Catharine Maria Sedgwick to Charles Sedgwick I, Elizabeth Dwight Sedgwick, and Katharine Sedgwick Minot Transcribed by Patricia KalayjianTranscribed on Primary Source Cooperative2024

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Available under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-SA Attribution--NonCommercial--ShareAlike. CMSOLPatricia Kalayjian, Lucinda Damon-Bach, Deborah Gussman 17 Jun 1825sedgwick-catharine sedgwick-charles; sedgwick-elizabeth; minot-katharine Catharine Maria Sedgwick to Charles Sedgwick I, Elizabeth Dwight Sedgwick, and Katharine Sedgwick Minot Massachusetts Historical Society Catharine Maria Sedgwick Papers I

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Boston 17' June 1825 --My dear C & E --Aunt Kitty

I have one moment's time before I am summoned to breakfast which I shall devote to you -- The great day 1 has arrived and is as beautiful as if Heaven smiled on our patriotic celebran -- The City was never so full -- half so full the people say -- There are hundreds vainly enqui'g for a lodging -- The Common is spread with tents to shelter the Militia of the adjacent towns -- It is expected that a hundred thousand people will be present -- Mr Webster expects to make 15000 hear him -- He & his wife sent me an invitation to go in their party -- so that I think I shall be sure to be among the hearers -- the select few -- --

I was last eve'g at a party at Mrs Quincy's to meet the Gen'l was twice introduced to him -- and twice shook his well shaken hand -- It is a pleasure certainly to grasp a hand that has been the instrument of so noble a heart, but the pleasure is scarcely individual, for the hand is extended with as little personal feeling as the eyes of a picture are directed -- Sewall 2 was invited to Mrs Q's and promised to go -- and I was sorry he didnot at least long enough to take La Fayette by the hand 2 Col D_ was there, but he didnot take the trouble to make his way to me -- I presume he will say because I was so surrounded! -- Louis & his wife have been to see me -- and every body else that I know -- The hospitality of Boston is as different from that of any other place, as the virtue of a civilized man from that of a Savage -- I went to Newton on Wednesday to visit Mrs F Cabot -- she was taken sick while I was there -- Thursday morning we came in with flying steeds after the Dr and before 12 Mrs C had a daughter 3, tho she had not expected it for 3 months to come

I am going to Mrs Appleton's on Monday to pass the week -- -- I shall leave my letter here to finish if I return alive from the Fête --

Saturday -- I am one of the survivors who fought bled & died on Bunker hill -- I can only give you generals -- -- The oration was in Mr Webster's best style of manly eloquence -- It was all fine, & there were some very fine strokes of genius in it, but you will see it & judge for yourselves -- You will find from the papers that all the world were there -- some say 75000, some 100,000 -- We went at nine, & didnot get home till after four -- so that except for the pleasure 3 of the remembrance the balance was rather on the painful side -- but when I think of that magnificent man -- of the cloud of witnesses -- of those old weather-beaten survivors, with their palsied limbs and nerveless arms, once strong -- & raised in their strength for us -- of the good La Fayette -- looking with the benignity of a blessed Spirit upon the countless multitude -- of the old man's prayer -- of the union of voices pouring out their praise -- when I think of all these things I am grateful that I was permitted to see & hear -- --

The party at Mr Webster's was as crowded in proportion as the battle ground -- Mr Thorndike who lives next door very genteely cut a door through, & offered his rooms to Mr Webster -- and the rooms of both houses were perfectly full -- a band of music was placed in the area before the house -- The opposite houses were lighted -- and the street filled with the Commonalty through which the privileged made their way with difficulty -- --

Your letter my dear Elizth was most welcome -- It is the only one I have 4 received from any of my kindred since I have been here

Eliza bids me tell you that she shall never cease to regret that she didnot stay at S till Wednesday -- that she might have seen you Remember me aff'y to all at S_ as they take no thought of me, I think I shall show myself like-minded --

My darling Kate -- I heard that you are as good and happy as ever -- do you ever think what a pleasant visit we all had at NewYork together -- you know that if you are good you deserve to be happy, and you will be happy -- Kiss Charley for me -- Eliza Cabot sends her love to you

dont forget me darling --

your own

I literally have employed my only leisure moments -- fragments of time to scrawl this to you --

The Col. patronized me last night and told me he should call today -- but his memory is short and I shall send my letter by the mail --

Letter

Massachusetts Historical Society

Catharine Maria Sedgwick Papers I

Wax blot and tears; the first PS is cross-written in the left margin of page 1; the second PS is cross-written in the left margin of page 4.

Charles Sedgwick Esq/Stockbridge/Lieut Webster

CMS. Boston/June '25

Interesting acct/of a Bunker Hill/Celebration when/Lafayette was in Boston

On June 17, 1825, the city of Boston celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Sedgwick had numerous friends and relatives with the first or last name of Sewall (occasionally spelled Sewell). For this letter, the most likely person is her cousin and contemporary, Sewall Sergeant. Alternative identities include another, older cousin, Sewall Hopkins, or one of her acquaintances, the brothers Henry Devereaux Sewall, Samuel Sewall, or Edmund Sewall.

Sedgwick likely made an error here; Marianne Cabot and her husband Frederick Cabot had a son, Francis Cabot, on June 16, 1825. Perhaps the gender-ambiguous name led her to assume the child was a girl.

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