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1839 CLARKSVILLE VA LETTER FEMALE ACADEMY / CARRINGTON
Old 3 1/2 page letter (about 8 x 10”) written in 1839 by a woman who has just become a TEACHER AT CLARKSVILLE FEMALE ACADEMY with “Mr. Venable the Principal of the school.” Nice old STAMPLESS COVER with an excellent dark-blue circular postmark for: “CLARKSVILLE, Va. MAR 20” & a manuscript “25.”
The letter itself is written in light-brown ink that is QUITE FADED and DIFFICULT TO READ (see scan). The approximate transcription below was made only by scanning, enlarging & enhancing the text on a computer. Still, with such work the text is legible, and the letter itself is on paper of excellent rag content. Only the back page has damage, with a ˝” hole at the seal and some wear along two fold lines with SEPARATION along one of these fold lines. The separation has been nicely mended (not by me) with archival document tape (see scan).
The letter is written by Emily [Ellsworth] and addressed to her brother Mr. Alexander Ellsworth at Washingtonville, Columbia County, Pennsylvania {Pointsburg Post Office} (this post office is listed in the 15 July 1837 United States Official Postal Guide as “Pointsburg Columbia PA. Frederick Shurtz, Postmaster"). Emily also mentions in her letter that there is a third sibling named Roxanne, who was perhaps living in the Vermont area, and probably a fourth sister whose name begins with an “H” and who was engaged to be married. There is probably enough information in the letter to find more about this Ellsworth family with further research.
In this letter, Emily Ellsworth does not write much about her new job under Principal Venable at the Clarksburg Female Academy, but she includes interesting details about many other subjects.
Emily is apparently boarding with a family named CARRINGTON. This was probably TUCKER CARRINGTON (1800-1875) of Clarksville, and his wife Mary Carrington Watkins. Their estate was later known as “Sunnyside” and after the Civil War, several of his 8 daughters ran a school for girls on the estate, but in the 1839-40s era the plantation may have been known as “Eglantine.” Tucker was a plantation owner, slaveholder, and was quite involved in the local tobacco market (as was the Mr. Carrington described in Emily’s letter). He served as Justice of the Peace, as a state Senator, and as a delegate to the Virginia Peace Convention in 1861 (he favored secession). Tucker Carrington was also appointed (along with a Francis W. Venable) in 1839 as a trustee to “The Roanoke Classical and Scientific Institute, for the purpose of establishing male and female seminaries in the town of Clarksville in Mecklenburg, County.”
In her letter, Emily mostly discusses her feelings about her new teaching situation (in general), and various affairs of the widespread Ellsworth family. She comments about her commute to the Female Academy, about taking music lessons, about her sister’s fiancée. She warns her brother not to marry a wife from Pennsylvania (Dutch horses!), describes Mr. Carrington buying tobacco in the local market & preparing his fields for planting & his wife working in her garden, discusses growing “broomcorn” (“THE NEGROES SUPPLY THE MARKET…Mr. C often laughs and tells me that broomcorn and pumpkins are the timber and fruit of NE”), debates the “genius” of some of her students, names several books she has read, and apologizes for her poor writing as: “I have cut the end of my second finger and have it bundled up with a rag.”
A semi-accurate transcription of the full letter follows:
Clarksville March 14th(?) 1839
Dear Brother
Your letters are indeed few and far between and consequently most precious treasures. But I will not scold you for letters that you have not written, but thank you for those that you have and hope that in future you will exert yourself to be more prompt in your correspondence.
I am glad that you are within visiting distance of sister Roxanne(?), and hope you will omit no opportunity of calling upon her; for as I increase in years, I strengthen in the belief that the friendship of kindred above all others should be most cultivated. How many miles are you two apart, Has she ever been to see you? She wrote me in her last that she had paid a visit to the East Windsor Settlement but did not have room to give me any account of the excursion. R. wrote me in her letter that her examination would occur in a few days, and that afterward she would favor me with a long epistle, but as she has not fulfilled her promise I begin to apprehend she is sick for she complained of indisposition at the time she wrote.
Perhaps ere this you by some means have learned that I have made a partial change in my situation; that is a change of school. I am not certain whether I ever mentioned to you that some months ago I was requested to become an assistant teacher in the FEMALE ACADEMY IN THIS PLACE but for several reasons I did not at that time accept. The request was renewed a few weeks since & I concluded to make trial of the situation. I have now been two days in the school but will tell you nothing of it until my next.
[end page 1]
The Academy is three quarters of a mile from Mr. Carringtons and in good walking will compel me to take agreeable exercise, which I am too much inclined to neglect. But in rainy weather and muddy roads I suspect I shall not admire it so much: however Mr. C. speaks of obtaining a wagon large enough to contain us all (ten besides myself) hitch two or three horses to it and set us off in grand style WITH BLACK HARRY FOR DRIVER; moreover he has a 25 dollar Newfoundland dog to be our gallant and protector which will altogether form an escort that will astonish the natives.
