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OLD 1843 LETTER MENTIONS MILLERISM, GREAT COMET, FUGITIVE SLAVES
A great old 3-page letter written in attractive blue ink on unlined paper 7.5 x 9.5” by a woman in West Newbury, Massachusetts to a friend in Pittsfield, New Hampshire that mentions several quite interesting AMERICANA themes of this period—MILLERISM & THE MILLERITES—THE GREAT COMET OF 1843—FUGITIVE SLAVERY & THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.
Miller's year of the Second Advent dawned with the appearance of the most brilliant comet anyone could remember.
This letter was written on 12 April 1843, soon after the Great Comet of 1843 was seen in the skies. First observed in early February, by February 27 it was observed in broad daylight roughly a degree away from the Sun. It passed closest to Earth on March 6, and was at its greatest brilliance the following day. It was last observed on April 19. This comet developed an extremely long tail during and after its perihelion passage. The vision of the Great Comet heightened the religious enthusiasm of the Millerite sect.
“William Miller was a prosperous farmer, a Baptist layman and amateur student of the Bible, living in northern New York, in the region of that state which has come to be known as the Burned-over district. Beginning with a strictly literal reading of the ages of people mentioned in the first chapters of Genesis and the dating of other events mentioned in the Bible, Miller believed that precise calculations were possible. By 1830, Miller became fully convinced that the date of the return of the Messiah could be known with precision . . . [and] should be expected somewhere around 1843. Later, he adjusted his calculations to conform to the "Jewish calendar", to finally arrive at the confidence that 1844 would be the last year of the present age and the beginning of the "seventh day of the creation". The date October 22, 1844, was the date commonly accepted throughout the Millerite movement as the exact date of the anticipated return of Jesus.”
“Perhaps more than 100,000 Millerites were awaiting this "Blessed Hope", some who abandoned their farms or sold their homes and left their employment, to propagate the gospel of the last days chronology. Jesus did not appear as expected.”
Following this Great Disappointment . . . Washington Morse of Northfield, Vermont remembered:
“The day came and passed, and the darkness of another night closed in upon the world. But with that darkness came a pang of disappointment to the advent believers that can find a parallel only in the sorrow of the disciples after the crucifixion of their Lord. . . to turn again to the cares, perplexities, and dangers of life, in full view of jeering and reviling unbelievers, who scoffed as never before, was a terrible trial of faith and patience. When Elder Himes visited Waterbury, Vt., a short time after the passing of the time and stated that the brethren should prepare for another cold winter, my feelings were almost uncontrollable. I left the place of meeting and wept like a child.”
The writer of this letter seems more impressed by the Abolition movement than the comet or the Millerites, but all these “reform” movements were equally characteristic of this era in American history. A full transcription of this letter follows:
“West Newbury
April the 12 1843
Absent Friend,
It is indeed natural to us to wish and to plan, and it is merciful in the Lord to disappoint our plans and cross our wishes. I confess I have been negligent in writing, I have set time after time to write you but something would happen to disappoint me. Do not think I have forgotten you, believe me. There is scarcely a day passes but what I think of you as well as my other Hampshire friends. The many acts of kindness you all have conferred upon me which I hope ever to be grateful.
I am at the present quite ill, have the Douloureux in my teeth and head, also pain in my side and stomach. Have not been able to finish (?) for 3 weeks, am bloated considerable. Am taking a new kind of medicine for the dropsy, which the paper stated would cure the dropsy. The ingredients are these: 1 half pound of white mustard seed, 1 handful of horseradish root, and two small garlic’s steeped in one gallon of Holland gin. Take one tablespoonful three times a day before eating. My mode of living is quite simple. I EAT NO KIND OF FOOD WHATEVER, NOR FRUIT, BUT LIVE ENTIRELY ON MILK. Can drink as much new milk with nothing in it as I wish. Although I have not been taking this about a week I feel as though I wanted salting, this method of living has cured the dropsy when all kinds of medicine has failed. I am determined to give it a fair trial. I verily believe it will not hurt me like the poisoned calomel if it does no good.
I suppose you have heard that I have changed my name. Mr. Kenny is well; we board with Miss Pillsbury: she is very kind and obliging, she is a real mother to me. Perhaps you will not thank me for writing about one that is an entire stranger. I merely wish to let you know that I find real friends among strangers.
I want to see you more than pen can express. I wish to know how you do where you are and how you enjoy your mind. I have heard there has been a revival recently in Pittsfield and Barnstead, dear H. are you not enjoying it, also? Oh, I trust you are. How many times I have thought of the happy meetings we have had together, the many hours we have spent in each other’s society. Can those days all be forgotten? No, methinks your heart will respond with mine and say there is reality in religion although I do not enjoy my mind so well as it is, my privilege to my mind is unstable; am too much allured with the vain things of earth. Could I see my own heart as God sees it and realize how fast time passes, how I must give an account for every moment, I should shrink beneath the burden and cry ‘Lord have mercy on me.’
I may not long have a place in this world; the messenger of pain and disease are daily sent to inform me that I am mortal. Experience is the best school: if we did not suffer with pain we should not know how to prize our health and the use of our limbs. It is by our sufferings we learn to pity and sympathize with others. Afflictions do us good as they make us more acquainted with what is in our own hearts and thereby promote humiliation and self-abasement. Yes dear friend, you have been deeply afflicted by being bereaved of a kind and valuable friend. In his last days life must almost have been burdensome; he is now freed from all suffering. I hope and trust [he] is now possessing all happiness. Dear friend I trust the Lord has favored you with an habitual sense of the wisdom and propriety of all his appointments, that when his will is manifested by the event, you are enabled to say all is well. I fear your patience will be exhausted in reading such an epistle, barren of ideas. I therefore forbear writing more on this subject.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME EXCITEMENT ABOUT MILLERISM AND THE COMET HERE but not so much as the cause of slavery. There has been one or two FUGITIVE SLAVES LECTURING in the place. They have SET FORTH SLAVERY AND THE AWFUL ABOMINATIONS OF IT IN ITS TRUE LIGHT, AND MANY OF THE PEOPLE HERE BEGIN TO SEE AND FEEL THAT IT IS AN AWFUL SIN TO HAVE PARENTS TORN FROM THEIR CHILDREN, HUSBANDS SEPARATED FROM THEIR WIVES(?) AND SOLD IN BONDAGE AND MANACLED IN CHAINS, BEAT AND BRUISED BY THE WICKED SLAVEHOLDER. THIS IS NOT THE RULE OUR SAVIOR LAID DOWN. WHEN WILL SLAVERY BE ABOLISHED?
I had almost forgotten to mention Abby’s name: she and her family are well. Her baby grows nicely; his name is Albert. She has got a very pretty house. I should think she might enjoy herself as to this world’s goods and even to meetings, for they are very near and (?) have her choice.
Asenath and family are well. If you can read this you will do well. If you cannot, just run down and I will read it for you. Please answer this if you think it worthy of your notice. Nothing would please me more than to have you and Dolly Lougee jump into the stage and come and make me a good visit. Give my respects to all inquiring friends.
Yours with respect,
OE Kenny”
This old letter has separated along much of the upper horizontal fold-line and the top section would be about detached except for some transparent document tape applied in this area. There are tears at all the corners of the fold lines and at the old wax seal. Otherwise, except for a few age stains (see scan), the letter is in good condition.
Price= $225.00
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