age 1-2).  Their aunt Ellen Palmer Pease and family lived in Ohio; Julia was probably reared by her after the death of their mother. Jane also mentions several neighbors who were sick or who had died.

These letters are remarkably poignant; Jane misses Julia extremely. Here, then, are the first two letters of Jane Alderman to her sister.

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Windsor July 18 [1847]

Dear sister i received your letter the 16 of July it gave me great satisfaction to hear that no accident hurt hapend to you + i had began to be in trouble about you i think you was not in much of a hury to let know what had become of you it is now 7 weeks since you went away + however i was very glad to hear from you at this late hour + i almost envy your happiness in visiting our grandpa and the rest of the realatives there you think you cannot make it seem like home yet, i think if i could get back there and enjoy the society of my grandfather it would seem like old times i can remember so well when i was a child and lived with my grandparents and wuld have their good and pious instruction + it seem to me now when i think of the dayes of my childhood that it cannot be those dayes are gone forever but it is so \ Sister i was disapointed in your letter in not hearing more about grandpa and our uncles there and more about your self but i supose you are so engaged in visiting you did not think so much about me here in Ohio i want you to write about maters and things more particular You did not say anything about ever coming back i want you to persuade grandpa to come with you if you can you must give my love to all enquiring friends tell them i can remember the most of them verry well and should be very happy to see them all

i want you to keep this part of the letter i am now going to tell you the news here \ i have some bad and some good

little Merion Grover died the 27 of June she was taken on Monday 20^th with a pain in her knee it continued to swell till the next sabbath she died \ Selima health is very poor she is now here at her fathers * Mr Hodskis folks have buried their youngest i have had two visits from Truman but not any from Almond he is cutting around with the girls to kill * but i belive that Truman will mind his business \ the first time he came to hear from you he got hurt he tied his horse to the north gate he put one foot in the stirup and the horse sprung so quick he fell his foot hung in the stirup and drawed him 3 or 4 rod I will not tell you any more about hime

Margret and Albert was married independence [day] \ Mr Widwell has had 2 letters from Edward he wrote he had not heard from you since he left you he sayes he shall go and see you the best of the news yet to tell we live in our own house we moved the 29^th of May so mis Julia now come home and se us make no delay dont stay away * Jane Alderman

Miss Julia Jane has wrote all the news I suppose But she forgot to tell you that we have commensed haying grass here is verry good grain rather light. Corn bids fair verry warm & dry I am verry glad to hear that you are in good spirits dont get discouraged always hope for the best and be prepared to meet the worst my health is not verry good about as it was when you left – tell your grandpa that I am verry happy to hear that he is well I have heard you & Jane speak so much in his praise of his kindness to you I want to see him verry much give my respects to all your friends receive these few lines from your friend and well wisher

                                                                                                T J Alderman

[On the back of the second page of the letter is this:]

Dear grandfather  i feel i a great prvelige to write you a few lines at this time and send in this letter  i hope you will excuse me in not writing before now my priveleg has been verry poor as to schooling this has been one great reason why i have not writen before \ my health is good my little family are well * i hope thise few lines will find you engoying the same blessing

i suppose you have the company of my sister and she can tell you something of the triels we have pased since we have seen you ----------

the death of our mother was a great trouble and it seems as though it has been continuel scene of troubles for us ever since we left there  still i ought not to complain for the kind hand of providence has brought us safe thus far      i supose you would like to hear from Aunt Elena and her family she was here 5 weeks ago her health was verry poor she had just recovered from a fever her family was well Roseamond is teaching school this summer Hellen is learning the mileners trade Perlina is atending the high school the rest of the family well and smart   I should be happy to have you come out to the Ohio with Julia do come if possible

Please write me a letter as soon as you get this

            C J Alderman

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Windsor  April 2 [1848]







Dear Sister I have taken my pen in hand again to write a few lines to you I and my family are well and hope these few lines will find you in the enjoyement of good health  I received your last letter in January I was much elated in the reception of it to learn that you was well and that you was a coming home as soon as the spring opend I thought then I could not wait untill spring but it has come and the time is just at hand when I shall be alooking out the doors and windows and expecting every minute when my dear sister and my much beloved Grandfather will drive up and I shall run out to meet them I shall look for you as soon as may now dont disapoint me but come as soon as it is safe    I suppose you would like to hear from your acquaintaces in windsor well I will try to tell you about some of them  I have the sad news to tell you that Mrs Dyre died last evening I expect to attend her funeral to morrow at ten oclot  Betsey Wiswell it is thought will not live long she is quite low with the consumption  also Minna Hill is not expected to live but a short time I can’t tell you what ails her the doctter dont know she is bloted verry bad she is the greatest sight I ever saw her bowels are bloated verry bad \ I will leave the rest to tell when you come so no more of this  your young acquaintances appear to verry anxious to have you come when ever I see them they are asking when your a coming but there none so ancious as Truman I believe he would have a fit if you should stay away 6 months longer  lepper says that your abcence makes him like you better he comes here now and then on pupose to hear from you and i let him read your letters for i think a great deal of him i can tell you and i hope you think more of him than I do for I think he is worthy of your love  I guess I had better stop for fear I shall try your patience   I want you to give my love to all of our relatives there for me tell them I want to see them verry much but never expect to if you should visit uncle Winter tell him and aunt Emily I remember them well give my love to all the cousins I want you to set your time for coming and write me a letter I want you to bring flower seeds and roots   answer this as soon you receive it I had forgot to write about the children they are well and mischevious Marcellus sayes if anty will come home he will kiss her and give her a cent and some rasons as to Lucy she is the prettiest little girl ever you see

                                                                                                So good bye  C J A

I have taken up my pen to make some excuses for the bad aperance that my letter makes you know that I am a verry poor writer at the best it was so dark before I finished I could not see the lines I did not intend to write any more  i left a space for Jerome to write but he went to metting in the evening and this morning he had to go away he is verry ancious to see you se says I may tell you how much shugar we have made well we have made 370  I want you to come heare first land to Ashtabula and not at fairport dont go to Uncles first            Caroline Jane Alderman