I still board with Mr. C. as that was the only condition upon which he would consent to the arrangement nor otherwise would I myself. It now seems to me only like a change of schoolrooms, when if I had been obliged to change my boarding it would have affected me almost like leaving home.
With MR VENABLE THE PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL I doubt not I shall be pleased, but whether I shall render satisfaction or be satisfied in such a situation remains yet to be proved.
A hope for joy that we never obtain seems to be the lot of mortals. For the past year I have looked forward to the next sunny May with the most delightful emotions, not only for its own peculiar pleasures, but for the joy I anticipated in being again reunited to my friends at least for a time. But in consequence of this arrangement my northern visit must be deferred till five more months have passed away. But dearly as I want to see you all, I shall not be anxious for the time to hustle away: for whenever I am properly employed or think of the many things that should be done for my own improvement I feel inclined to clip the wings of every moment rather than accelerate its departure. Sister Roxanne almost(?) scolds me for this disappointment, but I think it would have been very injudicious to have paid my visit previous to making the experiment of my present station. I can assure you it has occasioned me many sad hours, but we should ever act in life with regard to the future and forego the pleasure of the present when necessary for our coming welfare.
I suppose too I shall make Sister H. look very serious by interfering with her matrimonial intentions with which I presume she has acquainted you (and if she has not I will). Well then the ceremonial was to have taken place when I should go on in May. But now I suspect it will be postponed till
[end page 2]
August. For this I shall not grieve; not that I have anything against the intended Mr _____ but I would fain preserve her name Ellsworth long as possible. When she first communicated her engagement to me, I imagine I felt somewhat like a rival lover, more irritated against Mr. _____ for gaining her affections than with her for ceding them to him. To admit the truth I am selfish about the matter. I cannot brook the idea that she loves anyone else better than me; I cannot be satisfied that she loves me as well as she ever did, but it makes me a little indignant that anyone else could be paramount in her affections. I told her so and she only laughed at me, which well nigh put me in a passion, but I concluded that crying would do as well, and of the two was the most agreeable sensation.
I am getting on slowly in music though I think I have much less talent for it than for anything else I ever attempted to learn. I believe I gave you my principal reason for alluding to it, in a previous letter, but I believe I continue it partly for discovering whether I can make a good performer; besides it is a pleasure to me, and pleasure I think may be permitted when it does not interfere with duty.
So several of the E. (?) young men have taken to themselves wives from Penn. and I am constantly apprehensive that you will soon be taking an “other self” but before so doing I beg you will remember what I wrote you from Hartford about the Dutch horses, and likewise look over the more serious letter (if you have it) which I wrote you upon mistaking some expression of (?) for your actual engagement.
It is now delightful temperature; Mrs. C. has for some time been engaged in gardening and Mr. C in preparing his grounds for their various crops.
There is a good deal of tobacco sold in Clarksville and Mr. C. is an extensive purchaser; I frequently hear him tell of giving 12.14.16 dollars and even more for a hundred which according to my information is very high. As regards broomcorn I believe every planter raises enough for his own use & THE NEGROES SUPPLY THE MARKET. Mr. C often laughs and tells me that broomcorn and pumpkins are the timber and fruit of N.E. This would be a right hard joke for my patriotism to bear if he had not been through the eastern states and formed almost as high an opinion of them as I entertain myself.
[end page 3]
I shall expect you to write soon as convenient and hope you will tell me about your situation for in every thing that interests you I am interested too. I don’t know about that smart girl being a better scholar than some of mine, I have one or two that I think geniuses. However as her worth will not detract from theirs, I give her credit for all you ascribe to her.
With the greatest affection and every good wish,
Emily
[Note added along the side of page 1]
I received a week or two since a letter/paper from Cousin Laurentice(?) Osborn of Ohio. I wrote Aunt Loomis(?) a letter more than a year since but have never obtained a reply. I think however that she received it or Cousin L. wouldn’t have known where to direct her paper.
[Note added along the side of page 2]
I am in the sixth volume of Sir Walter Scott’s life which I find exceedingly interesting; but as you do not know much of his novels I suppose it would not prove so to you. But I wish you would obtain Stephen’s Travels in Greece, Turkey, &c. You will be very much amused by them and not a little informed. Only two small volumes.
[Note added along the side of page 3]
I seldom make excuses for my penmanship let it be ever so bad, but I don’t know of a prettyer way of telling you that I have cut the end of my second finger and have it bundled up with a rag, than by begging you to excuse my writing because I can’t guide my pen.
Though difficult to read, the content of this old letter & Clarksville, VA stampless cover provides a nice glance into an INTERESTING & rather OPINIONATED WOMAN’S LIFE in Southside Virginia in the early spring of 1839.
Scan shows both sides of the letter, enlarged detail of cover, and first page both with the visibly faded ink & enhanced to read on a computer.
Price= $175.00
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